Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s administration has introduced alternative plans for redeveloping the aging Mobile Civic Center site, shifting away from earlier proposals that called for demolishing the decades-old arena in favor of a renovation approach.
The mayor’s office presented the new plans Tuesday to members of the Mobile City Council in an executive session, followed by meetings with Church Street East neighborhood residents, Mardi Gras Association leaders and downtown restaurateurs.
Under the revised concept, the arena would be renovated rather than torn down. A smaller section of the property would be made available for Cordish Companies to develop a scaled-down version of its open-air Live! entertainment concept. The plans also include space for possible retail and residential development by a private company.
Parking and Connectivity
The proposals call for a parking deck that could be expanded to support passenger parking for a larger or second cruise ship. Stimpson compared the proposed deck to the one currently in use at the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal, noting the existing deck should have been built another floor higher.
“Let’s not do something that’s going to hamstring us in the future because parking decks can pretty much pay for themselves,” Stimpson said.
The plans also envision separating the theatre from the arena and adding a promenade that would connect the Civic Center property to other areas of downtown.
Phased Approach
The total cost of the plans has not been determined, Stimpson said, but the work would be completed in phases. The order of the phases would depend heavily on whether Cordish Companies moves forward with its scaled-down Live! concept. If Cordish does not participate, the city would begin with the arena renovation.
Cordish has not yet provided the city with information on how much public investment would be needed for its larger Live! concept. City spokesperson George Talbot said the city expected to contribute the 22-acre parcel as the largest portion of its investment in any deal with Cordish.
The plans also account for potential changes if the Alabama Department of Transportation rearranges how drivers enter the Wallace Tunnel, which could open up additional land for hotels or other structures to support tourism.
The new plan marks the latest turn in more than four years of talks over the Civic Center site’s future. Louisiana-based Stirling Properties recently backed out of the developer competition, leaving Cordish as the sole remaining candidate. Stimpson’s office has faced backlash since neither an arena nor event center was included in the initial Cordish proposals.