PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) — Pascagoula Mayor Jay Willis spoke past week astatine the Mississippi Municipal League Conference successful Biloxi, addressing a scope of topics including commercialized development, caller flooding and younker sports.
Mississippi Municipal League Conference
Willis said the yearly league gives municipal leaders crossed Mississippi a accidental to stock solutions to communal problems.
“So galore things that are going connected successful different communities that are issues, are issues that either we have, oregon we’re going to have,” Willis said. “And it’s been that mode for decades.”
Willis said the gathering gives leaders a accidental to larn from 1 different alternatively of spending clip solving the aforesaid problems.
“If idiosyncratic other has solved a problem, for goodness sakes, let’s speech astir it and archer maine however I tin lick our problem,” helium said.
Highway 90 development
Willis said a astir $30 cardinal mixed-use improvement is underway connected the former Ice House property.
“There is simply a edifice planned and successful advancement close determination connected the property,” Willis said. “A ample anchor edifice abstraction and much smaller spaces for restaurants and retail.”
Willis said the development’s determination makes it a priority.
“That’s going to beryllium the archetypal happening radical spot arsenic they’re coming into Pascagoula,” helium said.
On Highway 90, Willis besides noted that a developer converted a erstwhile flea marketplace tract into a retail corridor that present includes an ALDI and TJ Maxx.
Flooding concerns
Willis addressed flooding that happened adjacent Market Street astir 2 weeks ago, saying the lawsuit was the effect of dense rainfall coinciding with precocious tide.
“From New Orleans each the mode to Panama City, erstwhile it rains a batch successful a abbreviated play of time, the streets and immoderate of the areas are going to flood,” Willis said. “That’s conscionable wherever we live.”
Willis said adjacent important concern successful drainage infrastructure would not destruct the risk.
“We could walk a cardinal dollars connected drainage improvements oregon much drainage. You’re inactive going to person the occupation of erstwhile you get that overmuch rainfall successful that abbreviated play of time, there’s nary spot for it to go, particularly astatine a precocious tide,” helium said.
Willis said coastal cities stay prepared for upwind events, including during hurricane season.
“You’ve got to beryllium prepared for the worst and anticipation for the best,” Willis said. “We’re ready, and we’re going to woody with immoderate comes.”
Youth sports
Willis said Pascagoula’s sports analyzable connected Tucker Street, adjacent the precocious school, has go a determination gully since the metropolis invested successful it respective years ago.
“Our facilities are immoderate of the champion successful the southeast, not conscionable southeast Mississippi, the southeast United States,” Willis said.
The metropolis precocious hosted the Diamond Youth State Baseball Tournament for seven-year-olds and 11-year-olds. Willis said organizers estimated 10,000 radical came to Pascagoula implicit the four-day event.
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