Margaritaville Casino on Biloxi, Mississippi’s Back Bay has sat vacant since it closed in 2014. Now developer Chris Taylor and partners are planning to invest $150 million-$200 million in the property to create the casino resort Biloxi House.
Taylor has worked on a number of tribal and commercial casino developments, primarily in Louisiana. The fact that the Margaritaville building was available made the project more appealing. “That cuts down on our build out time. Rather than typically an 18-24 month build-out time, we’re probably talking about 12 months,” he said.
Taylor noted the property includes 25,000 square feet of gaming space. “We’re going to have to bring up to 40,000 square feet to meet the regulations,” he said. The property also will include an 11-story, 300-room hotel, 20,000 square foot back deck and a unique amenity to develop tourism, as required by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, which Taylor would not specify.
He said he’s confident Biloxi House will stand out in the area’s crowded market. “We’re not here to cannibalize the existing market, but bringing new gamers to the market. You do that by first and foremost with service, secondly you do that by bringing a unique amenity to bring what you would consider nontraditional gamers to this market,” Taylor said. He added, “We truly understand the culture here, so that’s what is so attractive about this property.”
The gaming commission and city of Biloxi still need to approve the project. Taylor said if that happens soon, construction could start this summer.
