Eight Hurricane Katrina recovery projects in Jackson County are at threat of losing funding as of a missed deadline to begin construction, according to the Mississippi Development Authority.

Outside of Jackson County, just three projects from the 2005 storm are in review, said spokesperson Lee Youngblood.

There were around 86 Community Development Block Grant projects on the coastline costing a sum of $1.6 billion that faced a Sept. 1 deadline for action which was set by Gov. Haley Barbour in March.

Youngblood in advance identified only one project, one all along the Moss Point riverfront, as being in question. He revised that whole last week, saying that there are five additional Moss Point projects furthermore one each in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs beneath review.

In spite of the missed deadline, Youngblood said that he is optimistic all the projects will proceed. Construction on one is scheduled to start this week.

Appeals have been filed for each and every projects projects, which will be reviewed by staff of the governor’s office along through the Mississippi Development Authority, Youngblood said. A judgment is expected in October.

About 25 percent of the total projects were started before Barbour set the Sept. 1 deadline, Youngblood said.

“In March, the governor equipped an awfully straight challenge to get hold of projects under way,” Youngblood said.

The Moss Point projects involve facade grants, Main Street construction, a riverfront amphitheater, River Walk landscaping, a parking lot for City Hall and construction of an Escatawpa River pier with concessions, Youngblood said.

Moss Point Mayor Aneice Liddell said that the city is functioning through the appeals process.
“We have submitted what we required to submit because we are pretty close to finalizing the whole thing to meet the governor’s mandate,” said Liddell, who took office earlier this year. “Right now everything, as far as I know, is a go ahead.”

The Moss Point projects in question totality of about $9 million, according to figures released by the state development authority.

The Ocean Springs project is around $2.3 million beach project so as to include a sidewalk as well as new lighting, said Carolyn Martin, grants administrator for the city. Obtaining needed permits as well as the completion of a county sand replenishment project is surrounded by the factors that have delayed construction, she said.

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran believes that the construction on the beach project will commence this week.

In Pascagoula the changes to the Front Street pier project have caused delays in construction, said Jaci Turner, program manager for the city. For instance, the project originally called for finger piers into the Pascagoula

River, but that later altered.

There has been advancement, Turner said, together with the demolition of a building along with preconstruction site work. The project is part of a larger $7.2 million grant.

The further projects under appraisal are drainage work in Pass Christian, facades in Wiggins along with an arts district building in Gulfport, Youngblood said.