Mobile Development Thread

[nimsjus]

Ive been traveling I-10 alot recently too and have been visiting friends and family in Bham and Atl alot as well. I have mixed feelings on this issue. I have lived in Mobile my entire life (minus college at AU). I used to complain about the Bayway and Airport just like everyone else in Mobile. Having gone away and come back, I do not think traffic is as bad as most folks down here make it out to be. People here complain about the Bayway and Airport Blvd, but I spent 45 minutes on Hwy 280 in Bham to go about 7 miles at noon on Wednesday with no wrecks complicating things. I have never spent 45 minutes traveling 8 mile of the Bayway even during rushhour, much less at off hours. ATL is even worse so I think we blow things out of proportion here when it comes to traffic. The Bayway and Airport for that matter move at a pretty good clip most of the time. They never come to a standstill with normal traffic. The only thing that brings either roadway to a stand still is a wreck. Well a wreck is going to bring any road (big, small, busy, not busy, etc) to a stop and back up traffic so I dont think that is something that should be used to justify widening a road. We cant afford to make every road big enough that if soem of its lanes are blocked it can still handle 100% of its usual daily volume. That would be insanely expensive. However, I have said in the past, the only way I would support a ne Mobile River bridge would be if they widen the Bayway as well. I definitely don't see any need for 2 more lanes over the rive if it is all going to be funeled back into 2 lanes each direction on the Bayway. I might support a bridge if part of the plan involved making I-10 4 lanes in each direction from Theodore to at least Loxley if not the Florida line. I just dont think we are as bad traffic wise as most people suggest, especially having been in some places with legitimate traffic issues.

[Port_of_Bama]

Your right interstate traffic in Mobile is not that bad, on a city leve such as dauphin and Springhill Ave now that is another story in it`s self.

[Randallg223]

Traffic does come to a stand still on I-10 and the tunnel, even it there isn't a wreck or holiday. East bound I-10 reduces down from four lanes to two lanes, plus you have people leaving downtown trying to merge with I-10 right at the entrance of the tunnel. This is crazy. I've traveled to ATL and BHAM and yes they have serious traffic promblems, but in neither case does a interstate through there downtowns only have two lanes.

[Scottybo]

He meant normal traffic. He takes away holidays and rush hour I presume.

[nimsjus]

Originally Posted by Scottybo

He meant normal traffic. He takes away holidays and rush hour I presume.

Well it would be hard to justify a multi-million (maybe billion) dollar project in eight laning all of I-10 because it gets slowed down on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day due to beach traffic. As for rush hour, I just don't think it is that bad. I drove it for August/September and March/April for internships every day and never really had any problems. I was going from Mobile to PCola so in theory I was going against the "traffic", but many on here and in town have tried to argue that it is not local traffic causing the congestion problem. If that is the case then my drive was comparable to people coming to Mobile from the Eastern Shore. I don't believe that at all and I think the root of the problem is sprawl to Baldwin Co (which is why I don't really support the Mobile River Bridge). Either way, I just dont think that the traffic is as big of an issue here as it is in most other places. Outside of beach holiday weekends and wrecks I think traffic moves fine. Wrecks slow traffic down on other roads all the time so I don't think that justifies widening the roads. Holiday weekends are 3 days a year, so that isnt really worth millions to me either.

[MobileLSUboy2005]

yea, i lived in Mobile for the first 18 years of my life, and then I lived in Baton Rouge the last four, and now I live in New Orleans, and trust me, Mobile has the least traffic problems of the three (its also the smallest of the three...) I would drive up and down Airport or 10 at 5:30pm before I'd drive anywhere on I-10 in BR, or NOLA at any time....

Sure the tunnels and bayway are a stupidly-designed bottleneck, but its nothing like the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge bottleneck at Baton Rouge and the O'Neal Lane bottleneck also in BR, the Siegen Lane to I-10/12 Split in BR, or the bottleneck in Metairie in NOLA (or anywhere else in nola for that matter...haha)

My parents visited me in BR last week and couldnt get over how amazingly awful the traffic was (or how amazingly good the nightlife, dining, and shopping are) there....I really wish Mobile could attract better food/shopping, then I'd consider moving back there one day! Its just hard to go back to a smaller city after living in bigger ones....

Peace!

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by NitekKetin

Whuuut? It would be cool, although rather unfeasble, if the GM&O Terminal was used as the station for this revived Sunset Limited.

It is a TERMINAL, not a station, DUH

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

I hate that the city allowed others to destroy the other sections of the old village. That particular section of Mobile is the most attractive to me even in the restoration state it is in now. I`m not biting off of New Orleans` French Quarter, but if Fort Conde Village was still as large as it was in the past .It would be on the same scale if not more attractive than the quarter in New Orleans. That is a very old French neighborhood the first in Mobile, origianlly called Fort de la Conde Charlotte and Fort Louis de la Louisiane. One could only imagine what tourist attraction that neighborhood would have been and could still be to day.

Last Wednesday a Federal style townhouse at 354 St. Francis was destroyed. When alerted to the demolition, MHDC director, Deveraux Bemis, shrugged his shoulders and was heard to say " there was nothing I could do- it is not in an historic district" . He forgets that the name of his department is includes the words DEVELOPMENT- he is a sorry excuse for a director- reactive rather than proactive

[NitekKetin]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

It is a TERMINAL, not a station, DUH

It's a building used for the facilitation of transport by rail.

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

Last Wednesday a Federal style townhouse at 354 St. Francis was destroyed. When alerted to the demolition, MHDC director, Deveraux Bemis, shrugged his shoulders and was heard to say " there was nothing I could do- it is not in an historic district" . He forgets that the name of his department is includes the words DEVELOPMENT- he is a sorry excuse for a director- reactive rather than proactive

so sad !!

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by MobileLSUboy2005

yea, i lived in Mobile for the first 18 years of my life, and then I lived in Baton Rouge the last four, and now I live in New Orleans, and trust me, Mobile has the least traffic problems of the three (its also the smallest of the three...) I would drive up and down Airport or 10 at 5:30pm before I'd drive anywhere on I-10 in BR, or NOLA at any time....

Sure the tunnels and bayway are a stupidly-designed bottleneck, but its nothing like the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge bottleneck at Baton Rouge and the O'Neal Lane bottleneck also in BR, the Siegen Lane to I-10/12 Split in BR, or the bottleneck in Metairie in NOLA (or anywhere else in nola for that matter...haha)

My parents visited me in BR last week and couldnt get over how amazingly awful the traffic was (or how amazingly good the nightlife, dining, and shopping are) there....I really wish Mobile could attract better food/shopping, then I'd consider moving back there one day! Its just hard to go back to a smaller city after living in bigger ones....

Peace!

A friend of mine was visiting last week and said the same thing , she would condiser moving back to Mobile if there were more shopping options especially downtown.

As far as night life well it all depends, downtown has well over a dozen bars and clubs already . I counted atleast 35 through out the city that I know of.

I would love to see a Dave and Busters or ESPN in Mobile.

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

so sad !!

I am a new member to this board- from what I can see, everyone has great ideas for Mobile, but I do not see anyone getting involved in the "down and dirty" of making any thing come to fruition! Get involved- join the Historic Mobile Preservation Society or the Downtown Business Improvement District or the Arts Council, etc. Attnend City Council meetings or at least be in contct with the City Government. Quit whining and complaining and hoping and speculating and get out there and make a difference!! I am out there trying to improve this tired old town. I work daily with with people who have an interest in making Mobile great and it is very tiresome to read all these comments! GET INVOLVED!!!!

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by NitekKetin

It's a building used for the facilitation of transport by rail.

NitekKetin....you may find it interesting to have it confirmed that the GM&O was a train station originally...not a terminal as it is now described. You had it right. See the link below.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM49M5

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

I am a new member to this board- from what I can see, everyone has great ideas for Mobile, but I do not see anyone getting involved in the "down and dirty" of making any thing come to fruition! Get involved- join the Historic Mobile Preservation Society or the Downtown Business Improvement District or the Arts Council, etc. Attnend City Council meetings or at least be in contct with the City Government. Quit whining and complaining and hoping and speculating and get out there and make a difference!! I am out there trying to improve this tired old town. I work daily with with people who have an interest in making Mobile great and it is very tiresome to read all these comments! GET INVOLVED!!!!

I understand where you`re coming from.If there is any big development be it shopping or entertainment I believe downtown should be the first to be looked at and then other areas.

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

Your right interstate traffic in Mobile is not that bad, on a city leve such as dauphin and Springhill Ave now that is another story in it`s self.

I travel Springhill Ave. every day and find that traffic has gotten much worse over the last two years. I am hoping that moving the nursing school over to main campus will take some of the load off of the road. It doesn't help matters when a train runs by on the tracks near I-65 at 5:00pm on some days. On the whole, I still like knowing that our much-improved downtown area is a source of some of the traffic.

[nouveau_Mauvilla]

Speaking of the GM&O Building, has anyone tried the cafe in there (Le Rose or La Rosa or something)? Heard it was pretty good. European cuisine, right?

[nouveau_Mauvilla]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

I am a new member to this board- from what I can see, everyone has great ideas for Mobile, but I do not see anyone getting involved in the "down and dirty" of making any thing come to fruition! Get involved- join the Historic Mobile Preservation Society or the Downtown Business Improvement District or the Arts Council, etc. Attnend City Council meetings or at least be in contct with the City Government. Quit whining and complaining and hoping and speculating and get out there and make a difference!! I am out there trying to improve this tired old town. I work daily with with people who have an interest in making Mobile great and it is very tiresome to read all these comments! GET INVOLVED!!!!

We would all love to buy all the run-down historic buildings and fix them up and fill them with retail on the street-level and residential on top. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Won't really dive into why.

As far as getting involved, I know that I, and the people around me, try to. I go to the market in Cathedral Square on Saturdays (BTW anyone go yesterday? They have some great stuff). I go to the artwalk, and eat downtown often, and have bought several pieces of art downtown from local artists. My dad's business recently renovated a building down there right on the parade route (Red Square Agency, an advertising firm). My mom and sister are on Restore Mobile and even though I am not, I'm still involved (Restore Mobile, formerly known as the Revolving Fund, recently/is purchasing several buildings and lots in Oakleigh/Leinkauf). I know the person who developed the new FBI building downtown a few years ago. My sister once spent a summer in the Tower on Ryan Park. My family used to be members of the Trade Club until it closed down. I saw Bryan Adams at the Saenger when he came. I go to Bayfest and the Chili Cook-off every year. I am activley involved in the Animal Rescue Foundation's Woofstock held in the fall in Cathedral Square. So as far as supporting downtown, I really try my part to do all I can. Also, I try to stay up to date with development and news such as from the Downtown Alliance and I often dream up ideas for downtown, much as others on here do.


Sorry for the rant...

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

Last Wednesday a Federal style townhouse at 354 St. Francis was destroyed. When alerted to the demolition, MHDC director, Deveraux Bemis, shrugged his shoulders and was heard to say " there was nothing I could do- it is not in an historic district" . He forgets that the name of his department is includes the words DEVELOPMENT- he is a sorry excuse for a director- reactive rather than proactive

Is this the building that was demolished on St. Francis? Zoom in on the street view and have a look.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=354+...sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1

[BlessedMobile]

Here is an interesting article ya'll might want to read. This is a list we do not want to be in. Most of us in Mobile are upbeat about ourselves and our city. I wish these cities the best.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/02/0226_miserable_cities/1.htm

[nouveau_Mauvilla]

Originally Posted by BlessedMobile

Is this the building that was demolished on St. Francis? Zoom in on the street view and have a look.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=354+...sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1

Blessed, I don't think that's it. I remember seeing it I think since Wednesday.