Page 92 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2016

do it downtown
Gulfport
Main Street A new Golden Age in downtown Gulfport
story and photos courtesy of Gulfport Main Street Association
In June 2016, Gulfport Main Street Association and the City of Gulfport received special recognition for efforts to build an up-an-coming community. The Outstanding Community Transformation Award was presented for successfully transforming
Historic Downtown Gulfport, from the decimation caused by Hurricane
Katrina into a thriving retail and business hub.
Gulfport’s new Main Street program was bolstered
by 15 million dollars in Katrina restoration
funds. With that, the City of Gulfport
empowered the Gulfport Main Street program to begin massive restorations
and renovations in the downtown district.
With 65 buildings and facades restored and an
11 million dollar, three- phased streetscape project,
downtown Gulfport became the place everyone wanted it to be. With a truly dedicated board of
directors and numerous volunteers, this incredible transformation has
taken place in just under 8 years. The true success of this fledgling Main Street program has been their ability and openness to creating partnerships with local, statewide and regional partners.
Downtown Gulfport now boasts more than 40 restaurants, 25 apartments and many new shops, as well as hair salons, clothing stores and so much more!
And of course, we have Mississippi Power and Hancock Bank, for being determined to stay downtown and help rebuild this flourishing community. With a new emphasis on retail, public art and modern amenities, Gulfport Main Street is poised for continued growth and success.
92 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2016
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
Preserving History, Preparing for the Future...