Business owners in Biloxi, Miss., agree with city leaders that the new gate to Keesler Air Force Base will have a positive effect on the area.
City official Vincent Creel told WDAM-TV 7 a motion was passed to hire J. Daniel Schroeder to figure out property values at the proposed construction site.
“It was a key step today to get the appraiser on board and go in and evaluate properties on Forrest Avenue we will need for where the gate will go,” City official Vincent Creel told WDAM-TV 7. “That step was done today, and the contract will be signed within next week.”
Creel said the new gate will have many favorable effects for the base.
“We think that a gate like this, with a five-lane boulevard, is something that befits Keesler. We need to have domineering entrance into the base, and that's what this will do. It will also move traffic safely; you won't have the railway issue you have now. It will also give Keesler more room,” Creel told the TV station.
Creel said the federal and state governments, along with Keesler, have worked together with the city for this project. The contract with the appraiser will likely be signed within the next week. The appraiser will then evaluate the properties and report back to the city.