Major New Shopping Complex to be Built in D'Iberville
Promenade to Add as Many as a 1,000 Jobs to the Area

by Keith Burton - GCN  5/2/08

There will soon be a major new shopping center in D'Iberville packed with major retailers, restaurants and larger than the Crossroads Shopping Center in Gulfport.

 CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.  and Forum Development Group, LLC (“Forum”) announced  this week the acquisition of approximately 72.0 acres in D’Iberville for the development of The Promenade, a 700,000 square foot shopping center complex. (Photo right: Promenade property looking southeast near I-110 and I-10)

The Promenade will feature eleven anchors and more than 80,000 square feet of specialty shops and restaurants. The project is a joint venture of CBL and Forum with CBL as the majority partner responsible for development, leasing and management.  Construction will begin this month with a grand opening scheduled for fall 2009.  The new shopping center is to the west of the busy Super Wal-Mart and Lowe's in D'Iberville.

“Following the destruction and setback that the Mississippi Gulf Coast suffered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, we believe The Promenade will serve to revitalize the area and create a much needed retail hub and service district for the D’Iberville community,” said Stephen Lebovitz, president of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.  “In large part due to the support of the city’s outstanding leadership, including Mayor Rusty Quave, City Manager Richard Rose and the entire City Council, together with the efforts of our joint venture partner

Construction on the Promenade,  begins this month on 72 acres near interstates 10 and 110 along the empty land bounded to the south by Bobby Elueterius Blvd.

"This demonstrates again why D'Iberville  will be the Coast's retail shopping destination of the future," said City Manager Richard Rose.

The new shopping center, which will include several major big box retailers, is expected to add more than 1,000 jobs to the area and increase sales-tax revenue for the small city to Biloxi's north.

Rose would not reveal to GCN what retailers are planned, but CBL & Associates, the co-developer of The Promenade, has built several shopping centers across the country with Target stores as anchors.

Rose tells GCN that major changes are coming also for the roadways around the new shopping center. He said the city and the developers have have met frequently with Southern District Highway Commissioners Wayne Brown and MDOT engineers. "We have an excellent working relationship with MDOT," Rose said.

What is planned is to tear down the motel that is immediately to the west of I-110 across from Sangani Blvd. and build a new road to serve the Promenade. The Kangaroo gas station just to the north of the motel is to remain, says Rose.

The new road will be five lanes. Sangani Blvd. itself is to be widened to five lanes starting in January. The Promenade property will also be served by Bobby Eleuterius Blvd. to the south.

Rose says the increased commercial traffic will require some changes to the I-110/I-10 interchange. While Rose didn't say exactly what those changes would be, he said that they will include some additional lanes along the I-110 near Sangani Blvd. There could also be some changes on how people get on and off the interchange, which many drivers know is one of the most dangerous interstate interchanges on the Coast.

More Information:

Company Announces Major Land Acquisition and Shopping Complex for D'Iberville - GCN