Biloxi/Gulfport
- The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi is building a new 154-room tower that is expected to open by the end of this year. The facility currently offers 325 rooms and suites.
- The Isle of Capri Biloxi is under new ownership. The facility was purchased late last year by Landry’s, the parent company of Golden Nugget. Now flagged as the Isle Casino Hotel Biloxi, the property is undergoing a multimillion-dollar, top-to-bottom renovation and expansion that is slated for completion in spring 2014.
- The Maritime Seafood & Industry Museum in Biloxi recently broke ground on its new location, seven years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original facility. The new museum, which will house many of the original exhibits saved from the storm, is expected to open by May 2014.
- The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library will open this May at Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home in Biloxi. The library will house a number of artifacts and exhibits, and also offer a room for meetings and events of up to 200.
- Near Gulfport, Buccaneer State Park recently finished renovations on the Buccaneer Bay Waterpark, which was destroyed along with all of the park’s other structures during Hurricane Katrina. The park is wrapping up the last part of a three-phase restoration, and plans to open the waterpark on Memorial Day weekend.
Bay St. Louis
- The Infinity Science Center opened last spring as part of NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis. The 72,000-square-foot facility includes a flight simulator, a massive F-1 rocket engine and an International Space Station module. The center is available for group events and offers on-site catering.