Council awards contract for Mississippi Songwriters and Performing Arts Center; city leaders hail economic potential

The Gautier City Council on June 20 authorized award of a contract for the Mississippi Songwriters and Performing Arts Center to Dan Hensarling Inc., the low bidder on the work, council members said during the consent-agenda vote.

City staff presented the item as a consent-agenda matter and noted there were four alternates on the bid package; council authorized award of three alternates. During discussion, city officials emphasized the project’s partnerships and economic-development promise. Council members thanked city staff, the city manager, engineering firm Seymour Engineering, and Allred Stavarski Architects for their work on the project and cited statewide collaborations with Mississippi Songwriters to promote the center.

A council member noted the contract includes a construction allowance of $250,000 for specialized work such as sound isolation and specialty windows; staff said that allowance is part of the bid package. The mayor and council praised the project as a potential game-changer for musicians, tourism and economic development in Gautier and the Coastal Mississippi region and asked the city manager and project partners to come forward for photographs after the vote. The motion to award the contract was seconded and the mayor announced the motion carried.

Why it matters: the center is a public-private cultural development the council and staff said is intended to support musicians, attract visitors and provide economic development opportunities in the city and the region. The council’s action authorizes staff to proceed with contracting steps as outlined in the bid documents.