Gaming developer to buy wilderness land

Thursday, April 1, 1999 | 10:30 a.m.

President Casinos Inc. of St. Louis must have a tidelands lease to complete its proposed $2 billion Broadwater development with six casinos and 12 hotels.

"If there's going to be a major development at the Broadwater such as they've proposed, then we're going to acquire Deer Island and give it to the people of Mississippi," said Secretary of State Eric Clark in Jackson.

Located just offshore of Biloxi, Deer Island is mainly a 500-acre wilderness area that would be preserved for use by the people of the state.

President Casinos must gain environmental approvals for the Broadwater. Absent such approvals, there is a plan for the company to instead develop Deer Island itself.

Neiher the Broadwater project nor the Deer Island project has the support of Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, the Sun Herald reported.

"I just don't think the people of Biloxi want to see our coastline make a change of that magnitude," Holloway said. "And I'm in favor of preserving Deer Island as it is."