Mobile Development Thread

[Bogue]

Don't think they were able to do anything w/ that building. It's an interesting little building, though.

Anything moved into that building across the street from it?

It doesn't appear as though there will be much room for trees, unfortunately. Maybe it's just the angle, but I hope they plant a row of live oaks there as well.

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by Bogue

Don't think they were able to do anything w/ that building. It's an interesting little building, though.

Anything moved into that building across the street from it?

It doesn't appear as though there will be much room for trees, unfortunately. Maybe it's just the angle, but I hope they plant a row of live oaks there as well.

The little building was built adjacent to the Levert House and served as an office for Dr. Levert. In later years the house was owned by Dr. Acker who also used the building as his office. His daughter was Marian Acker MacPherson, noted Mobile artisti who continued to live in the house and use the office building as her studio until the County condemned the property in 1965 for the courthouse annex. The new building will not be the "Courthouse"- Government Plaza is the courthouse- this is just an larger 'annex" These are photographs from HABS of the house as it was originally, after it was victorinized and also of the office:


http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?col...mmem/hh:@FIELD(DOCID+@BAND(@lit(AL0500)))

The Mobile Bar Association will move back into the building once construction is completed on the Annex

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by BuenaVista

The little building was built adjacent to the Levert House and served as an office for Dr. Levert. In later years the house was owned by Dr. Acker who also used the building as his office. His daughter was Marian Acker MacPherson, noted Mobile artisti who continued to live in the house and use the office building as her studio until the County condemned the property in 1965 for the courthouse annex. The new building will not be the "Courthouse"- Government Plaza is the courthouse- this is just an larger 'annex" These are photographs from HABS of the house as it was originally, after it was victorinized and also of the office:


http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?col...mmem/hh:@FIELD(DOCID+@BAND(@lit(AL0500)))

The Mobile Bar Association will move back into the building once construction is completed on the Annex

The Levert Office/ Bar Association building dates from the early 1850's

[jmbreland]

Ahoy there, guys! I'm back after a long hiatus. I've moved to Gainesville, FL, to attend UF there but my heart's still in old Mobile in sweet home Alabama. I've taken some time to get up-to-speed on this forum and now I'm ready for posting.

I wish the courthouse annex's architecture is more in harmony with the courthouse itself. The different architectures of the Government Plaza, the Levert house, and the new courthouse annex seem to clash badly. It's not settling well with me. ... What I've got in mind for the annex is a much more modern design with a lot of glass and metal "gridding" similar to RSA Tower's design (I apologize for the lack of the knowledge of architectural vocabulary). This will echo Government Plaza's design, but mind you, not its controversial weirdness, AND will help showcase the Levert house by contrast. The Levert house seems "lost" with all the brick surrounding it and the house itself is built of brick. The white-stone Roman (or is it Greek?) design, with modernization, would work better, too, for similar reasons. Government Plaza has some stone facades. The annex's architecture by itself isn't too bad, really, but I think Mobile can do a lot better. Any comments, architecture experts??

Trees around the Levert house will definitely help soften the clashing architectures. Palm trees will do very nicely in the narrow spaces around the house.

[Port_of_Bama]

I think you meant Greek, but any way I agree with you about a shiny glass look. I think it would have reflected the bar building better or it could have been in white granite and resembled an an architecture simular to Barton Acadamy. So could you imagine a building simular to Barton Academy with beeming lights pointing at it at night or have the beeming lights matching the occasion?



I saw in an archive that Mobile use to have a hotel that was very grand one of the grandest in the south east during the time on Goverment Street. It had a Barton Academy type look to it very Greek, and it was a huge building I saw pictures of it before I think the city could have replicated that building, unfortunantly we lost it to fire.

[BuenaVista]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

I think you meant Greek, but any way I agree with you about a shiny glass look. I think it would have reflected the bar building better or it could have been in white granite and resembled an an architecture simular to Barton Acadamy. So could you imagine a building simular to Barton Academy with beeming lights pointing at it at night or have the beeming lights matching the occasion?



I saw in an archive that Mobile use to have a hotel that was very grand one of the grandes in the south east during the time on Goverment Street. It had a Barton Academy type look to it very Greek, and tt was a huge building I saw pictures of it before I think the city could have replicated that building, unfortunantly we lost it to fire.

That was the United States Hotel, designed by the James Dakin who also designed Barton, Government Street Presbyterian , the Planters and Merchants Bank and numerous buildings in New Orleans, including the original St. Charles Hotel, Christ Church, etc. See the link below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Dakin

[SouthSky]

Mobile leads state in income growth
Link

Journal hails Mobile County schools as best in state
Link

[NitekKetin]

Has anyone seen the rendering of the proposed Radisson expansion Downtown? Originally, I was expecting a carbon copy of the first tower, but this proposed tower is pretty good, too.

[SouthSky]

Originally Posted by NitekKetin

Has anyone seen the rendering of the proposed Radisson expansion Downtown? Originally, I was expecting a carbon copy of the first tower, but this proposed tower is pretty good, too.

Here is the rendering from the Press-Register:

18+ floors:


Article: Link Here

[phoenixboi08]

Wow! This is awesome!
...now we just need some convention center expansions/actual conventions...
Hopefully, this will spur/renew some interest in developing the land around the Civic Center...Fort Conde...and that awful pink hotel...

[Brown Duckz]

That place looks swank!

[Sulley]

Wow, with that renovation, I doubt it would stay a Radisson!

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by SouthSky

Here is the rendering from the Press-Register:

18+ floors:


Article: Link Here

It took me a minute to realize that this perspective is from the corner of Church and Joachim. We're looking North toward Government. Funky colors but it is just a rendering. It will look great from the interstate as well. The article was a bit confusing as it said they are "seeking investors" and then it says that the partnership includes 50 investors; I suppose the additional investors are not necessary but would be welcomed. Build'em big and high.

[SouthSky]

I wonder why they need that pedestrian bridge to Government Plaza?

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

Wow, with that renovation, I doubt it would stay a Radisson!

Yeah let's get a Loews!

---

EDIT: By the way, this is the corner for those unable to visualize:
Link

[Port_of_Bama]

That pedestrian bridge doesn`t make any sense but I like it though. The colors are a little funky.

[Bayside]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

That pedestrian bridge doesn`t make any sense but I like it though. The colors are a little funky.

Perhaps you would be able to walk from the county parking garage, through the hotel, and across the pedestrian bridge and into Government Plaza, without getting wet.

[phoenixboi08]

Originally Posted by Bayside

Perhaps you would be able to walk from the county parking garage, through the hotel, and across the pedestrian bridge and into Government Plaza, without getting wet.

Or maybe they're figuring some people would want to get out of that horrid building and into REAL office space

[Bogue]

I think the orange is probably supposed to be representative of brick as the rest of the hotel (in the background) is also in the same color. I think the orange was chosen over a more accurate color to highlight the new building in newsprint. Personally, I like it as I think it sort of reflects the building across the street and maybe that'll help Govt. Plaza not stick out like a sore thumb. Might be asking too much of a single building though.

I think the flyway is just to connect to the parking deck. Isn't there one across the street on that side?

I agree w/ Phoenix that that pink hotel on the Causeway is hideous. Anyone heard anything about that lately? I know it's hard to sell the property b/c of insurance stuff, but you'd think that someone would've figured out something to do w/ it in all this time that it's sat empty.

[WEMO]

I think that it looks great... Can't wait...

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by SouthSky

Here is the rendering from the Press-Register:

18+ floors:


Article: Link Here

Aaaahhh..... The Admiral Semmes!

Stayed there many, many times during my career with Regions Financial Corporation when we were testing, training, piloting new branch automation software back in the day. That is a cool looking proposed addition.