Margaritaville will grow market, create a buzz

Here is the full text of Mayor A.J. Holloway’s comments submitted on April 7, 2011 to the Mississippi Gaming Commission regarding the proposed Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant project in east Biloxi, on Biloxi’s Back Bay.

I want to thank the members and staff of the Gaming Commission for meeting here in Biloxi again.

It’s always great to have you in town so you can see our progress and success up close.

I want to welcome Jimmy Buffett to Biloxi — again.

We have a chance to have something really special for this market. Jimmy Buffett and Biloxi are a natural. Jimmy Buffett got his start here in Biloxi, and now he’s returning to Biloxi to build on his success. Having the Jimmy Buffett brand in Biloxi will grow our market. It will add a new dimension to our appeal, and it will create a buzz.

People say that it looks like this project is happening really quickly. But I think the folks sitting at this table know that this project has been in the works for more than a year.

They’ve done a lot of hard work on planning and financing. And I hope their work pays off today — not only for them, but for the citizens of Biloxi and the entire state.

I want to thank Jimmy and Tom and John and everyone who has worked on this project. We appreciate your confidence in Biloxi.

Make no mistake, this will be a national story when those doors open in nine months, and I look forward to that day and all of the great things to come, as Jimmy would say, Down around Biloxi.