More courthouse condo political positioning. I found the part about Dean and Nodine not beeing 100% behind the rendering interesting. Apparently they are not sold on something of that scale(which I think was everyone here's initial reaction as well). I also im glad to here the Downtown Alliance is going to come up with a new plan for downtown. It is time to update goals/plans before/during this boom time. I also liked that the city wants to plan for other areas (SpringHill/Florida Street were mentioned below). I think it is great that SpringHill created its own planning/development group. Considering that is were the wealthiest people in town live, it has not always had that feel to it. That group will have money and pull so I would expect big things in that area in the next 10 years. Here's the article.
Chastang extends olive branch on courthouse site
Thursday, April 05, 2007By JEFF AMYStaff Reporter
Mobile County Commission President Juan Chastang used his state of the county speech last year to introduce the idea of a condominium tower on the former site of the county courthouse. Wednesday, he used the same speech to try to cool the dispute over that parcel's use between him and Mobile Mayor Sam Jones.
In doing so, Chastang admitted that his vision may not be built, and that the plan for a Mardi Gras park, approved when Jones occupied Chastang's commission seat, may yet occupy the property.
Jones, in his state of the city speech, made no reference to the courthouse site, including the proposal he made last week that the county trade that lot at Royal and Government streets for part of the Mobile Civic Center property.
Instead, Jones appealed to civic and business leaders for cooperation in improving the worker training done by local schools, colleges and universities, saying that it's a critical need, especially if both the Northrop Grumman/EADS tanker plane plant and the ThyssenKrupp steel mill are built in Mobile County.
Hundreds of listeners gathered over grilled chicken salad and pecan pie at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center to hear the two speeches. It was the 10th year that the pair of speeches has been presented by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
Chastang touted the plan for a 21-story condo tower, with ground-level stores, as a way to increase county revenues without raising taxes.
"The development would provide a push for returning downtown to its glory, provide a boost to our convention industry, spearhead retail, encourage more residents to build downtown and give visitors something to do and somewhere to go," Chastang said.
He said the county government would reap $61 million over 30 years from the project.
But Chastang, a Republican giving the speech for the second time, also tried to dispel the idea that he was in a feud with Jones, and indicated he would not stall development of the park if the other two commissioners weren't interested in the condo plan.
"My discussions with the mayor have been pleasant and fun. Let us not pitch this development as being a struggle between the county and the city," Chastang said. "We will work toward a conclusion. If the majority wants a park, then so be it. Let's just move forward in a spirit of cooperation."
In part, the concession may stem from a realization that the other two commissioners, Mike Dean and Stephen Nodine, do not support development on the courthouse site as intensive as seen by a consultant who drew up a plan for the county. They also oppose the consultant's proposed changes in the planned redevelopment of the adjacent courthouse annex.
Chastang also said in his speech that the county wanted to find ways to reduce taxes. Commissioners have been discussing adding a sales tax holiday on hurricane supplies, in addition to the back-to-school tax breaks that began last fall.
"The county understands that low taxes equals a healthy economy," Chastang said.
Jones used much of his speech to ask business and other community leaders to help in a push to better prepare workers in K-12 schools, community colleges and universities.
"We have the potential of over 5,000 new jobs over the next three years," Jones said. "Our ability to provide a prepared work force for those jobs, as well as our present work force, is vital."
Tim Alford, the state's director of work force development, is helping draw up a plan for the Mobile region to improve training. Jones said that plan should be unveiled by mid-summer.
Jones also focused on education in much of his 2006 speech, his first as mayor. After Wednesday's address, he said that he wants the city to assist local schools and colleges, because they are key to worker training and economic success.
Jones told business leaders that the city plans to seek a consultant in the coming months to draw up a new master plan for downtown and some other neighborhood business districts, such as Florida Street and the Spring Hill community.
The downtown planning area would encompass an area beyond the Hank Aaron Loop, going south to around Baltimore Street, west to the Loop area, and north some distance up Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Jones said after the speech.
Downtown advocates, in particular, have been calling for a new city plan for the area, saying previous plans, more than a decade old, have become outdated.