Jackson delays vote on land deal tied to Pearl River casino resort plan

Jackson city leaders have put off a decision on a land deal that could, in time, bring a major casino resort to the banks of the Pearl River in Mississippi.

The city council delayed a request from Mayor John Horhn to declare about 93 acres of city-owned land as surplus property and to approve an option agreement with LeFleur Development LLC. No new date has been set for the vote, according to GamblingNews.com.

What the land deal involves

LeFleur wants to buy the site for around $111,000 with a view to attracting a developer for a resort project that could ultimately be worth as much as $1 billion. A casino is one option under discussion, though city officials have stressed that other forms of development could also be pursued.

The land sits on the Pearl River between Fortification Street and the J.H. Fewell Water Treatment Plant, with a small section extending into neighbouring Flowood. Most of the property is low-lying, wooded and located in a federal flood-risk area.

Jackson obtained two appraisals in March, valuing the land at $112,000 and $110,000 respectively. The proposed purchase price is close to those figures, but some council members questioned whether the property could be worth considerably more if state lawmakers eventually allow casino gambling in Jackson. Others asked for more detail on how LeFleur was chosen and whether alternative development options had been weighed.

Under the terms on the table, LeFleur would pay $1,000 for an option running until 31 October 2027, with the possibility of extending it through October 2031 by paying $2,000 a year. City Attorney Drew Martin said the contract includes safeguards for Jackson, including the ability to terminate the option before LeFleur exercises it and a provision returning the property to city ownership if development does not go ahead.

Why the city is interested

LeFleur representative William Richardson has estimated that a completed resort project could generate up to $24 million a year in additional sales and property taxes, along with roughly 2,600 direct jobs.

Those figures have drawn attention at a difficult time for Jackson's finances. The city trimmed its 2026 budget by roughly $26 million after facing revenue shortfalls, making the prospect of new tax income and employment politically attractive even as the project remains at an early, speculative stage.

The bigger hurdle: state law

Even if the council eventually approves the land deal, a casino could not open without action by the Mississippi Legislature. State law does not currently permit casino gambling in Jackson, and previous attempts to authorise it along the Pearl River have failed, including a bill introduced in 2025.

Council member Kenneth Stokes questioned whether lawmakers would support such a change and raised the possibility of pushback from Mississippi's established casino markets elsewhere in the state, which could see a Jackson property as competition.

Representative Chris Bell, who sponsored the 2025 legislation, has indicated he intends to keep pursuing a Jackson casino proposal. His earlier plan paired gambling authorisation with economic development measures covering healthcare, education, infrastructure and business incentives.

A familiar story for Jackson

This is not the city's first brush with casino ambitions. A proposed resort called Xanadu was discussed in the 1990s but never secured the legislative approval it needed. Whether the current Pearl River proposal fares better will depend as much on politics in the state capitol as on any land sale at city hall.