Beau Rivage Breaks Ground on $250M Biloxi Tower, Eyes Tourism Boom

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino marked a milestone Monday with groundbreaking on its $250 million, 42-story hotel tower in Biloxi, set to add 400 luxury rooms to the MGM Resorts property on U.S. Highway 90. Initially reported by the Biloxi Sun Herald, the expansion aims to capitalize on Mississippi's booming gaming industry, where coastal casinos generated over $2.5 billion in revenue last year. Construction, led by general contractor XYZ Builders under MGM oversight, is slated for completion by late 2028, enhancing the resort's 1,700 existing rooms and 1,800-slot-machine casino floor.

The tower will feature high-end suites with Gulf views, a rooftop pool, expanded spa facilities and convention space, targeting conventions and high-rollers flocking to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Beau Rivage President Tim Kelly emphasized the project's role in post-Hurricane Katrina recovery, stating, 'This tower cements Biloxi's status as the Southeast's premier destination.' It comes as Harrison County tourism officials project a 15% visitor uptick, building on 2025 records of 10 million annual guests drawn to the area's white-sand beaches and 12 casinos.

Amid the Beau Rivage push, east Biloxi's casino scene heats up with Mississippi Gaming Commission approvals for nearby projects like Biloxi Capital LLC's $750 million Tivoli resort—1,300 rooms, 100,000-square-foot casino on a 32-acre Highway 90 site near the Biloxi Yacht Club—and Tullis Gardens' 300-room hotel with 909 slots. Secured after 20 years of legal battles, including a 2025 court win against state appeals, these ventures promise 5,000 jobs but require final financing proof. Beau Rivage's move positions it to dominate as competitors gear up.

Local leaders, including Biloxi Mayor Andrew Gilich, praise the collective surge, noting a pending 40-year pier lease for Tivoli that includes $600,000 annual state tidelands payments. With Hurricane Katrina's scars fading, these investments—echoing pre-2005 glory when Biloxi rivaled Las Vegas—could restore the Coast's 30,000 gaming jobs peak.