Development is booming around Popp's Ferry and Cedar Lake
By MARY PEREZ
meperez@sunherald.com
BILOXI --Popp's Ferry Corners continues to be a development hot spot in the city; another shopping center and restaurant are on the way to the busy area near the intersection of Popp's Ferry and Cedar Lake roads.
The Biloxi Planning Commission gave its approval Thursday to the Cypress Lake Retail Center with 11,500 square feet of retail space and to the Grains of Montana restaurant. Both are owned by Cypress Lake Commercial and will be built on the southwest side of Popp's Ferry Road near Fayard's BP Station.
Biloxi Executive Planner Ed Shambra said the owners were justified in claiming a hardship when requesting variances for impervious surface coverage and landscape buffer. The property was divided when Cypress Lake Apartments were built on the rear section and the city acquired a chunk of the remaining land when Popp's Ferry Road was widened.
The board also approved a sign variance for The Shoppes at Nord du Lieu, now under construction on the northwest side of the street. The variance will allow one sign on Cedar Lake Road and another at the Popp's Ferry entrance.
Michael Saucier, president of Gulf States Real Estate Services, said about 70 percent of the shopping-center space is leased, with the first stores set to open by Thanksgiving and more just before Christmas. Smoothie King, Subway, Red Eye Grille, WOW Café, Fractured Prune and a spa and nail salon are signed, and the developer is now concentrating on leasing to general retail.
These projects must now go to the City Council for final approval.
A hearing on variances being requested to build The Bank nightclub and bar at 125 Lameuse St. was tabled until Oct. 18.
The City Council referred a proposal back to the Planning Commission this week for Briarfield Beach Cottages, a 21-unit condominium development on 1.07 acres at 157 Briarfield Ave. Residents complained it was too much development in too small an area. Shambra said the plans will go back to the Design and Review Committee to look at modifying the project and removing some of the variances.
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