City of Gautier; correct Singing River Mall property description for authority to sell or enter 75-year lease.
Summary
SB 3263 amends a 2019 local and private law concerning the City of Gautier’s authority over the Singing River Mall site. The bill does not create a new redevelopment program; instead, it corrects the parcel identification numbers used to define the approximately 88-acre site so the city’s existing authority applies to the intended property. The underlying authority remains the same: Gautier may acquire, develop, lease, sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the site and related improvements in connection with a redevelopment project.
The bill continues to authorize the city to work with a developer on acquisition, construction, management, operation, and ownership of the project, which may include retail, hotels, offices, medical facilities, commercial space, residential uses, and related facilities. It also preserves the city’s ability to enter into long-term agreements of up to 75 years and to issue bonds for the project without those bonds counting as city indebtedness under state constitutional or statutory debt limits. The act is framed as supplemental authority, meaning it adds to existing law rather than replacing it.
Impact
SB 3263 updates Chapter 935, Local and Private Laws of 2019, by correcting the legal description of the Singing River Mall site through revised parcel numbers. This ensures the City of Gautier’s redevelopment authority attaches to the correct real property and supports implementation of the existing local act. The bill leaves intact the city’s powers to acquire property, negotiate with developers, dispose of property on terms the city deems appropriate, and enter long-term leases or management agreements, including arrangements below fair market value if the city makes the required public-benefit findings.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the Senate 51-0 and the House 119-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of recorded committee discussion also suggests the measure was viewed as a technical or clarifying correction rather than a substantive policy change.
Contention
No notable opposition is reflected in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the breadth of the city’s redevelopment powers, including authority to enter 75-year agreements and dispose of property for less than fair market value, but those powers were already present in the 2019 act and were not the focus of the amendment. The bill’s immediate purpose was narrowly administrative: correcting parcel numbers so the city can continue pursuing redevelopment of the Singing River Mall site without ambiguity.