Mississippi Casinos Integral in Katrina Recovery
The casino industry is continuing to help bring life and economic viability back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Already a major employer and financial draw before the storm, casinos have rushed to repair and reopen properties in the Biloxi region, where tidal surge flattened the entire area.
Laws passed after the hurricane allow on-land gaming facilities within 800 feet of the shoreline, in addition to the riverboats and dockside casinos already permitted. In the rush to develop, industrial areas largely abandoned by shrimping and seafood processing plants have become valuable tracts of land, sought after as potential resort sites.
A group including Biloxi Gaming Partners, the Bayview Avenue Development Group, and the Bayview Gaming Group received a rezoning they had requested from the Biloxi Planning Commission, allowing for review by the Mississippi Gaming Commission of plans to build the Bayview Casino on 4.7 waterfront acres.
Group spokesman Michael Cavanaugh noted that not only would casino and resort construction continue to benefit the region's ongoing storm recovery, but that, in light of potential future hurricanes, "The best way to build in that area is with concrete and steel, which is how casinos are constructed."
