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A state lawmaker pleaded with members of the Jackson City Council on Monday night to sell city-owned swampland along the Pearl River, a move that could advance a long-sought riverfront casino resort in Mississippi’s capital city.
Rep. Chris Bell, a Democrat from Jackson, expressed his dismay that the council had not yet approved an order allowing LeFleur Development to buy and develop 93 acres within the river’s floodplain.
“We have an opportunity to change the trajectory of the city of Jackson,” Bell said after thanking the council for letting him speak even though the project was not on the council’s work session agenda.
Further delays, he asserted, would mean the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in much-needed tax revenue for the cash-strapped city. Last year, the city’s tourism arm, Visit Jackson, estimated that the proposed resort could attract over 4 million visitors annually and create more than 6,722 new jobs.
“I’m not saying we will, but we do not need to fumble a $600 million influx of funds to the city of Jackson,” Bell told the council.
The council had tabled the matter during an Oct. 6 meeting after Ward 1 Council Member Ashby Foote, who represents northeast Jackson and is the body’s lone Republican, had questioned if the proposed selling price of $110,000 was too low. The amount was based on two estimates LeFleur Development obtained from two Mississippi property appraisers.
LeFleur Development is supported by former Gov. Haley Barbour and attorney-developer Robert Gibbs, a key ally of Mayor John Horhn.
Jackson City Council President Vernon Hartley, who represents Ward 5 in west Jackson, told Bell the proposal was not dead but had been referred to a committee for further discussion.
While the council’s support is crucial for advancing the project, the development faces other hurdles.
Despite repeated attempts, Bell has yet to secure passage of the required legislation that would allow a casino to be built in Jackson. His bill faced opposition from lawmakers whose districts already have casinos.
It also remains to be seen how the Pearl River’s swampy banks will be converted into land suitable for development. In March, the Rankin Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District announced that it had approved a plan to widen and develop the river, though federal officials later clarified that no final decision has been made.
