A vocational call to community building has local resident Ronnie Harris leading what he believes carries “a perspective that could be one of the most transformative real estate development projects” Gulfport has seen in decades.
     At the heart of the initiative is the historic Gulfport Gaslight District. The area, largely unknown yet to most people, holds roots for Harris and is situated to serve as a central hub where some of the city’s most nostalgic places meet.
     Gulfport – the second largest city in Mississippi – is famous for its downtown sector that boasts a waterfront view, delicious restaurants, and a number of entertainment-packed casinos to choose from. But when compared to other notable cities like Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, New York City, and even nearby Ocean Springs, the City of Gulfport has a lack of economic progress outside of its most popular zones, leading to stunted development of neighborhood business corridors.
     So far, the city has primarily built up its central business locations at the cost of improving local spots, one of which is the Gulfport Gaslight District. The Gaslight District covers Broadmoor Place and Soria City – two of the first planned communities in Gulfport – as well as Second Street, where several prominent businesses are already located, making it a perfect place to cultivate future off-Main Street socioeconomic development.

     This vision aims to revitalize and activate forgotten or new spaces in Gulfport for both residents and visitors alike, transforming areas into the equivalent of Government and Washington Street in Ocean Springs with its iconic restaurants, bars, specialty shops, and more, but in a uniquely Gulfport way. Even Ocean Springs began with a dream to create something worthwhile for Mississippi and its multiracial, multicultural, and multiethnic background; a practice that Harris, the Gulfport Gaslight District’s project lead, hopes to emulate. 
     “Peter Block argues that transformation is a change, first and foremost, is a change in narrative” -Harris regarding a close friend and influential mentor of his.  

MISSION
     The purpose in forming the Gulfport Gaslight District is to create walkable and bikeable areas that enable people to experience public spaces, art, culture, food, and other unique elements of Gulfport and the larger Mississippi Gulf Coast that are currently lacking in non-mainstream parts of the city. The intent of the Gaslight District is to not only provide opportunities for the citizens living there, but also to create a recognizable, named economic hub or ‘business node’ that brings people into the community even from out of town or state, allowing for unprecedented development to take root. 

     Community educator Ronnie Harris believes the Gaslight District holds “a perspective that could be one of the most transformative real estate development projects in the city” for a place he feels has been forgotten. Gulfport has thus far missed an opportunity to bolster business outside of its downtown, popularized zones, Harris claims, as “Unlike Ocean Springs, unlike Bay Saint Louis, unlike Biloxi, you can’t ask somebody, ‘Hey, what neighborhood should I go check out?’”
     Furthermore, he declares the Gulfport Gaslight District to previously exist – seeing as a location is considered a business corridor when it attracts people and activates the area (even in a limited capacity) by contributing to the good of surrounding neighborhoods – with his group trying to “brand it, name it, claim it, and prove it into the future.”
     Though the title of Gulfport Gaslight District is still little-known to the general public, it is far from being only a pipe dream, as the foundation already lies between historic Broadmoor Place, historic Soria City, and Second Street. 

     Gulfport Mayor Hugh Keating said in a letter of support for the project, “By supporting local entrepreneurs, uplifting our architectural heritage, and creating welcoming public spaces, the Gulfport Gaslight District will serve as both an economic engine and a cultural touchstone for generations to come.”

HISTORY
     Harris, a native of Gulfport, Miss., first had the idea of restoring the historic districts of Broadmoor Place, Soria City, and Second Street from his time working with Sacred Roots, an international development firm who empowers neighborhoods around the world to spark change. In determining where to start systematically transforming the off-Main Street areas of Gulfport, Harris chose the intersection between these communities to create the Gaslight District because he grew up there, along with the fact it is where three diverging groups converge. The property is located at 1210 19th Street, 1801 Kelly Ave., and 1911 Kelly Ave.

     “Historic Broadmoor to the North and historic Second Street to the South and then we have a third community that sits right there, historic Black Soria City,” Harris notes about the location of the proposed project, further commenting it has “two of the neighborhoods with the highest income levels…right there,” for the city of Gulfport. All of these factors create a special environment willing and eager to generate socioeconomic development and growth in Mississippi. 
     A staunch supporter of the project, State Representative Sonya Williams Barnes, says, “Situated on the edges of three distinct neighborhoods, two distinct City Council Wards, and two bordering State Legislature Districts, this project presents the optimum opportunity to have ‘all boats rise.’
     “This project, in close proximity to a low income, minority neighborhood, gives us a type of project that helps build the imaginary local, state and regional bridges we need to connect all neighborhoods to the economic vitality our region boasts.”
     Mississippi Heritage Trust’s Lolly Rash, another advocate for the project, adds, “Once completed, the development will bring new life to some of the most treasured historic places…With plans that include a botanic garden, farmer’s market, and an inclusive collaboration with stakeholders in these three historic neighborhoods, the Gulfport Gaslight District will foster an interest in historic preservation and help build a strong constituency to save the places that tell the story of Mississippi.”

     The vision for the Gaslight District began to solidify when Harris bought the derelict Broadmoor Grocery Store – once a cornerstone of the community which became defunct after Hurricane Katrina. “I bought that store because I grew up a little black boy going to that store,” Harris states, adding how despite the Broadmoor Grocery Store not being located in his hometown of Soria City, part of why he wants to develop that particular area of Gulfport is “because what it would do for this historic Black Soria City that has for five decades of my lifetime, for my entire lifetime, has been in decline and for this [project] to happen, that would change.”
     With his plans to restore the landmark and facilitate additional development of nearby plots and blocks of the neighborhood, Harris desires to reinstitute and reinvigorate a commercial neighborhood business corridor for the whole area as well as his hometown, which he mentioned in generations past “was a community where the dollar would change hands 7 to 10 times before it left.”
     In addition to project lead, Ronnie Harris is the president and founder of Gillum-Young, Robinson, & Harris – a multidisciplinary real estate development, planning, and investment firm who focuses on transforming communities in inclusive, equitable, and sustainable ways. While forming the blueprints for the Gaslight District, Harris partnered with many businesses and organizations, the most prevalent being Sacred Roots, The Tall Architects, a local architecture firm emphasizing community-based design, Go Gulfport, a transportation advocacy group, and Soria City Trust, a nonprofit which exists for the welfare of the city. 

OPERATION
     A core component of the development plans for the Gaslight District that all of the organizations abovementioned partake in is trauma-informed community engagement, with the simple definition meaning doing things for the community in a way which reduces the chance of causing more harm while still meeting the needs and wants of the people. This ideology is a personal philosophy Harris holds in high regard and one he learned from his experience with Sacred Roots, as trauma-informed community engagement is a golden standard the international development firm uses when transforming neighborhoods around the world. “We don’t want to do anything that can further exasperate harm that has previously been done,” Harris acknowledges.

     A secondary concept of trauma-informed community engagement is to listen without interference, as it allows for diverse, complex groups of people to be heard when sharing previous experiences on sensitive topics such as racial injustice, economic inequality, environmental injustice, and more. By creating a space for the individuals who are affected most by development to voice their concerns, it provides an opportunity to adapt and mitigate the possibility of causing them future harm – if properly heeded.
     “We are always seeking to understand at any given context their trauma and be informed about that so that as we enter into the work of community development or community building or community organizing, we are…being knowledgeable about that,” Harris states. “And then we apply principles, apply actions, apply the things that will do no harm and push us all towards a more flourishing community.”
     Like Harris, some cities and regions of the United States have begun ensuring the local people are heard by having incoming developers be held accountable to the citizens. This means they must interact with and receive feedback from the community itself on whether they support the project in question, leading to a heathy dialogue and transparency between both parties in a trauma-informed way. 

     The history of Broadmoor Place, Soria City, and Second Street’s residents guide every action Harris takes with the Gulfport Gaslight District, including his plans for an Uncle Black’s Bike Box and an annual party. Both the Bike Box and At Dusk Holiday party – an annual event taking place around December 18 or 19 and held in a tent featuring a dance floor, Christmas tree, food, and other amenities – activates the public space without having to sink lots of funds into a fancy community-designated area whilst still giving a glimpse of just what a full Gaslight District could be for people inside and out of the neighborhood. 
     Activating shared spaces is one way to enrich locales on a tight budget and with limited real estate available, as “You haven’t built a building; you haven’t restored a building to activate the space, you don’t have to,” Harris claims, instead, all you need is “just to have some ideas and have some people willing to volunteer to make stuff happen…” Providing access to sustainable and equitable infrastructure meant for public use could greatly increase individuals’ quality of life as well as transform entire neighborhoods, all by utilizing what is already there and allowing community members to participate in the socioeconomic development occurring around them. 

COMMUNITY INCENTIVE
     But because the Gulfport Gaslight District is still in the predevelopment planning part of the multi-stage project, Harris and his fellow organizations desperately need the support of the local citizens behind them – an achievable feat if people remain engaged in the process as well as attend different functions and events in solidarity. “We need a positive public opinion of what we’re trying to do,” Harris says, “And we need the public behind us, because eventually what we’re going to need is a public-private partnership to make that happen.” With vocal aid (such as calling legislators, the mayor, or aldermen on behalf of the project) from the residents of Gulfport, the Gaslight District can then petition officials and stakeholder leaders of the city to also show public support, making it more likely to reach fruition. 

     The Gulfport Gaslight District project is once again a finalist this year for Gulf Coast Restoration Funds (GCRF). Harris is asking citizens to reach out to their state lawmakers to consider the Gaslight District when allocating GCRF funds in the upcoming Spring 2026 Legislative Session.
     The enthusiastic support of local people, businesses, and organizations that the project already has is a great beginning, but to see the Gulfport Gaslight District fully transition from noble wish to a transforming reality for the people of Broadmoor Place, Soria City, and Second Street will require the support of everyone.
     “We continue to invite people into what we’re trying to do…we continue to look for partners that will help us get this done,” Harris states, “Because as the old saying goes, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ We think it takes a village to establish, maintain, and sustain…a Gulfport Gaslight District.”

CONTACT
     You can learn more by visiting the Gulfport Gaslight District’s official website, at gulfportgaslightdistrict.com. 
     If an individual, business, or organization is interested in personally becoming involved in the project, reach out to Ronnie Harris, project lead, via email at harris@sacredroots.org. 
     To donate, visit the Gulfport Gaslight District’s Go Fund Me page: gulfportgaslightdistrict.

SUMMARY
     The Gulfport Gaslight District project, led by community educator Ronnie Harris, aims to revitalize forgotten neighborhoods in Gulfport, Mississippi by transforming historic areas like Broadmoor Place, Soria City, and Second Street into vibrant, walkable spaces. Inspired by successful developments in Ocean Springs and other cities, the initiative seeks to create a unique economic hub that fosters local culture, art, and business growth, while bringing both residents and visitors together to experience the distinct character of Gulfport. Residents and organizations are encouraged to participate in the development and advocacy for funding.

ON THE COVER: A rendering of a restored Broadmoor Grocery Store will be part of Phase 1 of the Gulfport Gaslight District project that awaits funding. Construction of the store is expected to act as an initial catalyst for additional development in the district and supporting neighborhoods.

Maya Wood

Southern Miss Gulf Scholar! Maya Wood is a native Mississippi resident currently working on obtaining her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Southern Mississippi ‘s Gulf Coast campus. She plans to continue on to a master’s degree with an emphasis in literature or creative writing and is currently a member of the inaugural class of the nationally recognized Gulf Scholars Program that focuses on supporting states and communities along the coast. Her stories highlight local citizens, businesses and organizations and their contributions to providing “the good life” for Mississippi residents and visitors. Maya’s long-term goal is to do what she loves full time: work as a writer and eventually become an author, as she finds great joy in reading and wants to spread that feeling to others.