Mobile Development Thread

[nimsjus]

Originally Posted by BlessedMobile

Hooray. Mayor Jones has made his choice for the bridge location. Building the bridge is the only solution to the growing traffic problem. Let's remember we are talking about a project that would take five or more years to complete. Please don't think that you can steer travelers up to the Cochrane bridge. Many of the business people impacted by the bridge were there for the announcement; one would assume they support the bridge being built.

By trying to place the eastern footings for the bridge on the right of way they already have for the tunnels, that bridge will have the same awful entry issues that the Wallace Tunnel has now. It does have a better approach from the west than the current tunnel. I just don't see how adding lanes over the river relieves traffic if those same cars have to get back on to 2 lanes each way to cross the bay. Agree to disagree on the bridge/traffic issue. The only redeeming quality I see for this is something else tall for Mobile's skyline. My worry is that it will destroy the revitalization efforts that are just barely getting started in Fort Conde VIllage and the Civic Center, which the new bridge will loom over and create tons of noise over. Ialso fear it will hinder Mobile's efforts to get new/bigger cruise service. Oh well, I guess we will see how this battle turns out over the next 10-20 years (ALDOT never moves quickly-just ask Bham, MGM and Hville)

[Verve]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

first off welcome back verve I miss your post ! Yeah I remember John Word it`s now on the causeway. I could see nice Italian dinning there.

Thanks Port of Bama for the shoutout. I've actually relocated to Tallahassee but my heart is still in Mobile. Although my move was necessary for the latter years of my career, it happened at a time just as Mobile is taking off. I appreciate having this forum because it keeps me informed of the happenings in the city.

[bayou15]

Out of the 5 , in order , what will happen first?

A. Bay Bridge

B. Airforce Contract

C. Alabama Motorsports Park

D. Another "Big Time" Skyscraper in Downtown

E. Concert at Civic Center




Im geauxing with F. None of the above!

[SouthSky]

Originally Posted by nimsjus

Ialso fear it will hinder Mobile's efforts to get new/bigger cruise service. Oh well, I guess we will see how this battle turns out over the next 10-20 years (ALDOT never moves quickly-just ask Bham, MGM and Hville)

If the roadbed of the new bridge is over 200 feet we are in the clear in that regard. I think the only problems that this bridge would lend to the cruise industry in Mobile would be during its construction.

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by nimsjus

By trying to place the eastern footings for the bridge on the right of way they already have for the tunnels, that bridge will have the same awful entry issues that the Wallace Tunnel has now. It does have a better approach from the west than the current tunnel. I just don't see how adding lanes over the river relieves traffic if those same cars have to get back on to 2 lanes each way to cross the bay. Agree to disagree on the bridge/traffic issue. The only redeeming quality I see for this is something else tall for Mobile's skyline. My worry is that it will destroy the revitalization efforts that are just barely getting started in Fort Conde VIllage and the Civic Center, which the new bridge will loom over and create tons of noise over. Ialso fear it will hinder Mobile's efforts to get new/bigger cruise service. Oh well, I guess we will see how this battle turns out over the next 10-20 years (ALDOT never moves quickly-just ask Bham, MGM and Hville)

There is no way that the entry will be like the Wallace Tunnel. The whole idea of a long ramp is for heavy vehicles to get a running start on the climb. The Wallace turn in the last 200 feet is the problem with the tunnel. Even now when you exit the tunnel after a long East side wait you can get up to speed fairly fast on the two lanes we have now. When is does become a problem they will add to the Bayway. I believe the plans for the bridge call for 6 3/3 or 8 4/4 lanes. Fort Conde Village is north of the bridge and is largely developed as far as it is going until we reconfigure the ramps from Water Street into the tunnel. Demolish the Civic Center and let developers make something happen. You won't hear a thing coming from the bridge traffic as it is way above you; go stand under the Cochran bridge and sample the sound. We have a long way to go before worrying about bridge height for a cruise ship; Our facility can handle small and medium ships which is what we got. The bridge looked like it would be near but South of the cruise terminal. I wonder if any cruiser would give a hoot that their ship is parked under a bridge for the 3 hours before and after the cruise...Naaa! This is a federal highway with the Feds even more interested than ALDOT in solving the traffic problem. ALDOT is going to recommend to the Feds what should be done. Remember, this tunnel is the bottleneck for evacuating people during hurricane season. We do agree that it will be an incredible addition to our skyline. I think we aren't talking a long time before they get approval and funding for this gigantic project.

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by bayou15

Out of the 5 , in order , what will happen first?

A. Bay Bridge

B. Airforce Contract

C. Alabama Motorsports Park

D. Another "Big Time" Skyscraper in Downtown

E. Concert at Civic Center




Im geauxing with F. None of the above!

I guess we shouldn't count on you for encouragement. We will get the tanker first and then the bridge. All the rest will rush to be in Mobile.

[Port_of_Bama]

^^^ LOL I`m going with your order Blessed. You know Bayou is a skyscraper maniac,lol.

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

^^^ LOL I`m going with your order Blessed. You know Bayou is a skyscraper maniac,lol.

I figured it might be a slow night on Dauphin Island...you know, what all that goes on down there.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Seriously... there's gotta be a way to make a bridge that is tall enough to get over that river without hurting shipping business. There are bridges all around the country that are tall enough, why can't we build one? I've seen a lot of them, and they don't detract from the skyline, they enhance it.

[Electrical Porpoise]

Originally Posted by Alabadrock

Seriously... there's gotta be a way to make a bridge that is tall enough to get over that river without hurting shipping business. There are bridges all around the country that are tall enough, why can't we build one? I've seen a lot of them, and they don't detract from the skyline, they enhance it.

Or perhaps we could just not build the bridge. I have a good feeling I might be in the minority on that one.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Well, I shoulda said that we can surely find a way to get to the other side of the river that doesn't detract from the city. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bridge.

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by Alabadrock

Seriously... there's gotta be a way to make a bridge that is tall enough to get over that river without hurting shipping business. There are bridges all around the country that are tall enough, why can't we build one? I've seen a lot of them, and they don't detract from the skyline, they enhance it.

A simple solution would be to build a higher bridge over the river and just add a lane on both sides of the bay bridge. I just don`t see how hard that could be.


The Civic Centre takes up enough land to be converted into a compact size theme park or something, like a Jazz Land Size. I believe in the New Plan for Old Mobile it will be turned into an Atlantic Stataion type of development.

I`m just tired of seeing the Civic eye sore and i`m ready for the Regions Bank tombstone to undergo exterior renovations and be converted into a glass building. It would greatly inhance the skyline as well.

[NitekKetin]

^The last thing needed in the Downtown core is a hulking Six Flags-esque theme park. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a small-scale amusement park further down the Bay.

There should be a focus on block-building moderately dense development in Downtown and the areas adjacent to it.

[Port_of_Bama]

^^ Hmmm since you put it that way I agree an Atlantic Station type of development would be better.

Having a nice size theme park south of the bay would be an ideal location with a very very catchy theme to it.

[NitekKetin]

I would like for St. Louis Street to serve as a communal commercial corridor for the Downtown area. Imagine a nice supermarket-anchored mixed use development at the intersection of St. Louis and Water Street serving as the eastern terminus of a promenade of townhomes/loft apartments with ground level retail along the length of St. Louis Street through downtown.

[nimsjus]

Originally Posted by BlessedMobile

There is no way that the entry will be like the Wallace Tunnel. The whole idea of a long ramp is for heavy vehicles to get a running start on the climb. The Wallace turn in the last 200 feet is the problem with the tunnel. Even now when you exit the tunnel after a long East side wait you can get up to speed fairly fast on the two lanes we have now. When is does become a problem they will add to the Bayway.

Go back and look at the proposed route and you will se other wise. The proposed route actually has a more abrupt curve off of the bayway on the eastern side than the current bayway-tunnel setup. It leaves the bayway an curves much more sharply than the tunnel because it has to get turned towards it much further south to follow the path to the exit on the other side. I dont have major concerns about cruise and port stuff. THey are going to build it pretty tall, but we will eventually be in a situation like the Pananma Canal. They thought it was plenty big enough at the time it was built. It easily accomodated everything the thought possible. Now it has had to be expanded because it couldnt accomodate current demands. Same thing is possible with this bridge. As for Ft. Conde and the Civic Center property, that is just my opinion. Nice projects do not typically locate themselves under 200 foot bridges. Find me a quality development that is under a bridge. Even in major cities(NY, Chicago, etc) where real estate is in such demand that people have had to use the land under and around bridges, people have usually thought of that as undesirable. Mobile is not NY and the plans for both of those sites (Ft. Conde/Ft. Conde Expansion and Civic Center) are not far enough along to guarentee that they will be done despite this bridge. What is under the bridges/big overpasses that we currently have now? Unusable wetlands, industry/port, housing projects, prichard. Not alot of developers fighting to get in the shadows of the bridges and overpasses we have now, just homeless people. That is just my take and it is the concern of downtown revitalization folks.

[Port_of_Bama]

I`ll admit I have great concern for Fort Conde Village,but not the Civic Center.


St.Louis Street does have the potential to be a great commercial corridor. I rememeber seeing an entertainment complex for Water Street in the New Plan for Old Mobile proposal. They need to add two more pedestrian bridges along Water street before building anything on it.

[NitekKetin]

If Bender's Shipyard files for bankruptcy, perhaps the State can swoop in and buy the property. A development deal could be struck with the City, giving us an extension of the waterfront and a couple of sites for the proposed bridge's approach ramps.

[phoenixboi08]

Originally Posted by nimsjus

By trying to place the eastern footings for the bridge on the right of way they already have for the tunnels, that bridge will have the same awful entry issues that the Wallace Tunnel has now. It does have a better approach from the west than the current tunnel. I just don't see how adding lanes over the river relieves traffic if those same cars have to get back on to 2 lanes each way to cross the bay. Agree to disagree on the bridge/traffic issue. The only redeeming quality I see for this is something else tall for Mobile's skyline. My worry is that it will destroy the revitalization efforts that are just barely getting started in Fort Conde VIllage and the Civic Center, which the new bridge will loom over and create tons of noise over. Ialso fear it will hinder Mobile's efforts to get new/bigger cruise service. Oh well, I guess we will see how this battle turns out over the next 10-20 years (ALDOT never moves quickly-just ask Bham, MGM and Hville)

Actually, I believe this is far south of fort conde...isn't it?

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

A simple solution would be to build a higher bridge over the river and just add a lane on both sides of the bay bridge. I just don`t see how hard that could be.


The Civic Centre takes up enough land to be converted into a compact size theme park or something, like a Jazz Land Size. I believe in the New Plan for Old Mobile it will be turned into an Atlantic Stataion type of development.

I`m just tired of seeing the Civic eye sore and i`m ready for the Regions Bank tombstone to undergo exterior renovations and be converted into a glass building. It would greatly inhance the skyline as well.

I agree in all respects...except for getting rid of the civic center completely. I think they should keep the theater and arena. The arena is actually pretty large. The reason why we don't attract any concerts is because the Civic Center needs renovations. Also, I don't think there's any good incentive for artists to come because there's no guarantee that they can sell every seat, which is their ultimate goal.

[phoenixboi08]

(see above)