March 6, 2008

By MARY PEREZ
meperez@sunherald.com

BILOXI –

The Biloxi Planning Commission tonight overwhelming approved RW Development’s plans for a development on U.S. 90 and Veterans Avenue that includes a casino north of 90.

Voting for the project were Joe King, Johnnie Smith, David Stanovich, Ronnie Tootle, Jamey Hunt, August Parker, Curtis Harrison and Jimmy Poulos. Voting against it were JoAnn Humpries and David Washer, while Gerald Lamey abstained.

The proposal next goes to the City Council and if that board takes the commission’s recommendation and approves the project, the Mississippi Gaming Commission would then rule whether Gold Coast is a legal casino site.

The 8-2-1 vote came at the end of a four-hour meeting that also saw the approval of the IP Casino Resort’s request to have land south of the present resort zoned to allow an onshore casino to be built there.

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