BILOXI, MS - Mayor A. J. Holloway said in his State of the City address Monday the renaissance continues in Biloxi and "the recent report of our self-inflicted demise is greatly exaggerated." Holloway was speaking of recent derogatory comments by a planner Andres Duany, who said the city has committed "urban suicide" since Hurricane Katrina. The mayor disagrees. "Like all cities, we have our share of challenges," Holloway told the crowd of 700 people at the Beau Rivage. "But Biloxi, in my biased opinion, is the most compelling story of all the stories in the Katrina recovery." The 18th annual address was sponsored by the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce and in his half-hour speech, Holloway outlined progress made in affordable housing, commercial development, schools and transportation.
"MDOT is on track to open all lanes of the Biloxi Bay Bridge well ahead of the April schedule," Holloway announced. He also said a meeting on March 4 will explore whether Popp's Ferry can become part of a north-south corridor. A new east-west corridor across the Coast is also a priority and Holloway said he has asked Gov. Haley Barbour to allocate $5 million for an environmental impact study.
Holloway often referred to the work of the Reviving the Renaissance committee. As he spoke about a new Lighthouse Park and Visitors Center, restoration of the small craft harbor and piers, a new community center and library and millions of dollars in other projects around the city, he said, "Most of the work that you're seeing is coming directly from the pages of the Reviving the Renaissance report."
Much has been accomplished in the 30 months since Hurricane Katrina and the future holds great promise, said Holloway. "Our role is to set the table for economic development," although he cautioned, "Complex projects, those with significant impacts on traffic and demands on infrastructure, should not and will not be rushed through the regulatory process."
While the nation faces economic uncertainty, he said Biloxi has casino resorts and the military, two industries that are said to be recession-proof. "I'm sure we'll still see some impacts of whatever happens in the national economy, but I think our challenges are not going to be to the extent that some face."
Holloway skipped over two portions of his planned speech that would have challenged the city council to adopt FEMA flood elevations and for the city to find a balance between smart growth and property owners' rights and between land zoned for casinos and for other uses. Biloxi continues to be challenged with the high cost of land, insurance and construction, yet Holloway said, "Our potential and our promise are greater today than at any other time in our history."
Source: Sun Herald