Court dismisses lawsuit blocking construction of Biloxi pier

A Mississippi chancery court has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at blocking construction of a public pier in Biloxi.

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi chancery court has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at blocking construction of a public pier in Biloxi. The court ruled this week that the city is within its rights to build the pier without a lease from the state. WLOX-TV reports the Secretary of State’s office had sued over a plan by Biloxi and Harrison County to lease the property to RW Development for construction of a municipal pier for public use. The state claimed Biloxi needed a tidelands lease. The judge’s ruling Monday said municipal piers and harbors have been built in Biloxi for decades without requiring a tidelands lease.