Jackson Council Delays Vote on $111,000 Land Deal for Proposed Pearl River Resort

Jackson City Council in Mississippi has delayed a vote on a request from Mayor John Horhn to declare about 93 acres of city-owned land as surplus and approve an option agreement with LeFleur Development LLC. No new date has been set for the vote, according to local broadcaster WLBT.

LeFleur wants to buy the site for roughly $111,000 and bring in a developer for a resort project that could be worth as much as $1 billion. A casino is one possibility, though officials have stressed that other forms of development could also be considered. The land sits on the Pearl River between Fortification Street and the J.H. Fewell Water Treatment Plant, with a small portion extending into neighboring Flowood. Most of it is low-lying, wooded and within a federal flood-risk area.

The city obtained two appraisals in March, valuing the property at $112,000 and $110,000, so the proposed price is close to its current appraised value. Some council members asked whether the land could be worth far more if state lawmakers legalize casino gambling in Jackson. They also requested more detail on how LeFleur was selected and whether other development options had been explored.

Under the draft deal, LeFleur would pay $1,000 for an option running until October 31, 2027, with the possibility of extending it through October 2031 at $2,000 a year. City Attorney Drew Martin said the contract includes protections for the city, which could end the option before it is exercised and regain the property if development does not go ahead.

LeFleur representative William Richardson estimated that a completed project could generate up to $24 million a year in additional sales and property taxes and about 2,600 direct jobs. Those figures carry weight as Jackson faces financial strain, having cut its 2026 budget by about $26 million after revenue shortfalls.

The larger hurdle lies at state level. Mississippi lawmakers would have to amend state law before a casino could operate in Jackson, and earlier efforts to authorize gambling along the Pearl River, including 2025 legislation, have failed. Council member Kenneth Stokes questioned whether the Legislature would back a change and raised the possibility of opposition from established casino markets elsewhere in the state. Representative Chris Bell, who sponsored the 2025 bill, has said he intends to keep pushing a Jackson casino proposal. A resort called Xanadu was discussed in the 1990s but never won legislative approval.