The Biloxi Public School District officially sold the former Beauvoir Elementary School property, located at 2003 Lawrence Street, after declaring the land surplus and opening it up for competitive bidding. The property—previously used as both a school and a baseball field and spanning approximately 16.7 acres—was sold to Elliott Land Development, LLC for $278,000, just shy of its official market appraisal.

Declared Surplus and Put Up for Sale
On July 16, 2024, the Biloxi Board of Trustees voted unanimously to declare the Lawrence Street site surplus property. The site had not been used for active school operations for years and was considered no longer necessary for school-related purposes.

Following the resolution, the District began a formal public process to dispose of the property. Legal advertisements were placed in the Sun Herald for three consecutive Sundays—September 8, 15, and 22, 2024—as part of the public notice requirement under Mississippi law.

Appraisal Results
The District commissioned an independent appraisal by Valbridge Property Advisors, completed on September 19, 2024. The appraisal set the market value of the land at $280,000, or approximately $16,000 per acre.

Importantly, this valuation was based on the property’s current zoning designation as low-density single-family residential. The appraiser specifically noted this zoning, distinguishing it from more valuable zoning classifications such as commercial, higher-density residential, or planned development.

Bidding and Results
Sealed bids were due by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, and three bids were received:

• Elliott Land Development, LLC: $278,000, September 24 at 9:12 a.m. (Hand-delivered)
• Stramco Plumbing, LLC: $5,000, September 18 at 10:46 a.m. (Electronic submission)
• JJ Merchant: $7,777.77, September 24 at 9:47 a.m. (Electronic submission)

The other two bids—one for just $5,000 and another for $7,777.77—were far below the appraised market value and effectively nonviable. Under the terms of the sale, the District was not permitted to accept any offer below fair market value and retained the right to reject any bid that failed to meet that threshold. With Elliott’s bid coming within $2,000 of the appraised value, it was the only legitimate offer under consideration.

Applying Value to Beauvoir Villas
With plans now in motion for 213 homes to be built on the former school site under the name Beauvoir Villas, the cost of the land acquisition takes on a revealing perspective. When dividing the total purchase price of $278,000 among the 213 planned homes—including the proportional value of shared spaces such as roads, green areas, and drainage infrastructure—the land cost comes out to approximately $1,305 per lot.

This remarkably low land cost per unit underscores how favorable the acquisition was for the developer. Additionally, it highlights how much value can be extracted from land originally zoned for low-density residential use, especially when repurposed into a high-density housing development that maximizes every square foot.

At that price point, it's entirely possible that many future Beauvoir Villas homeowners will own televisions that cost more than the land their house sits on.