Mobile County Commission Approves $2.18 Million for Splash Pad and Playground at West Mobile County Park

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Commission on Monday approved nearly $2.18 million for playground equipment and a splash pad at West Mobile County Park, part of a larger expansion that will also add a dog park and a new entrance road from Schillinger Road.

Commissioners also heard a report from the Mobile Sports Authority showing that 64 visiting sporting events generated an estimated $55.8 million in economic impact during the fiscal year that just ended, and they acted on a long list of subdivision plats, construction change orders, a flood study, a road project, employee pay and community improvements.

Playground and Splash Pad for West Mobile County Park

The park funding approved Monday breaks down into two pieces:

• $1,124,348.25 for playground equipment
• $1,055,376.67 for a splash pad

The money comes from capital improvement funds previously designated for District 3, one of the commission’s three districts.

The playground and splash pad are part of a broader expansion of West Mobile County Park. Plans also call for a dog park and a new entrance road that will connect the park directly to Schillinger Road, one of west Mobile’s busiest north-south corridors.

County officials said Thursday that a separate construction contract for the expansion had already been awarded and that preconstruction meetings had been completed. On Nov. 5, the commission approved a resolution required as part of obtaining a City of Mobile land disturbance permit, which must be in place before construction can begin.

For families in fast-growing west Mobile, the additions will bring a splash pad, new play equipment and a place for dogs to run to a single county park, along with easier access from Schillinger Road.

Sports Authority Reports $55.8 Million Impact

Mobile Sports Authority Executive Director Danny Corte told commissioners that the organization attracted, supported or managed 37 sporting events during the fiscal year. Another 27 visiting tennis tournaments were held at the Mobile Tennis Center, bringing the total to 64 events and an estimated $55.8 million in economic impact.

Youth sports made up a large share of the Sports Authority’s work. Of the 37 events it handled directly, 23 involved youth competitors.

Since 2012, the Sports Authority has attracted, hosted, supported or helped manage 470 sporting events, generating an estimated $337 million in economic impact, Corte reported.

Visiting tournaments bring teams, families and spectators who fill hotel rooms, eat at local restaurants and shop in local stores, which is why communities across the Gulf Coast compete to host them.

State Football Championships Coming to Mobile

The Sports Authority is now preparing for the Alabama High School Athletic Association football state championships, scheduled for Dec. 1–5 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus. The championships will include 12 games over five days: eight tackle football title games and four girls flag football championship games.

Corte, who spearheaded Mobile’s bid to host the title games, said the championships could become one of the largest sporting events ever held, not only in Mobile County but in Southwest Alabama.

Several area high school teams are still alive in the AHSAA playoffs, so local fans could have hometown teams to cheer for when the championships arrive in early December.

Subdivisions, Flood Study and Road Funding

Among the other items approved Monday:

• West Mobile development: Preliminary plats for Willow Creek, a 207-lot subdivision on March Road, and Sweetwater Farms Phase 1B, a 61-lot subdivision on Airport Boulevard.
• Escatawpa River flood study: An engineering contract with Red Mountain Engineering for a flood study between Beverly Jefferies Highway and Lott Road. County officials said Thursday that several property owners had agreed to pay for the study, estimated at about $75,000, which is needed to establish a regulatory floodway.
• Chickasaw road project: Up to $250,000 in county money to cover possible cost overruns on an Alabama Department of Transportation project that is receiving $2 million through the ATRIP-II program, the state’s Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program II.

A regulatory floodway is the channel of a river or stream, along with nearby land, that must be kept free of obstructions so floodwaters can pass. Establishing one along the Escatawpa can affect what can be built near the river and how flood insurance and permitting decisions are made for nearby property.

Change Orders, Hazard Pay and Sportsplex Landscaping

Commissioners also approved several construction and personnel items:

• Dave Patton House: A $14,408 change order for renovations at 1252 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, raising the construction contract to $4,555,525.66. The change does not affect the project schedule.
• Jon Archer Arena: An $82,819.37 construction change order, bringing that contract to $883,832.61.
• Hazard pay: Expanded hazard-pay eligibility to Building Maintenance and Electronics employees who work at Metro Jail and Strickland Youth Center. Eligible employees will receive $1.154 per regular hour worked, up to $92.32 per pay period or $2,400 a year.
• Sportsplex beautification: Acceptance of terms, subject to final legal review, for an agreement in which ArcelorMittal Calvert will provide landscaping, trees, native plantings and improved green spaces at the Mobile County Sportsplex through a donation to the AFC Mobile Foundation, at no cost to the county.

During discussion of the Sportsplex improvements, a county official described the company’s help as a major contribution from one of their big industries. The county also plans to develop an entrance sign for the Sportsplex. ArcelorMittal Calvert operates a large steel-processing plant in north Mobile County near Calvert.

Relief Funds Extension and Veterans Day Golf Discount

Commissioners granted the MLK Avenue Redevelopment Corporation an extension through Nov. 30 to spend its remaining federal pandemic relief money and complete its contractual requirements.

They also authorized a $10 discount on green fees at the county’s Cypress Creek Golf Course for veterans and active-duty military personnel on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11.

What’s Next

With the playground, splash pad and land disturbance resolution approved, the West Mobile County Park expansion can move forward once the City of Mobile issues its land disturbance permit. The county has not announced a completion date for the new amenities.

The Mobile County Commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 23. Commission meetings are open to the public, and agendas are posted on the county’s website ahead of each meeting.