Gaming Commission Gives OK to DIberville Casino
The Mississippi Gaming Commission has approved the bid to build a casino in D'Iberville from West D'Iberville Development LLC Friday.
The site of the casino development project is north of Biloxi Bay and west of I-110. The casino will cover 52,500 square feet, and is planned to house 1,500 slot machines and 50 gaming tables.
When asked about the cost estimate of the project, Las Vegas casino executive Peter Simon, owner of West D'Iberville Development LLC had no definite answer yet, because of the fluctuating cost of materials and labor.
"It will be substantial," he just generally said.
Simon said that the target date for the opening of the casino resort is on Dec. 31, 2008, in order to take advantage of tax incentives Congress approved to expedite the damaged coast's recovery.
Simon said that D'Iberville has been in favor of the project from the start, more so since the city has actually been seeking a casino for at least a decade now.
Mississippi Gaming Commission executive director Larry Gregory said that the casino would create 1,500 to 1,800 opportunities for employment.
"There's not a lot of employment in that area. It represents a little bit of hope for the people down in D'Iberville," Gregory said.
Hurricane Katrina was responsible for damage to nearby areas, shutting down 12 Gulf Coast casinos and a Hard Rock cafe that was only days away from opening on August 29, 2005.