The Park That Survived City Hall
Historic D’Anella Park narrowly escaped being sold by the City of Biloxi just seven months ago as part of a proposed workforce housing development project to build 200-apartments. The park, and two adjacent city-owned properties, appeared on the 21 April 2026 City Council agenda for designation as surplus property for sale, which was postponed until the next meeting.
Following a grassroots effort to save the park, public opposition, and the discovery of historical land records raising questions about the City’s legal authority to sell it, the City Council ultimately spared the park but declared the two adjacent properties surplus at the 28 April 2026 meeting. Those two properties, along with 13 additional lots, are now part of the proposed 200-unit Claiborne Point Apartments.
During the meeting, the daughter-in-law of Saverio “Dan” D’Anella, the park’s namesake, delivered an emotional plea to save the park just four days after her husband Danny D’Anella’s funeral. She also presented evidence that the City was legally prohibited from selling the land to private interests. During her speech, she described the project as “casino housing for its employees.” Notably, the property is just a five-minute walk north of the planned Tullis and Tivoli casinos.
After the meeting, at approximately 8:00 PM, Councilman Kenny Glavan (Ward 4), tagging Attorney Joe LoCoco, wrote the following on Facebook (with emphasis added), which he deleted just hours later:
Hi everyone, a big shout-out for your patience and faith as we sent this D’Anella Park issue to the plate. After a week in the on-deck circle, and thoughtful conversations with the developer, the council leadership stepped up and amended the resolution: the park comes off the surplus list, while the two surrounding parcels stay in play as surplus property for the developer to work with. Now the workforce housing designers are reviewing this compromise, which could be a true two-run shot for everyone involved. Your support is the dugout coach’s challenge—thank you for sticking with us. Stay tuned for the next update as we maneuver toward a win-win.
A Familiar Face, a New Development
Just two months later, on 23 June 2026, former Biloxi Mayor Gerald Blessey, representing SJI Properties LLC, appeared before the Biloxi City Council as it considered selling the two remaining city-owned properties adjacent to D’Anella Park.
The Council unanimously approved the sale without competitive bidding and without a specified dollar amount. Instead, the purchase agreement established a price equal to the average of two professional appraisals, selected by the City and approved by the buyer, plus an additional 25%.
The agreement explicitly states that SJI Properties sought to purchase the land for the purpose of constructing and renting multifamily housing units. At the time, all the land was zoned Single-Family Residential (RS-5), which does not allow for apartments, and the sale price was appraised as such.
Rezoning the Path to Approval
The City Council approved block rezoning with Ordinance No. 2613 that included rezoning 8 of the 15 properties proposed for the Claiborne Point Apartments project, including the two lots being sold by the City of Biloxi, from Single-Family Residential (RS-5) to Multi-family Residential (RM-30). The next day, on 21 October 2026, Claiborne Point Apartments appeared before Biloxi’s Development Review Committee (DRC) for its initial review.
The project is now scheduled to go before Biloxi’s Planning Commission on Thursday, 19 November 2026, at 2:00 p.m., seeking approval of a Planned Development–Infill District Master Plan for approximately five acres across 15 parcels. At the meeting, the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council.
The Zoning Loophole (With Strings Attached)
A Planned Development–Infill (PD-I) District will allow SJI Properties to build apartments even though 7 of the 15 lots zoned Single Family Residential (RS-5) prohibit it. Instead of following the base zoning restrictions, developers submit a special plan requesting permission, along with proposed building heights, parking, landscaping, and other requirements. If the City Council approves it, the development can move forward.
Although a PD-I designation allows flexibility, it does not eliminate all requirements. For example, Biloxi’s ordinances require 10% of RS-5 land and 20% of RM-30 land to be open space (when constructing residential), amounting to an estimated 0.7 acres for this project. These requirements cannot be waived for PD-Is, as the ordinance explicitly lists them as “Modifications Prohibited.”
Likewise, this project must account for surrounding existing single-family homes. City ordinances require appropriate landscaping, buffers, and transitions between multifamily developments and neighboring homes. Buildings within 150 feet of certain single-family properties are subject to a 35-foot height restriction (23-6-11(D)(2)(b)). Likewise, this cannot be waived by City Council (or by variance).
We’ve Been Here Before
Claiborne Point Apartments would not be the first Planned Development to face scrutiny. Other Planned Developments, including Monarch Villas and the original plans for Beauvoir Villas, have exposed discrepancies between what laws explicitly require and what developers have been allowed to pursue or receive approval for, particularly regarding prohibited land uses, mandatory open space, and variances issued beyond the authority granted by the ordinance.
Monarch Villas, a 25-home subdivision at 955 Motsie Road, is a prime example. The City approved the development on just 1.51 acres despite a 5-acre minimum, relying on a variance granted by the Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) on 20 June 2024, but variances are not authorized for Planned Developments as a City Council approved Master Plan overrides them. The project received approval for 25 detached single-family homes in a district that expressly prohibited them, while providing approximately 8,651 square feet of open space instead of the required 13,143 square feet. Despite these documented discrepancies, the City Council approved the development anyway.
Whether or not Claiborne Point Apartments ultimately receives approval remains to be seen. The question is whether Biloxi’s Planning Commission and City Council will enforce the City’s zoning ordinances as written or once again approve a development that fails to meet them.