Page 90 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019
P. 90

BOOMING
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster and photos courtesy of CBL Properties
Since the development of the Promenade by CBL Properties, business in D’Iberville has been booming. The outdoor shopping center is comprised of more than 593,000 square feet of retail space and is home to 34 stores, including anchor tenants such as Target, Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The construction of the Promenade also laid the groundwork for new automotive retailers to build in the area.
“Galleria BMW, Mandal GMC and Ray Brandt Automotive Group’s dealerships have been a great addition to the area,” said Mayor Rusty Quave. “With every new business that opens, the area becomes even more promising for
potential new investors.” According to Kim Compton,
the city’s economic development director, the Promenade shopping center generates over $2 million in sales tax revenues to the city annually. “We are also looking
to grow and are currently in negotiations with several ‘big box’ retailers who are interested in the area. Several do not currently have a presence in this market.”
Compton says the success of
retail development efforts of the
city has positively impacted the demand for residential development. “The convenience to shopping
and entertainment opportunities makes the city attractive to new residents. Further, the steady sales
tax collections have stabilized the city’s tax base, which has prevented D’Iberville from increasing property taxes or limiting city services.”
D’Iberville has close to a 1:1
ratio when it comes to franchise businesses versus local businesses, and Compton says there’s a healthy balance between the two. “Small businesses are doing extremely well,” she says. “The I-10/I-110 corridor
has a mix of locally owned small businesses among larger, national businesses. In the downtown
district we have new antique shops, specialty shops and local cuisine. The draw of the ‘big box’ retailers, due
to increased marketing budgets and familiarity, has provided an audience for our local, small businesses.”
90 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019
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