History
Buffett, a native of nearby Pascagoula, tried to bring the Margaritaville brand to Biloxi as early as 2000, when discussions were held on building a hotel and amphitheater on 12 acres of beachfront land between the Casino Magic and Grand Casino.
Following Hurricane Katrina, Grand Casinos founder Tom Brosig came out of retirement and began looking for land to develop a casino, citing a desire to help rebuild the community. He settled on the Back Bay site where the Margaritaville Casino would ultimately open. According to Brosig, he nearly reached an agreement to use the Margaritaville brand in 2006.
Buffett instead joined with Harrah's Entertainment in 2007 to begin construction on the $700-million Margaritaville Casino Resort on the site of the Casino Magic and Grand Casino, which had both been destroyed by Katrina. Buffett was partly motivated by a desire to help the region's economic recovery from Katrina. Construction was suspended, however, in 2008, due to the global financial crisis and Harrah's near-bankruptcy after being taken private.
Meanwhile, Brosig continued his efforts on the Back Bay site, but had difficulty raising financing due to the financial crisis and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He was eventually able to assemble a total investment of $63 million, with "20 or 22" equity investors. A 20-year agreement was reached for the Margaritaville brand.
Buffett and Brosig unveiled their plans in 2011, describing a 68,000 sq ft (6,300 m2), $48-million Margaritaville Casino at the former East Harrison County Industrial Park, without the involvement of Harrah's (now Caesars Entertainment). Groundbreaking was expected in April 2011 with a construction time of 9 months.
In March 2011, plans for the location won fast track approval from the city of Biloxi but hit a speed bump with the Mississippi Gaming Commission. However, on April 7, Buffett appeared before the Mississippi Gaming Commission and explained why his latest plan for a Biloxi casino should be approved. Commissioners listened and then gave his project the okay.
Read more about this topic: Margaritaville Casino And Restaurant
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