Mobile Development Thread - Page 17

pkp · #**321** Posted **Jun 7, 2007, 6:23 PM**

There is a sign up for a new residential development on the corner of St. Francis and Joachim (NW Corner) I can't get out in the rain for details and can't find anything on the web, but looks to be four stories with balconies wrapping all the way around on every floor. Great location- great looking project. Something new that will actually blend in to the area very niceley, and will be getting rid of a hidous surface parking lot. Any updates would be great. I would rather have several of these than the waterfront project. The city being nicer on the ground is more important to me than a skyline (not that I don't want that either).

pkp · #**322** Posted **Jun 7, 2007, 7:34 PM**

OK - it is 250 St. Francis - Grubb And Ellis project. Can't find any other info - I think about 30 units.

pboo74 · #**323** Posted **Jun 8, 2007, 4:29 AM**

thanks blazer85,have they said what's going on ??

Musicisright · #**324** Posted **Jun 8, 2007, 6:46 AM**

^They had a public ceremony on the future site of the Maritime Museum. I don't know if they called it a ground-breaking ceremony, but they put up a "future home of..." sign and rendering there.

Bama_75 · #**325** Posted **Jun 8, 2007, 11:09 AM**

http://www.cityofmobile.org/news.php?view=full&news=1076

This was posetd on the city web page.

nimsjus · #**326** Posted **Jun 10, 2007, 2:54 PM**

From todays PR real estate colomn...
A local investor bought the property occupied by Veets Bar & Grill at 66, 68 and 70 S. Royal St., for $698,000, according to court records and Realtors. Veets owners will continue to operate there and have a lease with an option to buy the buildings, said Kay Previto , who owns Veets with her husband, Doug, and daughter, Gina. The Ripps family owned one parcel and were represented by Gordon Ripps of Aqua Realty in Orange Beach. Two parcels were owned by Tom Godwin. Joe Davis and Charlie Gray of Surety Land Title handled the closings.
I would say that does not bode well for Veet's longevity because that area will be very popular once the Hampton Inn is done next door.

bayourat 15 · #**327** Posted **Jun 11, 2007, 3:13 AM**

hope it will be something good. thats a primetime piece of land. A highrise condo with retail space would be great!

phoenixboi08 · #**328** Posted **Jun 11, 2007, 5:13 PM**

What about turning the Dauphin St. area (Cathedral Sq. to Bienville Sq., between Government and St. Francis) into a mimic French Quarter? New Orleans and Mobile already share some of the same landmarks, lihe the Seanger Theater for one...it's just an idea

nimsjus · #**329** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 12:18 AM**

I know this topic has been approched before, but I think I have a new twist to put on it. Rather than put condos or a park on the old county courthouse site, I think this might be an opportunity to get a large scale aquarium to downtown Mobile. I feel like most decent sized water/port cities have aquariums(Charleston, San Diego, New Orleans etc). Not to be too much of a pessimist on our current ventures, but I think an aquarium would be a much more fruitful project than the Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. I doubt we could do a waterfront aquarium thanks to hurricanes and a working waterfront, but from the courthouse site you would be able to see the water from the upper levels. I think it would be great to feature local fish, which would provide our aquarium with a niche no others have filled(some salt water, some fresh water, and some brackish species). I wonder if the county commission has even contemplated this idea. I really think the aquarium would make Mobile a destination while giving locals and people passing through on cruises/conventions one more thing to do downtown near the hotels. Just a thought...

bayourat 15 · #**330** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 1:45 AM**

YOU BEAT ME TO IT! THINKING ABOUT IT YESTERDAY

pkp · #**331** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 1:50 AM**

OK - not to be on on jerk - but -You explained the exact reasons why an aquarium would be a bad idea - there are already a bunch of them. I dont think we can have something as nice as NOLA, Chatanooga, or ATL, so why bother? We can be the ONE National Maritime Center of the Gulf of Mexico. Ocean trade is what built this city; lets show it off!

As far as the courthouse site goes - its too big for a park and i dont like using public land for a private residential area. I would like a part market (we have some good ones now held in the parks), part retail, part park project. Its big enough for all of that.

BlessedMobile · #**332** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 2:29 AM**

The Maritime Museum is primarily to show our shipbuilding and port history. We do have a history there that is unmatched on the Gulf coast and in most of the South Atlantic states. The Dauphin Island Sealab is a great venue for aquarium lovers; more people should go visit. I know it is too far to get any tourist down there but it is a good day trip for locals.

bayourat 15 · #**333** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 2:41 AM**

Where is this so called GO Zone money? And most important why can t it fund the new waterfront museum? I just hope this money doesnt fall in the wrong hands!

nimsjus · #**334** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 3:13 AM**

I disagree about there being too many aquariums. For one there is not a decent one in the state of Alabama and secondly, aside from NOLA, there are no major ones on the gulf coast. Im talking about an aquarium on par with Charleston/Chatanooga since we are a similar sized city. I know we dont have the funds to create another Georgia Aquarium. I also disagree with you guys about the success/popularity of the Maritime Museum. I live in Mobile and love our history, but I am not sure even I would be terribly excited about this museum. It just does not have the "wow" factor, and I think people in town for conventions/cruises/vacations will feel the same way. The shipping industry just is not that interesting. I hope it becomes wildly popular, but I don't see people coming to town for this museum. Build a good aquarium though and I bet you attract people from along the coast and up throughout the state of Alabama to town to see what we have.

Musicisright · #**335** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 4:09 AM**

Exploreum boosted by 'Pompeii'
Sunday, June 10, 2007

A few minutes after 5 p.m. last Sunday, ArtBeat got a call from W. Michael Sullivan, director of the Gulf Coast Exploreum. He had the final attendance numbers for "A Day in Pompeii": 134,790.

That makes "Pompeii" the second most successful box-office event in the museum's nine-year history. The top rung is occupied by "The Dead Sea Scrolls" (2005), which drew more than 205,000 and was the state's top tourist attraction; third on the list is "China! 7,000 Years of Innovation" (2002) with 127,000 visitors.

Numbers for "Pompeii" reflect a familiar pattern. About 30 percent of visitors came from Mobile-Baldwin, according to Sullivan. The remaining 70 percent traveled to Mobile from elsewhere.

The "Pompeii" museum store, operated by Loretta Potapenko, generated an impressive $561,000, an average of $4.17 per visitor, says Sullivan.

Musicisright · #**336** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 4:12 AM**

^So whatever goes across the street from the Exploreum on the old county courthouse site should take advantage of the thousands of people walking by the site going to and from the Exploreum.

nimsjus · #**337** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 1:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicisright

Exploreum boosted by 'Pompeii'
Sunday, June 10, 2007

A few minutes after 5 p.m. last Sunday, ArtBeat got a call from W. Michael Sullivan, director of the Gulf Coast Exploreum. He had the final attendance numbers for "A Day in Pompeii": 134,790.

That makes "Pompeii" the second most successful box-office event in the museum's nine-year history. The top rung is occupied by "The Dead Sea Scrolls" (2005), which drew more than 205,000 and was the state's top tourist attraction; third on the list is "China! 7,000 Years of Innovation" (2002) with 127,000 visitors.

Numbers for "Pompeii" reflect a familiar pattern. About 30 percent of visitors came from Mobile-Baldwin, according to Sullivan. The remaining 70 percent traveled to Mobile from elsewhere.

The "Pompeii" museum store, operated by Loretta Potapenko, generated an impressive $561,000, an average of $4.17 per visitor, says Sullivan.

That is really great. The Exploreum is really quite a local tourist attraction. I don't think locals really appreciate what we have. I myself am kind of shocked that Pompeii did so well. I thought the dead sea scrolls was a one time success because of it's religious nature and our location in the Bible Belt. Guess I underestimated the Exploreum.

elb401 · #**338** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 9:02 PM**

you know I thought the same thing. lets hope that you are underestimating the Maritime museum too!

sahara727 · #**339** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 4:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nimsjus

I thought the dead sea scrolls was a one time success because of it's religious nature and our location in the Bible Belt. Guess I underestimated the Exploreum.

I was talking to one of my theology professors at school about that. He said he got to speak with a few of the guys from Jerusalem who were in charge of the scrolls and they said that mobile's bible belt location was the #1 reason for their choosing it as a stop for the exhibit.

trmdrftr · #**340** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 5:51 PM**

Can anyone tell me of a website where I can find information on the Bring Back Broad Street plan? I live on Broad Street and would like to see if there are any renderings or information on this project.