Hearing on Ameristar two weeks after election|[5/11/05]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Ameristar Casino’s request to build a 14-story hotel along the Mississippi River will be heard two weeks before terms end for Vicksburg officials now in office.
The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed Tuesday to set the public hearing for 10 a.m. June 20. Mayor Laurence Leyens has already indicated his support for the project, despite concerns raised by the Vicksburg National Military Park superintendent who said the city should be cautious.
Ameristar wants a $150 million, 200-foot hotel and 90-foot parking garage on its site at 4116 Washington St. A city ordinance designed to protect river views prohibits the construction of structures taller than 65 feet along the Mississippi.
Casino executives have provided drawings showing the buildings do not substantially change the views, but zoning officials split 2-2 over the request for a variance from Ameristar last month.
The city board hears appeals from zoning authorities.
Vicksburg National Military Park overlooks are immediately north, south and east of the construction area. Those bluffs are where Civil War cannons once guarded the city’s entrances.
If construction is approved by the city board, the new hotel would become the tallest in the city. The terms of the current board members end July 4 when the winners of next month’s election take office.
Currently, the tallest building in Vicksburg is the 11-story Vicksburg Hotel on Clay Street. The downtown First National Bank building has eight floors, the Horizon hotel has seven and the existing Ameristar hotel has eight floors.
Alderman Gertrude Young will be leaving City Hall July 1 after losing a bid for a fourth term in the May 3 Democratic primary. Leyens will have three opponents in the June 7 re-election bid and South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman is in a re-election contest with Democratic nominee Pam Ann Johnson.