There have been talks about some commercialization right around the Gulfport Sportsplex, which is located on the service road between Hwy 49 and Canal Rd - near Gulf Islands Water Park.

The proposed development would include some retail shops, hotel, and potentially some governmental facilities as well. The Gulfport Sportsplex has grown in popularity over the years and hosts games and events from all over, so the need for a somewhat more commercialized area is definitely needed, since the hotels generally fill on 49 when there are events in town.

Don’t get too excited yet though. There are a plethora of events that need to happen before this can become a reality. The roadways leading into and away from the Sportsplex site are not adequate to handle large amounts of traffic on a regular basis. In the event that a “city hub” is developed on the site, traffic on a daily basis could be somewhat tricky around peak times, but add the mix of a baseball tournament, and you are begging for problems. City officials will have to get with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to discuss better entrance from Canal Rd. as well as revamping the Landon/Hwy 49 intersection, which can be a nightmare in itself if you hit that at the worng time of day.

While I do not have any official statements on the matter, I would suspect a 2-year plan in the development of the area. This would give city leaders enough time to get the plan into action, and potentially give retail developers the opportunity to get some Go-Zone Tax Incentives on the project.

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