RESTORATION OF GULPORT CASINO
Gulfport, Florida

The City of Gulfport refers to the Casino as “heart and hub” of Gulfport. The Casino was designated a historical landmark, the first of only three in the city.

The first Casino was built nearly 100 years ago was used for social meetings, dancing, and gaming. The trolley line came from St. Petersburg. The idea was to connect to boats that would carry passengers to the popular Pass-A-Grille. Hence a 700-foot dock was built out into the bay and electrified and lighted. Trolleys rolled down what is now Beach Boulevard and all the way to the end of the dock.

The Casino has always been an important meeting place. The founding fathers gathered there when deciding to incorporate Gulfport in 1910. For 15 years, the first Casino made Gulfport popular and the trolley made transportation available. In 1921 the original building was destroyed by a hurricane. It was quickly replaced in 1923 by a poorly built structure, which was torn down after a few short years due to code violations and safety concerns. A new Casino was not built immediately due to the Stock Market Crash in the late 20's and the Depression.

In 1934, with the help of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the local Civil Works Administration, the Casino in its current form was re-built. The new building was a wooden structure built on concrete piles, with a construction cost of $16,000. The trolley, which made its last run in 1948, was never physically connected to the building.

In 1998 Renker Eich Parks Architects was retained to study the building for repairs and renovations. The renovations included analysis and repair of deteriorating concrete piles, upgrading electrical/security system, new HVAC system, and new roof system. The interior renovations included removal of wood paneling; the bathrooms upgraded to meet handicap requirements; the original maple dance floor was in excellent condition and required no work. Some of the exterior renovations included replacing windows with new hurricane resistant types, and returning the building to the original colors. Restorations/Renovations completed in September 2002, with $300,000 from state grants and $500,000 from city funds.