Page 190 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2015

KATRINA ANNIVERSARY we’re back, beautiful and better
A place apart
story by Lisa Monti photos courtesy of Linda Ferrill
The long list of post-Katrina projects and their price tags show how far- reaching the storm’s damage was in Bay St. Louis. The list includes restoration of the seawall; the purchase of a new city hall; two new fire stations; improvements to the waterfront, city parks and the historic Depot District; and new utilities, drainage system, roads, sidewalks and signs. FEMA funding totaled more than $95 million and Community Development Block Grants topped $82 million, according to city figures.
The city’s final FEMA project also is the centerpiece of its recovery. The $21 million harbor at the foot of Main Street in Old Town opened a year ago and has been the backdrop for festivals, historical reenactments and other crowd- pleasing events. That’s exactly what the city had in mind when the 160-slip harbor was proposed.
“Our economy is built upon vibrant small businesses which are very resilient, and I think the initiatives we have taken to build the community back is in tune with our quality of life issues,” said Mayor Les Fillingame.
To appreciate how far Bay St. Louis has come in the past 10 years, consider the top lists it has landed on: Best Little Beach Towns, America’s Coolest
Small Town, Top 12 Places you Need to Visit, 12 Beautiful Town Bargains, Best Pleasure Seekers Paradise, 10 Most Beautiful Mississippi Towns and the fastest growing city in Mississippi, according to the Census Bureau.
Tish Williams, executive director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, puts it this way: “We’re back, we’re beautiful and we’re better. The fact that Bay St. Louis has received so many accolades really sums it up,” she said.
But Williams said that even with all the new structures and amenities resulting from Katrina, “what is renewed is the spirit of our residents. This is a place
you want to call home, raise your children and eventually retire, thanks to our citizens who stayed here and are reinvesting and making a difference in their hometown. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
190 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2015 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net