...Pascagoula Mayor Robbie Maxwell hit on one of the key reasons that trying
to predict economic development events that will occur in 2011 is bound to
miss some significant things.
...“With all the good stuff, I signed confidentially agreements,” said Maxwell.
And he’s not alone. Economic development officials play it close to the vest,
and don’t divulge what’s in the works.
...Still, it’s possible to get a sense of what might be in store for South
Mississippi in 2011. A lot of projects will reach fruition during the year, and
decisions on several others will be made that will have an impact. That along
with an understanding of the local, national and international trends at least
provide a sense of where things may be heading.
...And it does seem encouraging.
...Nationally, a strong start of the holiday season raised confidence the
consumer is back and that 2011 could be a better year for the economy than
expected. U.S. factory output has grown for five months, and a survey of
CEOs at the nation’s biggest companies suggests hiring will pick up in the next
six months.
...And South Mississippi in 2011 will continue recovering from the recession
and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, helped in part by BP money. Sales tax
collections and gaming revenues improved in late 2010 over the previous year,
a trend that should continue. Employment, which has been stable, is expected
to grow in the second quarter of 2011.
...Multiple high-profile activities in South Mississippi will continue in 2011: at
least 22 rocket engine tests are slated at Stennis Space Center, new cyber
warriors will graduate from Keesler Air Force Base, and Jackson County will
continue to churn out warships, unmanned aerial systems, body scanners and
more.
...And new players will become part of the South Mississippi landscape in
2011, including a science center, a university technology facility, a fixed-base
operation center, a new airport terminal and LNG terminal, to name a few.
...“I think 2011 stands to be a great year in a number of ways,” said Biloxi
Mayor A.J. Holloway, speaking about his own city. “I see 2011 as being a
very productive and very busy year. It will be a year of accomplishment.”
Decisions/trends
...At least two major decisions will be made in 2011 that are of high interest to
South Mississippi, and one might come as early as January.
...That’s when the Air Force is expected to announce a winner in the contest
between Boeing and EADS North America to build aerial refueling tankers.
Should EADS win or if the contract is split, tankers and freighters will be
assembled in Mobile, Ala. That will mean jobs for South Mississippi, both
through workers commuting to Mobile and through the location of suppliers in
South Mississippi.
...Northrop Grumman will also decide in 2011 what to do with shipbuilding
operations in Mississippi and Virginia. The company is considering creating a
spinoff, Huntington Ingalls Industries, or selling the yards. Northrop has
already decided to close its Louisiana yards and move work to Mississippi.
But no matter who owns the company, employment will ebb and flow based
on the number of ships being built.
...Beyond those decisions, there are trends that bode well for South
Mississippi. The continued interest in unmanned aerial systems, the growing
use of geospatial technologies and the rising importance of cyber security all
promise to fuel the local economy. Significantly, South Mississippi’s marine
science activities are likely to grow as research into the BP oil spill continues
into 2011 and beyond.
New projects
...The list of economic development projects that will reach fruition, get
started or make major strides forward in 2011 is long.
...At NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, work will be completed in July
on the $9 million Mississippi State Science and Technology Center, the new
home of the Northern Gulf Institute. Just outside SSC, the Infinity Science
Center construction will be finished in 2011 and a big push will be on to raise
money for the exhibits.
...At Stennis International Airport in Kiln, construction will begin in 2011 on a
new terminal, a 24,000 square-foot hangar, a parking apron expansion and
fuel farm relocation. Three tenants at the airpark - Selex Galileo, Hot Sticks
and Lazy Magnolia – all expect to grow. Optech International will begin
making LIDAR units in 2011.
...“We have worked hard to get a lot of infrastructure in place, and now we’re
starting to reap the benefits,” said Bill Cotter, the airport director. He adds that
“2011 will be our big kickoff for businesses coming in and using it.”
...Hancock County in 2011 will wrap up work on projects ranging from an
extension of the rail line at Port Bienville to new marinas in Waveland and
Bay St. Louis, a new county complex and correctional facility and a new
incubator in Waveland. In Port Bienville, SABIC will add a new product line.
...In Harrison County, work will continue to establish an industrial park west
of U.S. 49. The 632-acre Global Access Industrial Park is 12 miles from
Interstate 10. Also in the northern part of the county, Tradition will be
working on its Village Market, and building more homes.
...Work also will continue in 2011 on the Mississippi State Port at Gulfport’s
“Port of the Future,” including filling of the final 24 acres of water bottoms at
the port’s West Pier. Executive Director/CEO Don Allee expects an increase
in cargo in 2011.
...Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport expects an uptick in passenger and has
more renovations in store for 2011. One big project is the opening of the
Million Air fixed base operation center. Bruce Frallic, the airport’s executive
director, said airport officials “feel good about the new year.”
...Gulfport Mayor George Schloegel said he anticipates the initial phase of the
development of Centennial Plaza, the former site of the Veterans’ Hospital on
Highway 90. He also expects the full activation of Jones Park and the Bert
Jones Yacht Basin.
...In January, a Michigan group is expected to present a more detailed plan for
a casino adjacent to Gulfport's Small Craft Harbor, and in D’Iberville there
may be a casino groundbreaking.
...In Biloxi, a new library and civic center will open in 2011, and there will be
a groundbreaking for a Walmart Supercenter near Edgewater Mall.
...“I think this is not just going to be about a Walmart opening, but it’s going
to be a catalyst for growth of new retail and food and beverage in and around
Edgewater Mall, and we’ll see new roads built to improve the flow of traffic in
that area,” said Holloway.
...“Right now, we have more than $200 million worth of growth either under
construction or in the works in Biloxi, and we’re seeing hundreds of million of
dollars more at the VA in Biloxi,” he said.
...“We’ll have brand new streets and drainage, sidewalks and curbing and
water and sewer – all in place and ready to go once this economy turns
around, and it will turn around,” Holloway said.
...In Jackson County, two more sites will seek Project Ready designation. In
2009 the county got its first Project Ready site with the 300-acre Jackson
County Aviation Technology Park in Moss Point. Now it’s making headway
on two more sites.
...One is a 730-acre site north of where Interstate 10 meets Franklin Creek
Road. The other is a 207-acre site in Helena, northeast of the Trent Lott
airport. It’s the Mississippi Export Railroad site on Saracennia Road.
...Other projects that have been in the works will also move forward. The $2
billion Mississippi Gasification plant in Moss Point will continue the permitting
process in anticipation of a 2012 opening, and a construction contract may be
awarded in 2011 for the $20 million Maritime Trades Academy. In addition,
the Gulf LNG terminal expects to finish construction in 2011 and open late in
the year.
...For Pascagoula, 2011 marks the beginning of the development of a new
city, said Maxwell.
...“Within the next year we’re going to see a broad improvement in
Pascagoula,” Maxwell said. That includes the development of the waterfront
property and revitalization of the retail base lost to Hurricane Katrina. He said
one of the issues that will continue into 2011 is the proposed annexation by
Pascagoula of about 30 square miles of land all the way to the Alabama state
line.
...Work will also continue on efforts to create a maritime and warship
museum, which would include relocating the missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga
to South Mississippi. It now has an interim home, but the ultimate plan is to
build on Lowry Island on the Pascagoula River.
...But if the past is an indication, some of the big headlines in 2011 may well
be something being kept under wraps. Only time will tell.
January 2011
to predict economic development events that will occur in 2011 is bound to
miss some significant things.
...“With all the good stuff, I signed confidentially agreements,” said Maxwell.
And he’s not alone. Economic development officials play it close to the vest,
and don’t divulge what’s in the works.
...Still, it’s possible to get a sense of what might be in store for South
Mississippi in 2011. A lot of projects will reach fruition during the year, and
decisions on several others will be made that will have an impact. That along
with an understanding of the local, national and international trends at least
provide a sense of where things may be heading.
...And it does seem encouraging.
...Nationally, a strong start of the holiday season raised confidence the
consumer is back and that 2011 could be a better year for the economy than
expected. U.S. factory output has grown for five months, and a survey of
CEOs at the nation’s biggest companies suggests hiring will pick up in the next
six months.
...And South Mississippi in 2011 will continue recovering from the recession
and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, helped in part by BP money. Sales tax
collections and gaming revenues improved in late 2010 over the previous year,
a trend that should continue. Employment, which has been stable, is expected
to grow in the second quarter of 2011.
...Multiple high-profile activities in South Mississippi will continue in 2011: at
least 22 rocket engine tests are slated at Stennis Space Center, new cyber
warriors will graduate from Keesler Air Force Base, and Jackson County will
continue to churn out warships, unmanned aerial systems, body scanners and
more.
...And new players will become part of the South Mississippi landscape in
2011, including a science center, a university technology facility, a fixed-base
operation center, a new airport terminal and LNG terminal, to name a few.
...“I think 2011 stands to be a great year in a number of ways,” said Biloxi
Mayor A.J. Holloway, speaking about his own city. “I see 2011 as being a
very productive and very busy year. It will be a year of accomplishment.”
Decisions/trends
...At least two major decisions will be made in 2011 that are of high interest to
South Mississippi, and one might come as early as January.
...That’s when the Air Force is expected to announce a winner in the contest
between Boeing and EADS North America to build aerial refueling tankers.
Should EADS win or if the contract is split, tankers and freighters will be
assembled in Mobile, Ala. That will mean jobs for South Mississippi, both
through workers commuting to Mobile and through the location of suppliers in
South Mississippi.
...Northrop Grumman will also decide in 2011 what to do with shipbuilding
operations in Mississippi and Virginia. The company is considering creating a
spinoff, Huntington Ingalls Industries, or selling the yards. Northrop has
already decided to close its Louisiana yards and move work to Mississippi.
But no matter who owns the company, employment will ebb and flow based
on the number of ships being built.
...Beyond those decisions, there are trends that bode well for South
Mississippi. The continued interest in unmanned aerial systems, the growing
use of geospatial technologies and the rising importance of cyber security all
promise to fuel the local economy. Significantly, South Mississippi’s marine
science activities are likely to grow as research into the BP oil spill continues
into 2011 and beyond.
New projects
...The list of economic development projects that will reach fruition, get
started or make major strides forward in 2011 is long.
...At NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, work will be completed in July
on the $9 million Mississippi State Science and Technology Center, the new
home of the Northern Gulf Institute. Just outside SSC, the Infinity Science
Center construction will be finished in 2011 and a big push will be on to raise
money for the exhibits.
...At Stennis International Airport in Kiln, construction will begin in 2011 on a
new terminal, a 24,000 square-foot hangar, a parking apron expansion and
fuel farm relocation. Three tenants at the airpark - Selex Galileo, Hot Sticks
and Lazy Magnolia – all expect to grow. Optech International will begin
making LIDAR units in 2011.
...“We have worked hard to get a lot of infrastructure in place, and now we’re
starting to reap the benefits,” said Bill Cotter, the airport director. He adds that
“2011 will be our big kickoff for businesses coming in and using it.”
...Hancock County in 2011 will wrap up work on projects ranging from an
extension of the rail line at Port Bienville to new marinas in Waveland and
Bay St. Louis, a new county complex and correctional facility and a new
incubator in Waveland. In Port Bienville, SABIC will add a new product line.
...In Harrison County, work will continue to establish an industrial park west
of U.S. 49. The 632-acre Global Access Industrial Park is 12 miles from
Interstate 10. Also in the northern part of the county, Tradition will be
working on its Village Market, and building more homes.
...Work also will continue in 2011 on the Mississippi State Port at Gulfport’s
“Port of the Future,” including filling of the final 24 acres of water bottoms at
the port’s West Pier. Executive Director/CEO Don Allee expects an increase
in cargo in 2011.
...Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport expects an uptick in passenger and has
more renovations in store for 2011. One big project is the opening of the
Million Air fixed base operation center. Bruce Frallic, the airport’s executive
director, said airport officials “feel good about the new year.”
...Gulfport Mayor George Schloegel said he anticipates the initial phase of the
development of Centennial Plaza, the former site of the Veterans’ Hospital on
Highway 90. He also expects the full activation of Jones Park and the Bert
Jones Yacht Basin.
...In January, a Michigan group is expected to present a more detailed plan for
a casino adjacent to Gulfport's Small Craft Harbor, and in D’Iberville there
may be a casino groundbreaking.
...In Biloxi, a new library and civic center will open in 2011, and there will be
a groundbreaking for a Walmart Supercenter near Edgewater Mall.
...“I think this is not just going to be about a Walmart opening, but it’s going
to be a catalyst for growth of new retail and food and beverage in and around
Edgewater Mall, and we’ll see new roads built to improve the flow of traffic in
that area,” said Holloway.
...“Right now, we have more than $200 million worth of growth either under
construction or in the works in Biloxi, and we’re seeing hundreds of million of
dollars more at the VA in Biloxi,” he said.
...“We’ll have brand new streets and drainage, sidewalks and curbing and
water and sewer – all in place and ready to go once this economy turns
around, and it will turn around,” Holloway said.
...In Jackson County, two more sites will seek Project Ready designation. In
2009 the county got its first Project Ready site with the 300-acre Jackson
County Aviation Technology Park in Moss Point. Now it’s making headway
on two more sites.
...One is a 730-acre site north of where Interstate 10 meets Franklin Creek
Road. The other is a 207-acre site in Helena, northeast of the Trent Lott
airport. It’s the Mississippi Export Railroad site on Saracennia Road.
...Other projects that have been in the works will also move forward. The $2
billion Mississippi Gasification plant in Moss Point will continue the permitting
process in anticipation of a 2012 opening, and a construction contract may be
awarded in 2011 for the $20 million Maritime Trades Academy. In addition,
the Gulf LNG terminal expects to finish construction in 2011 and open late in
the year.
...For Pascagoula, 2011 marks the beginning of the development of a new
city, said Maxwell.
...“Within the next year we’re going to see a broad improvement in
Pascagoula,” Maxwell said. That includes the development of the waterfront
property and revitalization of the retail base lost to Hurricane Katrina. He said
one of the issues that will continue into 2011 is the proposed annexation by
Pascagoula of about 30 square miles of land all the way to the Alabama state
line.
...Work will also continue on efforts to create a maritime and warship
museum, which would include relocating the missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga
to South Mississippi. It now has an interim home, but the ultimate plan is to
build on Lowry Island on the Pascagoula River.
...But if the past is an indication, some of the big headlines in 2011 may well
be something being kept under wraps. Only time will tell.
January 2011
Looking ahead
What will the new year bring?
What will the new year bring?
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