Mobile Council to Set Dec. 8 Hearing on Former Quality Inn Site Rezoning With 15-Story Height Cap

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile City Council is taking a new path on the long-discussed redevelopment of the former Quality Inn property downtown, one that would put a firm ceiling on how tall any new building could rise.

The council’s Nov. 3 agenda includes a resolution to schedule a Dec. 8 public hearing on changing the zoning for 255 Church Street from T-5.2 to T-6, which allows more intensive downtown development. The proposed ordinance would allow T-6 development but specifically prohibit buildings exceeding 15 stories.

The council is being asked this week only to set the hearing, not to approve the rezoning itself.

What the owner has proposed

Property owner Shree Krishna Hospitality LLC has proposed replacing the former motel with an upscale mixed-use development that could include a hotel, residences, retail businesses and restaurants.

The height limit would set the maximum allowed under the zoning, not necessarily the height of whatever is eventually built. Any construction would also have to comply with city building and development requirements.

How the proposal got here

The Mobile Planning Commission previously recommended approval of the rezoning. However, questions arose over whether the property met the requirements for T-6 zoning under the city’s Downtown Development District regulations.

At the Oct. 27 council meeting, District 2 Councilwoman Samantha Ingram requested another delay until Dec. 8 to allow the council to initiate its own zoning map amendment. That revised approach is what now appears on the Nov. 3 agenda.

What comes next

If the council approves the resolution, the public hearing would be held at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 8 at Government Plaza. Residents and property owners would be able to weigh in at that meeting.

The development remains subject to the council’s final zoning decision and all applicable city approvals.