Mississippi: developers eye Long Beach site for new casino

The Sun Herald reports the company was registered with the Secretary of State in May and lists James Parrish, owner of The Inn at Magnolia Alley in Bay St. Louis and other businesses in South Mississippi, as manager.

Members of the yacht club met Monday and said no decision was made whether to sell the club on the waterfront for $1.5 million.

Michael Cavanaugh, attorney for Long Beach Harbor Resort LLC, says there's nothing to report at this time.

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Mayor Billy Skellie said the yacht club has about 60 years left on its property lease with the city, but a casino isn't dependent on getting the club to sell and relocate

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"They (the developers) can still bring a proposal to the table without the yacht club," Skellie said.

Having the land on which the yacht club sits would make a "cleaner"-looking property instead of building a casino near U.S. 90, he said.

Although the town is buzzing about a possible casino, "I don't get all worked up over these things because it's just a proposal," Skellie said.

He's seen two versions of plans for the resort — with and without the yacht club — but said nothing official has been presented to the city.

He isn't pro- or anti-casino. Like others, he can see the positives of a casino bringing more revenue for the city and school district and the challenges of having to provide more services and equipment, such as a new ladder firetruck.

And though a casino may not be the savior to bring prosperity to the city, officials and residents have to allow an economic-development project, Skellie said

"I can promise you, we need some revenue," he said. "It can't be all houses and beaches, because we have to have some revenue."