Page 188 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2015

KATRINA ANNIVERSARY rebuilding
A BRAND NEW DAY
UNew public facilities, private businesses rebuilding Harrison County
rban planners who came to the Mississippi downtown Gulfport, and other buildings are being
Gulf Coast to see first-hand the devastation renovated to attract businesses downstairs and apartment wrought by Hurricane Katrina boldly living upstairs. The Island View Casino recently opened its predicted it would take at least 10 years for hotel tower on the south side of Highway 90, and a second the area to fully recover, and they were not casino is planned.
far off the mark. W.A. Rode, consultant with Warr Management Services,
Recovery and full restoration seemed like a daunting task. LLC, estimates a total of $232 million in federal funds was
But with millions in federal and state aid, the task began. The national recession slowed recovery, and five years
into restoration came the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that destroyed oyster reefs, harmed shrimping and fishing, and polluted beaches from Texas to Florida
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast is experiencing a renaissance. New city halls, police and fire stations have been built, along with county offices. Mayors of the individual towns say the
future is bright, as long as we don’t have another killer storm.
Gulfport and Biloxi, the Coast’s two largest cities are seeing a building boom. New facades on many building are attracting more restaurants and
businesses to
spent on 404 projects to rebuild Gulfport. A large chunk
of the money was spent redesigning Jones Park, the city’s front yard facing Highway 90. A total of $20 million added 316 boat slips to the Gulfport Marina, and another $1.9 million built a new Harbormaster building. Two concert pavilions were built with federal and private funds. A splash pad, boardwalk and a bike and pedestrian walkway were also constructed, along with a farmer’s market
pavilion. A world-class aquarium is planned downtown, near the old library.
Mayor Billy Hewes said, “We experienced the worst of nature and the best of humanity. Instead of abandoning a
wasteland, we are building a vibrant community where residents thrive,
businesses flourish and visitors flock.”
188 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2015
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
story by Ed Lepoma photos by Teddy Lewis