Mississippi’s secretary of state has lost another lawsuit over control of waterfront property in Biloxi. Chancery Judge Jim Persons ruled Thursday that Grand Casino Biloxi owns outright a piece of waterfront property south of U.S. 90 on the west side of Oak Street.
Secretary of State Michael Watson — and predecessors — claimed the state of Mississippi owned the property as part of the tidelands law applied to waterfront property subject to the ebb and flow of the tide.
The issue is a big one for the city, county and state. State ownership would require a developer to lease the land from Watson’s office, generating revenue for the state but driving up the cost of development.
