MOBILE, Ala. — Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in July 2019 that asphalt would be laid on Florida Street within about three weeks, with the remaining work on the long-running drainage project — sidewalks and curbs included — expected to wrap up by November.
Stimpson toured the construction site on a Monday morning, a day after the remnants of Hurricane Barry put the project’s new drainage system to its first real test. The mayor said the system performed well: Florida Street did not flood.
Construction on the $1.8 million in drainage improvements began the previous October. Progress moved slower than many nearby business owners wanted, and frustration along the corridor was visible — one shop, Wimpee’s Floor Center, hung a sign outside reading “please pardon the city’s lack of progress.”
“That’s part of progress. We get that,” said Ellen Maxime, COO of Adcock Properties, which manages property in the area. “But it’s the days and days of no operation.”
The mayor acknowledged the delays and said the city viewed the project as a learning experience. He suggested the city could provide incentives for contractors to finish work early, noted that officials were in the process of hiring a new Public Works director, and said he would work with the Mobile City Council to find ways to make future projects less disruptive for business owners and drivers.