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From YouTube: State of the City video of progress, 2011
Description
Mayor A.J. Holloway narrates a tour of progress at some of Biloxi's historic and noteworthy sites. The 10-minute video was part of the mayor's annual State of the City address, delivered Feb. 28, 2011 during a Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. See video of the complete State of the City address at biloxi.ms.us.
A
Katrina's
floodwaters
reached
a
third
of
the
way
up.
The
lighthouse
and
the
constant
pounding
took
its
toll.
Huge
sections
of
brick
were
missing
and
inside
the
cast
iron
skeleton
windows
were
broken
in
the
lantern
room.
After
securing
a
half
million
dollars
from
fema,
we
went
about
the
extensive
research
needed
to
begin
work.
A
We
looked
at
the
size
and
the
density
of
the
bricks
and
the
mortar
used
back.
In
the
day,
scaffolding
was
erected,
a
huge
tarp
was
put
up,
and
workers
began
sandblasting.
The
structure
inside
we
even
added
a
few
extra
touches.
Watermarks
show
the
height
of
the
storm
surges
over
the
years.
Then
it
all
came
down.
A
A
A
A
A
This
was
the
latest
addition
to
what
has
become
one
of
the
most
popular
stories
in
our
recovery.
The
katrina
sculpture
trail.
What
makes
this
one
so
special
is
that
marlon's
wife
renee
painted
the
fish
and
a
blue
crab
and
a
sea
turtle
on
the
base
of
the
tree.
We've
had
a
number
of
ribbon
cuttings
and
unveilings
over
the
years,
but
this
one
was
over
the
top.
A
A
So,
with
famous
approval
and
with
famous
money,
we
developed
and
implemented
a
meticulous
plan
to
move
forward.
We
salvage
as
many
of
the
old
bricks
as
we
could.
Then
we
went
about
rewiring,
re-plumbing,
re-plastering,
repainting
refurnishing
and
yes,
rebuilding
the
old
brick
house,
brick
by
brick
and
board
by
board.
A
Today,
the
magnolia
hotel
is
the
only
surviving
antebellum
hotel
on
the
mississippi
gulf
coast
with
katrina.
The
magnolia
had
seven
feet
of
water
inside
we
had
to
gut
the
hotel
and
completely
rebuild
the
first
floor.
We
repaired
the
roof
and
sidings,
we
redid
the
floors
and
the
plaster
work
and
repaired
and
repainted
all
the
exterior
handrails.
A
One
of
the
crown
jewels
of
all
city
properties
is
biloxi.
City
hall.
I
watched
the
storm
waters
make
their
way
up
lumiere
street
that
day,
I'm
so
thankful
that
they
didn't
get
any
higher
than
our
front
porch,
but
we
did
have
extensive
roof
damage,
which
meant
water,
saturated
to
plastic,
sealants
and
walls
in
this
building.
A
A
A
A
A
This
summer,
we're
going
to
have
a
visitor
center
that
will
tell
the
story
of
biloxi
and
the
mississippi
gulf
coast
who
we
are
where
we
came
from
and
what
makes
us
so
unique.
The
lighthouse
park
and
visitor
center
will
be
more
of
a
museum.
In
my
opinion,
you'll
see
a
series
of
multi-media
exhibits
and
trace
the
many
influences
of
our
community
you'll
see
a
short
movie
called.
A
We
are
biloxi
playing
in
a
theater
on
the
second
floor
of
the
visitor
center
you'll
find
the
chambers
of
commerce
a
space
for
receptions
or
meetings,
a
grand
staircase,
a
beautiful
front
porch
and
a
facility
that
bears
a
striking
resemblance
to
the
dance
floor
house
which
used
to
occupy
this
site.
The
difference
is
that
we'll
be
22
feet
above
sea
level,
with
exterior
walls
made
of
concrete
masonry
and
painted
brick
veneer.
A
A
You
can
fit
two
football
fields
inside
the
72
000
square
foot
facility,
it's
actually
a
library
and
civic
center
separated
by
a
nice
outdoor
courtyard.
It's
state
of
the
art
through
and
through
the
library
will
be
about
the
same
size
as
the
old
library,
but
all
of
the
21
thousand
square
feet
will
be
functional.
A
This
is
a
homage
to
some
of
our
beloved
buildings
of
the
past,
the
tivoli
buena
vista
and
the
white
house.
Hotels,
with
the
technology
and
comfort
of
the
present,
the
civic
center
will
double
the
size
of
the
old
community
center.
So
we're
looking
to
see
some
of
the
carnival
balls
return
to
east
plexi.
A
The
price
is
right:
we're
open
for
business
this
summer.
Our
goal
on
all
these
projects
was
to
restore
what
we
could
and
incorporate
the
grace
and
charm
of
the
old
and
the
new
buildings.
All
of
the
restoration
work
that
we've
done
raises
the
bar
on
all
counts:
yes,
we're
new,
but
we're
old.
Again
we
have
the
best
of
both
worlds.
We
have
a
body
of
work
that
stands
for
generations
yesterday
today
and
tomorrow.