It’s been decades since people could live atop businesses or within walking distance of a busy downtown Biloxi.
That will begin to change later this year as commercial and residential development gets moving again along Howard Avenue, bringing nearly 50 new apartments close to casinos, restaurants, bars and MGM Park.
On Wednesday, the Biloxi Development Review Committee heard the latest plans for The District on Howard and the developments’ first big project — The Barq Building.
The dated mustard siding was removed from the exterior of the property at 838 Howard, right around the corner from where the Saenger Theatre is being restored. Plans are drawn for 23 apartments, said Austin Schnitzlein with Dale Partners, the Biloxi company helping design the mixed-use project.
Those plans call for commercial use on the first floor, commercial and one- and two-bedroom apartments on the second floor, and adding a third story on the adjacent building that once housed JCPenney and most recently Level nightclub.
The apartments will range from 650 to 1,100 square feet, said Neil Polen with Dale Partners. The building will have decorative lighting down the side, along the first floor, and balconies for residents along Howard Avenue, Reynoir Street and on the back of the building.
He said the developer is eager to get started on demolition and construction.
The District, with a development budget of $54 million, also will have 41,000 square feet of commercial space in this first stage, he said.
The first lease is for a craft cocktail bar, opening later this year in the Barq Building.
Development in downtown Biloxi
First downtown apartments, ‘little hotel’ made of shipping containers coming soon
Interest has really picked up in the last couple of weeks since The District Green block party and grand opening of the green space with its food trucks and outdoor dining, said Bobby Gillon, director of marketing and leasing for The District.
“We’ve got a list of over 75 people that have expressed interest in apartments of some kind,” he said.
These aren’t the first downtown apartments or condos, but the largest group to be added in years. Fritz Development built an award-winning mixed use project in downtown Biloxi almost two years ago, helped the city develop the downtown housing grant program and was the first grant recipient, said Kim Fritz.
Additional residences are planned in future phases of The District.
More downtown living on the way
Biloxi is providing incentives to bring housing back to downtown. The city council in December approved a 225,000 grant for 24 new residences close by on Howard and Caillavet Street.
Crews are transforming what was Josette’s costume shop into 23 high-end apartments that will be complete by Dec. 31, said owner Jourdan Nicaud. The project also will have some commercial space.
The property is near the baseball stadium, where the Biloxi Shuckers’ home season opened on Wednesday, and between the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino to the south and IP Casino Resort to the north.
Could a little downtown hotel work?
Also on Wednesday, the Biloxi DRC heard conceptual plans for The Lazy Palms, a boutique hotel, bar and restaurant, just south of the post office on Main and Water streets in Biloxi.
The idea would be a cross between Hotel Beatnik “tiny hotel” with four individual units in Ocean Springs, and the conex shipping container hotels found in cities like Nashville and Orange Beach, said Marques Thomas and Phil Dellenger, who proposed the idea.
The lot north of the Biloxi Town Green and Hard Rock Casino Biloxi is small — just big enough for 16 to 20 upscale hotel rooms, they said, and possibly a small swimming pool and green space for open air dining.
There are no regulations in Biloxi’s architectural guidelines that govern how a hotel made of shipping containers should look, said Bill Raymond, the city’s historical administrator.
The potential developers said they are considering trimming the exterior with burnt wood to give it the look of South Beach in Biloxi.