A company called Mississippi Coast Entertainment, LP has reportedly told Gulfport, Mississippi Mayor Billy Hewes that they are interested in developing a casino in the area. The proposal would see a casino built on property once slated for Rotate Black’s now halted Hemingway Resort and Casino. The property is located next to a small-craft harbor and developers would be spending as much as $140 million on the project, according to a breaking report yesterday on wlox.com.
According to Hewes’ assertions in the article, after taking several years to make the site viable, the city now has an agreement with land owners adjoining the property as well as a partner who has a record of success in private sector development. The project is set to include a gaming venue, parking garage, hotel, and performance theater, and an as yet undisclosed amenity in the future.
According to other local news outlets the company also plans to develop the historic Markham Hotel. Robert Lubin is a Virginia based attorney who heads up Mississippi Coast Entertainment. “What’s interesting is the Markham project came first. I work with a group of fellows who found the Markham project, and we decided to go forward with it. We looked at the viability of it and decided to go forward with apartment living and office building kind of project over there,” said Lubin.
This is not Mississippi Coast Entertainment’s first venture into casino development. The Magnolia Bluffs Casino in Natchez was opened by the company in 2012.