My, Hasn't It Grown! RSA Battlehouse Tower Update

[MardiGrasMobile]

Welcome Sahara, you know if we can keep this up

There will be more of us on here then there will be Atlanta people

[MobileAl1]

Welcome Sahara to SSP. They are asking someone to work on the design.

[nick1982]

Damn It! I have an RSA Tower progression thread in the works. It will be ready by Sunday!

[alon504]

It's too big and tall for Mobile...a tad obnoxious. I prefer skylines that are more in sync and well rounded. Nevertheless, it will be an added sight as I drive through Mobile on my many trips to Florida and Gulf Shores during the Summer months.

[Prahaboheme]

^why do you say that? I think its awesome and think Mobile deserves a tower like this just as much as any city. This could actually quite possibly be one of the best skyscrapers going up in the nation. I'll reserve an affirmative on that until I see how the crown shapes up, but I'm confident its going to be a landmark for the city.

[Bama_75]

I get the feeling, a lot of people do not want to see Mobile progress.

Thank you Prahaboheme for the fine reply.

[CrescentCitySteve]

It's not a bad looking building. It does seem out of place for Mobile, but hey, progress is progress. At only 35 stories though, it must have a lot of open space at the top and/or a very tall lobby. From the drawings it looks like the office space won't even touch the 700ft. mark...but of course that's just from looking at the drawings. Anyone have any specifics on that end?

[MardiGrasMobile]

I'm sure people thought One Shell Square seemed out of place for New Orleans, when, only a few years before, the tallest building in town had been the Hibernia

Of course people don't want Mobile to succeed, the Spanish stripped us of our right to be in Louisiana (along with Southeast MS), the Birminghamistas stole our state medical college from us in 1920, people have wished death upon the cruises, the tower, etc

Now, with New Orleans its easy, because we have one thing over them which they can never erase, and that of course is, who originated Mardi Gras in the United States

I mean, Mobile and New Orleans have been going at it ever since the 1830s when Mobile suddenly exploded in growth thanks to cotton

An irony, the man who might arguably be considered my most prominent old Mobile ancestor was in fact born in New Orleans, because at the time, his father was working as a tax collector for the French

Though, I don't think we need to go into city v city contests

[DevinLee]

Yeah, it seems that everyone is agianst Mobile when people such as yourself seem to bring up things from hundreds of years ago that have no relevance to the present time. People seem to bring up every little thing that has ever happened in Mobile's history to prove the point but I wonder if you realize that EVERY CITY has been brought down by other people/cities.

I am glad something this cool is being built in such a backward state but if Mobile is progressing as you say then let its growth be the news, not the history of how "it has been kept down by everyone."

[alon504]

Why on earth would I not want Mobile to succeed? That seems like immature comments...how old are you guys? All I did was make a statement about Mobile's skyline. I think it should be somewhat less tall, that's all. Mobile isn't that far from here...I like to see any city in my neck of the woods succeed. There are certain things I look for in a skyline and one of those is aesthetics and syncronicity...Mobile only has like 4 or 5 buildings and to have one sticking up like that real tall is a little awkward to me..that's all. It's not an uncommon belief. When Seattle built that mammoth 950 foot skyscraper out West, so many people were outraged that it stuck out so much, that they passed a law limiting the height of skyscrapers in the future so that would never occur again...

[nick1982]

Renaming Airport Boulevard to something as aggrandizing and egostistical as 'Mike Dow Avenue' is just asinine. That thoroughfare has an inherent prestige and value unparalled by any artery in South Alabama or possibly the central Gulf Coast. Renaming it would be akin to renaming Peachtree Street as Shirley Franklin Avenue or US 280 to something equally gaudy.

By the way, 'west Mobile' pertains to any location west of I-65, whether it is located in Mobile's city limits or not. "Panera Bread opened its second west Mobile location on Schillinger Road not too far from Starbucks."

[Muskavon]

I'm not into the Mobile vs. the world thing being from Pensacola and generally just glad to see progress along our coast. But I don't get the bother people have with buildings out of character springing up in downtown areas. No city gets perfectly even planned development unless you can find a communist system that works. The Empire State Building should never have been built using planned development logic. That is the all time #1 misplaced building for its time. It worked out ok for NYC and the rest of us.

The Westin in Atlanta was pretty off-scale with the rest of the cityscape when I was a kid. Nothing grows as perfect little planned blocks on some idealist's computer. Real life, real people and real economic decisions make things do what they do and I personally find that as wonderful as the skyscrapers that rise. The great thing is how they inspire more and better things to follow.

Of course, if you want mismanaged, do-gooder, keep it all out, lets make it impossible for our kids to stay here after graduation, non-progressive uniformity and scale...come to downtown Pensacola today or 50 years from now. It'll be the same absurd place. In 50 years, the RSA Tower will simply be the standard a number of other newer, better Mobile towers will successfully measure themselves against. Good for Mobile.

[pkp]

^
Pensacola does need some non-residential growth. That whole area is exploding, but it seems totally driven by the beach. I have some friends that are r/e investors in Destin. Property 5-6 miles off the beach has appreciated over 150% in the past year. So much for Ivan. Lots in crappy non-waterfront subdivisions in Freeport are selling for $50K. It's insane. You would think some of that would have to spill over into downtown Pensacola.

[pkp]

Originally Posted by MardiGrasMobile

I'm sure people thought One Shell Square seemed out of place for New Orleans, when, only a few years before, the tallest building in town had been the Hibernia

Of course people don't want Mobile to succeed, the Spanish stripped us of our right to be in Louisiana (along with Southeast MS), the Birminghamistas stole our state medical college from us in 1920, people have wished death upon the cruises, the tower, etc

Now, with New Orleans its easy, because we have one thing over them which they can never erase, and that of course is, who originated Mardi Gras in the United States

I mean, Mobile and New Orleans have been going at it ever since the 1830s when Mobile suddenly exploded in growth thanks to cotton

An irony, the man who might arguably be considered my most prominent old Mobile ancestor was in fact born in New Orleans, because at the time, his father was working as a tax collector for the French

Though, I don't think we need to go into city v city contests

Yes, we started Mardi Gras and I quite frankly prefer ours. But come on, they are world famous for it - millions of people go - its a big deal. Ours is a tiny local thing (which I like) but most people would certainly think that NOLA's is better. New Orleans has created itself into one of the country's most loved cities. I will probably never leave Mobile, but I can't say with any honesty Mobile is a better city than New Orleans. NOLA is a great city, no doubt.

I have come to realize that people who really love Mobile (like myself) love it for what it was and what it could be - not what it is. We have a long way to go. I think we would be in much better shape if we were in another state, but that's certainly never going to change so there is not much reason to complain about it. If we would have been in Louisiana, things would probably be better, but lets be honest, due to NOLA's strategic location on the river, they would be by far the most prominant city.

[alon504]

No city gets the perfectly planned skyline, but, they can come close. And it doesn't take a communist state to make it occur. Actually, passing laws and oridinances, along with careful and specific planning by a city planning commission can make for beautiful development in any city, IMO. I don't believe or support roque projects whether they be too big, too small, or simply out of place. This project in Mobile is a bit out of place, but, it's not that big of a deal. And it's only my opinion. And I'm not a communist, either...

[Randy Sandford]

Originally Posted by MardiGrasMobile

Of course people don't want Mobile to succeed, the Spanish stripped us of our right to be in Louisiana (along with Southeast MS), the Birminghamistas stole our state medical college from us in 1920, people have wished death upon the cruises, the tower, etc

The Birminghamistas stole the state medical college from you? Boy, talk about revisionist history. The Medical College of Alabama was moved from Mobile to your beloved University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 1920. In 1944, Birmingham was selected as the new location of the Medical College of Alabama. Obviously, it made more sense to have the state medical college in a more central location rather than in the southwestern corner of the state. But now Mobile has the state's second public medical school (not many states our size have two public medical schools), so stop whining.

[DruidCity]

Here's the link:
http://www.uab.edu/uasom/research/html/uabhistory.htm

The Medical College of Alabama, was founded in Mobile in 1859 as a proprietary institution and remained in operation there until 1919. After 1907 the College was an academic department of The University of Alabama and under the control of the University's Board of Trustees. The College was closed in 1919 and moved to the Tuscaloosa campus, where it reopened in 1920 as a two-year basic sciences program only. When moved to Birmingham in 1945, the Medical College of Alabama opened as a new four-year medical program. The medical college was officially renamed the University of Alabama School of Medicine in September 1969 by act of the state legislature.

http://www.southalabama.edu/usahealthsystem/internalmedicine/centerhistory.html

[MobileAl1]

There is no city in Alabama that is what it should be. I will admit that the RSA Tower is a little out of place in Mobile but I am glad to see it being built in Mobile and I would be mad if it were being built in another place. This tower will be a starting point for skyscraper development in Mobile. It is ignorant for us to argue about the history of Mobile, Birmingham, and New Orleans because we do not have the political power to change anything.

Let's not forget the reason for the thread!

[MobileAl1]

Airport should not be named after Dow because his name wouldn't be honored.

[MardiGrasMobile]

Originally Posted by nick1982

Renaming Airport Boulevard to something as aggrandizing and egostistical as 'Mike Dow Avenue' is just asinine. That thoroughfare has an inherent prestige and value unparalled by any artery in South Alabama or possibly the central Gulf Coast. Renaming it would be akin to renaming Peachtree Street as Shirley Franklin Avenue or US 280 to something equally gaudy.

By the way, 'west Mobile' pertains to any location west of I-65, whether it is located in Mobile's city limits or not. "Panera Bread opened its second west Mobile location on Schillinger Road not too far from Starbucks."

You're wrong, and you're not going to convince me otherwise, so we just need to drop the issue

More importantly though, the Port Authority approved the 60-20 split which could clear the way for the docks expansion, despite the attempts of John Rogers


More From The Mobile Register | Subscribe To The Mobile Register
Board OKs split for docks funding
Resolution worded to ensure state money goes into construction projects
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Staff Report
The Alabama State Port Authority on Tuesday passed a resolution pledging to abide by a negotiated "60-20 split" that could pave the way for $80 million in state money to help build a new container terminal.

The board agreed to limit any request for money from the state's Capital Improvements Trust Fund to no more than $60 million before Nov. 1, 2006. That would mean the last $20 million in state money pledged to a $300 million-plus container port at Mobile's state docks would not be available until the fall of 2006 -- as part of the state's 2007 budget.

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The resolution was also worded to ensure that the state money went into construction projects, said docks Director Jimmy Lyons.

The long-promised docks funding is a remnant of Amendment 666 to the state constitution. The docks was mentioned as an intended recipient of economic development money, though the amendment specified no dollar amount.

State officials originally promised $100 million, delivering $20 million through bond proceeds in 2003, with the rest to come from additional bond sales. But Gov. Bob Riley earlier this year pushed the docks to seek the money via a direct appropriation.

The request has encountered resistance, particularly from Birmingham-area lawmakers who want $150 million in state money to support a domed stadium project in Jefferson County.

The proposed "60-20 split" of the $80 million is necessary under the General Fund budget proposal engineered by Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery. Knight's plan depends on shifting some money out of the Capital Improvement Trust Fund to cover other 2006 spending.

The legislation has passed the House and is in the Senate General Fund committee. Sen. Roger Bedford, the Russellville Democrat who chairs the appropriating panel, held a brief public hearing on the matter last week but delayed further consideration in reaction to protests from Jefferson County lawmakers.

The Birmingham-area senators made the same complaints their House colleagues offered when they tried to block the bill in the lower chamber. They claim the state has not invested enough in the development of the state's most populous city and its surrounding communities.

Bedford, who has committed to the docks funding but not to a specific source for the money, said he plans to bring up the measure again at his committee's next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled. The Legislature is on break this week and is slated to reconvene March 29.

Lyons said he could not predict whether the port authority's action would guarantee smooth sailing for the docks appropriation.

"I hope so, but I don't want to ever get too confident about anything," said Lyons. "We're trying to cover every base we can, and we've got a huge cadre of supporters around the state who are rooting for us and making calls for us.

"I've not talked to a soul who is opposed to what we are doing."

South of the main docks complex, the Choctaw Point container terminal and rail yard should be able to handle nearly 14 times more container cargo than the docks' existing container port. The project, which could take five to six years to complete, recently received needed federal permits.

The state docks is seeking a private investor partner in the project.


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