Biloxi Council Votes 5-1 to Rezone Site for Black Marlin Casino

The Biloxi City Council voted 5-1 on October 6, 2026, to rezone seven parcels near Beach Boulevard and Veterans Avenue to advance the proposed Black Marlin Casino. The council’s decision authorises the removal of 28 protected trees and imposes replacement and timing conditions, while the developer still needs Mississippi Gaming Commission approval and full licensing before construction or operation can proceed.

Rezoning decision and local conditions for Black Marlin Casino

The council approved the rezoning for parcels that together form the 1820 Beach Boulevard site, moving the project forward after a unanimous sign-off from the Biloxi Planning Commission on September 3, 2026. The rezoning vote was 5-1. The city’s resolution clears the way to remove 28 protected trees — 25 mature live oaks and three magnolias — but attached conditions restrict immediate action and set replacement obligations.

RW Development, the project lead, is barred from cutting any trees for at least 10 days after the council decision. The developer must meet the city’s mitigation program by planting 209 replacement trees, contributing to Biloxi’s tree fund, or combining both options to satisfy the council’s environmental mitigation requirement. The council also preserved procedural oversight by ensuring the developer cannot start clearing without meeting those conditions.

What the Black Marlin Casino proposal contains

Previous project materials describe a resort-scale development at 1820 Beach Boulevard with the following elements:

• a 43,800-square-foot casino floor

• a 300-room hotel

• dining facilities and ancillary retail and hospitality space

• parking provision for 668 vehicles

Ray Wooldridge, president of RW Development, is leading the project in partnership with Encompass, a Kentucky-based casino design and construction company. The proponent has previously described the proposed investment at approximately US$3m.

State approval and licensing timeline for the Biloxi site

The Mississippi Gaming Commission approved the site for casino development in December 2023, but that site approval will expire on 22 December 2026 unless the commission extends it. The commission must review the latest development proposal and complete the formal licensing process before any gaming operations can be authorised.

The council’s rezoning is a municipal land-use milestone, not a substitute for state-level regulatory approvals. RW Development still needs the Mississippi Gaming Commission to: review updated plans, confirm continued suitability of the approved site, and issue a casino licence through the commission’s standard review and background processes. That sequence is a prerequisite to any groundworks or vertical construction for gaming operations.

Community reaction and the tree-removal controversy

Residents had urged the council to reconsider the impact of clearing mature canopy on the site’s natural character. Opposition focused on the loss of live oaks and magnolias that the city classifies as protected. Councillors who opposed or questioned the rezoning raised the environmental trade-offs and sought stricter mitigation.

Under the council’s terms, RW Development’s mitigation package — 209 replacement trees or an equivalent contribution to the city’s tree fund — establishes a measurable remediation path. The replacement figure represents a city-imposed ratio distinct from the number of trees to be removed; the council framed it as a condition of the land-use change rather than an optional amenity.

Next steps for the developer and implications for suppliers

RW Development must satisfy the Biloxi conditions and then secure any necessary state-level extensions or fresh approvals from the Mississippi Gaming Commission before the project can move from permitting to construction. The licence process and any required environmental or technical reviews remain outstanding.

For construction and design suppliers, the deal dynamics are now clearer: the municipal rezoning reduces local permitting risk but does not remove the regulatory gating items at the state level. Encompass retains a delivery role as the listed design and construction partner; contractors and systems vendors should expect a period of design refinement while state approvals are resolved. Operators and platform vendors tracking new Gulf Coast supply opportunities can treat the Biloxi vote as a material but conditional green light.

Regulatory context and timing pressures

Because the commission’s site approval expires on 22 December 2026, timing is material. If the Mississippi Gaming Commission does not extend the December 2023 site approval or issue a licence, the proponents will need to secure explicit commission action before that deadline to preserve the site’s development entitlement. The council decision does not change that calendar.

Those tracking the project will watch three items closely: RW Development’s compliance with the city’s replacement-tree and timing conditions; whether the Mississippi Gaming Commission grants an extension or completes licensing; and any further local approvals linked to construction permits.

Where this sits in Mississippi gaming development

The Biloxi rezoning is the latest municipal milestone in a multi-stage process that binds local land-use decisions to state-level gaming regulation. The council’s vote resolves a local planning hurdle but leaves the decisive regulatory gate with the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Industry participants should follow the commission’s review and any filings from RW Development for firm milestones.

For context and related items, readers can consult coverage of regulation and local permitting in our reporting on regulation and regional development updates in news.

"The council’s decision balances development interest and tree replacement requirements," said a council member during debate, reflecting the majority view. (Council minutes record the 5-1 vote and the mitigation conditions.)