See and speak on the downtown restoration plan

It’s been months in the making, and now the public will have its chance to comment on the city’s downtown restoration plan.

A draft of the plan will be unveiled and a public hearing will be held during the City Council meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. Among the other issues on the agenda Tuesday: a proposal for a new street-sweeping agreement, and a measure to convert city tennis courts to pickleball courts.

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, in his inaugural address, reiterated his intentions to follow through on efforts to restore and revitalize the downtown area to its pre-urban renewal appearance, which includes re-opening Howard Avenue to two-way traffic.

The initiative formally began  April 17, when the city hired Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District to return four months later with an action plan for downtown development that specifically included the re-opening of Howard Avenue to two-way traffic, an issue the city has discussed for years.

“Obviously opening up Howard Avenue to two-way traffic is a big part of the plan,” Gilich said at the time, “but it’s more than that. It’s making downtown more walkable in light of MGM Park and the talk of daily Amtrak service. It’s about looking at restoring the facades downtown to the look of old Biloxi, pre-urban development, and it’s about taking a holistic approach in looking at the opportunities and the challenges in the area bounded by I-110, Lee Street, Division Street and U.S. 90.â€
See the City Council agenda and supporting documents
Slideshow: Downtown Biloxi of yesteryear
Slideshow: A whimsical look at the “wildlife” of downtown Biloxi