Here is a list of Tidelands applications submitted by the City of Biloxi, as of Dec. 12, 2016, to be considered by the state Legislature in its January 2017 session, for Fiscal Year 2018.
No. 1 — West Biloxi Festival Boardwalk and Boat Ramp
$1 million requested with $1 million matching funds
This Tidelands project involves construction of a boardwalk that borders the seawall from Rodenberg Avenue to just past Camellia Street; construction of a boat ramp at the south end of Camellia; interval parking; and provision of covered pavilions, kiosks, and benches along the boardwalk. Low impact signage will identify shore birds, native plants and other natural resources of the project area.
Design of this project will be consistent with the other public improvements that form Biloxi’s chain of waterfront amenities, preserving authentic Biloxi styles, standards and materials. Ultimately, the waterfront boardwalk will extend west to DeBuys Road, connecting Point Cadet with the Schooner Pier Complex, Tricentennial Park, the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, Lighthouse Park, West Biloxi Festival Boardwalk Area and the Sand Beach to the city limits.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 2 — Point Cadet Living Shoreline & Parkway
$2.25 million requested with $2.25 million matching funds
Through this Tidelands project, the City of Biloxi will partner with the State of Mississippi to restore safe access to the Point Cadet waterfront area on both sides of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge through construction of ADA-compliant, lighted boardwalks and walkways to support a variety of public waterfront uses. Educational signage will be installed to educate the public about local native marine species, native and migrating birds, and nearby oyster reef and Deer Island restoration activities. Small, anchored telescopes will enhance visual accessibility along the waterfront.
Shoreline stabilization measures north of the bridge will be implemented following removal of marine and shoreline debris. Where appropriate, living shoreline installations will mitigate the impact of marine vessels’ wake. To the south, boat slips and finger piers in the Point Cadet Marina will be upgraded to allow larger recreational vessels from Gulf States to berth at the marina for fishing tournaments and sailing regattas. The project will restore safe public navigation in the Point Cadet Marina and allow access to larger boats with deeper draft by removing sediment that has accumulated within the marina since Hurricane Isaac.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 3 — Point Cadet Marina Expansion & Water’s Edge Boardwalk
$2.5 million requested with $2.5 million matching funds
Through this Tidelands grant project, the City of Biloxi will expand the Point Cadet Marina to meet market demand for more slips to accommodate 75-foot and larger recreational and sports-fishing yachts owned by Mississippi Coast residents and Intercoastal Waterway visiting boaters. The project also involves expanding public access to the waterfront through provision of a water’s edge boardwalk, which will include open-air pavilions, lighting, educational signage and a docking area to support the State’s shuttle service to Deer Island.
The marina expansion and public access boardwalk project area will begin at the current western boundary of the Point Cadet Marina and extend to a point approximately 500 feet west of the new Margaritaville (formerly Casino Magic).
Design of this project will be consistent with the other public improvements that form Biloxi’s chain of waterfront amenities, preserving authentic Biloxi styles, standards and materials. Ultimately, the waterfront boardwalk will extend west to DeBuys Road, connecting Point Cadet with the Schooner Pier Complex, Tricentennial Park, the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, Lighthouse Park, West Biloxi Festival Boardwalk Area and the Sand Beach to the city limits.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 4 — Tricentennial Park Public Access Improvements
$1.42 million requested with $1,42 million matching funds
In 2001, the City of Biloxi established Tricentennial Park on an eight-acre City-owned tract of land located north of Highway 90 in East Biloxi to create a contiguous park-like setting for the future Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (OOMA), the historic Tullis-Toledano Manor and a proposed Schooner Pier Complex to be located south of the highway. The park’s purposes were to expand access to publicly-owned property and to develop it as a multi-use educational and recreational resource showcasing the history and cultural heritage of Biloxi. With Katrina’s destruction of Tullis-Toledano Manor, the City is working with OOMA to re-purpose the former site of the manor into a public space that preserves the viewshed and magnificent live oak trees while providing an open area for the public to enjoy nature, family activities and educational resources. Pedestrian access will be provided to reconnect the once-tidally-influenced park to the waterfront with a pedestrian walkover across Highway 90. Public access to the park will be expanded by installation of a wide sidewalk along the north side of the service drive from Oak Street to the Museum. Native plant species will be installed and signage will interpret the site’s historical, cultural and archaeological significance and improve knowledge about preserving and restoring wetlands and tidelands affected areas.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 5 — Biloxi Small Craft Harbor Expansion
$3.5 million requested with $3.5 million matching funds
Through this Tidelands project, the city will upgrade and expand the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, which is centrally located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in downtown Biloxi, to allow all Biloxi-based charter boats to berth in the public marina that is located in closest proximity to several major casino resorts and hotels and has direct access to Interstate 10 via I-110. The project will involve adding slips east of the current harbor and reconfiguring existing slips to accommodate all charter boats currently operating out of Biloxi. This consolidation will support expansion of the charter boat industry.
The reconfigured harbor will include improvements such as fish weighing, cleaning and display areas and public restrooms as well as a fisherman’s market for retail sales of charter supplies and “fresh off the boat” seafood. Signage and displays about Gulf of Mexico deep-water species and ecology and the cultural history of Gulf Coast fishing will enhance the harbor for the benefit of the general public. In addition to supporting increased charter boat activity, new open-air pavilions, parking and landscaping will encourage the public to enjoy the marina and its waterfront views. A water’s edge boardwalk will be installed to provide uninterrupted pedestrian access around existing development to the Pan American Clipper dock at the I-110 Loop.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 6 — Back Bay Market Place and Marinas
$2 million requested with $6 million matching funds
The Back Bay Marketplace and Marinas Project will provide safe, convenient public access to a section of Back Bay shoreline, from Caillavet east to Oak Street, and enhance traditional working waterfront activities with land uses that showcase local seafood in shopping, dining, entertainment and educational venues. Pedestrian and bicyclist access improvements will allow the public to “rediscover” the shoreline along Bayview Avenue, which basically has become an access road to support seafood industry activities after Back Bay Boulevard was constructed to provide through-traffic access to East Point Cadet. Aquaculture facilities and related workforce training programs will be developed in concert with public boardwalks, piers and marinas to benefit the regional economy by supporting the Mississippi Coast’s seafood industry, stimulating marine-related service and retail businesses, diversifying tourism amenities and expanding public opportunities to enjoy a working waterfront, all of which will be conveniently accessed from Interstate 10 via the I-110 Corridor. The tidally-affected project area will emphasize environmentally-sensitive best management practices to improve water quality in Back Bay, land uses that maximize waterfront views and expanded public recreational and educational activities in an authentic Biloxi environment.
See the application | See a rendering
No. 7 — Pine Street Waterfront Access & Maritime Commerce Corridor
$2 million requested with $18 million matching funds
The project will complete the last section of the East Biloxi Transportation Loop to connect the beach to the Back Bay of Biloxi by extending and improving Pine Street south from 5th Street to Highway 90. The project will be implemented concurrently with the City project to extend Back Bay Boulevard east from Oak to Pine Streets and south to 5th Street. The improved Pine Street will be a four-lane, divided boulevard for the improved safety of the driving public and will have aesthetic appeal.
Biloxi’s waterfront design standards will be incorporated into project improvements, where feasible, to preserve and showcase authentic Biloxi throughout redevelopment of Point Cadet and its neighborhoods.
See the application | See a rendering
