Like most of our other adventures, we came across this building quite by accident. In this case, we were reviewing the abandoned Harbor View condominium for safe entry, and found this old office building, on the adjacent property, unposted and wide open during an initiation lurk at the beginning of July, 2000. Originally opened as offices for Gulf National Life insurance, in the early 1990s it became offices for the Gold Shore Casino and was ultimately abandoned when the casino went out of business in mid-1995. The D.A.M.C. returned to the building in daylight near the end of July for more comprehensive research. The appearance of uniformed security after sundown (i.e. the one dude in the beat-up Camaro choking down a Big Mac when I walked up on him - What a vision of abject intimidation....)gave us the impression that we weren't welcome there after dark anymore.
When the Biloxi Sun Herald reported the imminent demolition of the Harbor View by March, 2001, our Club went back for its first lurks for 2001 (and obviously the last for the Harbor View!). What would be the future of the Gold Shore building?
The future of the building is now... In 2002 the Gold Shore building is just a memory. Rumours we heard in mid-2000 that the properties were under negotiation as a site for a future Hard Rock Cafe did not materialize for another four years, and the Casino/Resort complex which replaced the Gold Shore and Harbor View buildings was scheduled to open at the beginning of September 2005, ironically only days after Hurricane Katrina's 30-foot storm surge put an end to that. Visit the scene of the building's demolition in October 2001, and read some thoughts from people who worked there before the Gold Shore offices closed! LET'S LURK!!

The Lurkers reach the roof of the Gold Shore Building and pose for a victory photo, 2 July, 2000.

This structure was the dock and mooring for the long-gone Gold Shore casino barge (Weird Harrison County laws make gambling an admissible vice just as long as it happens on a boat - until Hurricane Katrina busted the crap out of everything....). The structure is a shell, no interior and badly rusted plate metal floors. Photo by John Fitzhugh for the Sun-Herald.

The Harbor View Condominium, abandoned since Hurricane Georges hit in September,1998, is on the property just east of the Gold Shore building. (Below is a picture of the Gold Shore building taken from the roof of the Harbor View condo, 22 February, 2001).

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