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  #6181  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2019, 9:44 PM
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Thoughts on the two Civic Center Proposals:

General
These seem way too vague for RFP responses. In particular, I'd expect more details from the two developers on how they propose to finance this thing before the City agrees to sign a Developer Agreement with anybody. I think a lot of the blame for that can be assigned to the City .... don't know if their RFP actually laid any parameters for what they're looking for financially - Developer Fee amounts allowed, are they looking to give up ownership altogether or are they looking for a regular land lease payments as the landholder, etc. Also, what they're willing to put up on their end - bonds, property tax freezes, etc. Overall, I just feel erked that a developer would be selected for something this big without any soft commitments on financing, a budget, or a general offer to the City, and that such basic details will instead get negotiated on the back end. Even the actual uses of the space itself don't sound close to being official!

Stirling/Hunt Proposal
It looks like they're essentially rebuilding what's already there, except replacing the Expo Hall for some hotel and office space; and then adding a ton of housing with ground floor retail, and a small surface parking lot. I'm all for adding more housing downtown, but I don't think a Civic Center Redevelopment project should be the vehicle for that, at least not on this scale.The project looks something like 60% residential.

Cordish Proposal
I like this one better - it seems to fall more in the spirit of what should go there. Better variety of uses, and the outdoor multi-purpose venue seems to tie it together better. It feels more civic and more appropriate for a downtown. Wish their due diligence period included some community engagement though, i.e for Mardi Gras ball considerations.
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  #6182  
Old Posted Jul 25, 2019, 12:12 AM
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Yeah, I like Cordish too.

The city is still waiting on more detail from the developers about cost and the other items that you wrote about. I think they have six more months to pull those figures together. The city will also start having community meetings after the six months to include mardi gras organizations and the general community. So they really wont pic a developer and sign contracts for at least 8 months to a year.
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  #6183  
Old Posted Jul 25, 2019, 2:35 PM
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Originally Posted by elb401 View Post
Yeah, I like Cordish too.

The city is still waiting on more detail from the developers about cost and the other items that you wrote about. I think they have six more months to pull those figures together. The city will also start having community meetings after the six months to include mardi gras organizations and the general community. So they really wont pic a developer and sign contracts for at least 8 months to a year.
Its confusing... looking at the slides again, Coordish's proposed timeline seems to go along with that (which makes me like them more) but Stirling's timeline seems to propose that they sign a Developer Agreement before Due Diligence/Comm Engagement takes place. The City's next steps also seem to suggest selecting a Developer before any other next steps.
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  #6184  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2019, 2:33 PM
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Well...now what? My questions about this RFP process keep on growing..

Quote:

1 of 2 contenders exits Mobile Civic Center competition

Updated Jul 25, 2:51 PM;Posted Jul 25, 10:22 AM
Mobile Civic Center

By Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

One of two companies vying to redevelop the Mobile Civic Center has withdrawn from the competition, saying the process put it at a disadvantage.

Redeveloping the 1960s-vintage Civic Center and surrounding property has been a priority for Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. He has argued that the venue’s maintenance costs are an excessive drain on city finances, and that a complete redevelopment would be more efficient and more effective than attempting to cure the building’s deficiencies with a renovation. However, the Civic Center plays a central role in Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebrations, a fact that complicates any discussion of tearing it down.

The Stimpson administration has sought to develop a public-private partnership to help bear the cost of the venture and hired the company CBRE to oversee a process to develop such proposals and select a winner. In early June, CBRE revealed that the two finalists were Baltimore-based Cordish and Covington, La.-based Stirling Properties.

By that point, a delegation including Stimpson and at least two members of the Mobile City Council already had toured a Cordish property in Louisville, Ky. At the end of the June, a Stirling official expressed frustration that with the city’s decision looming, it hadn’t had the opportunity to host a similar visit at one of its properties. Stimpson spokesman George Talbot said at the time that the mayor wanted to visit a Stirling property.

On July 15, CBRE presented details of the two proposals to the Mobile City Council. A letter from a Sterling official announcing the company's withdrawal complains that CBRE's presentation left Sterling at such a competitive disadvantage that its only option was to withdrawn.
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  #6185  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2019, 8:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Alxx611 View Post
Well...now what? My questions about this RFP process keep on growing..
You know, the moment I read of the RFP, I knew something like this would happen...
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  #6186  
Old Posted Jul 30, 2019, 3:49 PM
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Did CBRE put the RFP together and are they managing this process for the city? Sounds like they are dropping the ball. The whole process does feel a little weird now.
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  #6187  
Old Posted Jul 31, 2019, 3:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elb401 View Post
Did CBRE put the RFP together and are they managing this process for the city? Sounds like they are dropping the ball. The whole process does feel a little weird now.
Not sure how much of this situation is on the Mayor's office versus their consultant CBRE. I don't know who played a bigger role in putting the RFP together either, but hard to say considering the RFP itself didn't even seem to have been made public.
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  #6188  
Old Posted Aug 16, 2019, 2:26 AM
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It'll be interesting to see how this comes into play with the growth of the nearby Downtown/Brookley Field Airport.


Quote:

Two public housing complexes to be torn down



Brendan Kirby Updated Aug 13, 2019 | Posted on Aug 13, 2019

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) — Local housing officials Tuesday announced a plan to demolish a pair of public housing units and move a little more than 500 residents elsewhere.

Mobile Housing Board officials broke the news to residents at a meeting at Williamson High School.

R.V. Taylor Plaza
Mobile Housing Board officials announced Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, that the R.V. Taylor Plaza public housing complex would be torn down over the next five years. The move also affects Thomas James Plaza.

The move will take place over the next five years at R.V. Taylor Plaza and Thomas James Place. Officials said they do not believe anyone will have to leave for almost a year.

“We don’t anticipate any of the residents having to move within the next eight to 12 months at the very earliest,” said Michael Pierce, the executive director of the Housing Board. “And then, we’re gonna be looking to partner with private developers, as well as nonprofit developers, to build replacement housing.”

Residents will receive vouchers to rent new privately owned houses or apartments. They will contribute up to 30 percent of their incomes, with the federal government paying the rest.

Tearing down the housing units was not part of the Housing Board’s plan. In fact, Pierce said, the agency had planned to invest new money into renovations in order to build up the occupancy rate. But HUD Secretary Ben Carson has made a priority of transitioning away from under-used, government-owned housing to private sector homes.

More than half of the R.V. Taylor and Thomas James complexes are vacant.

“You’re gonna see a cascading of developments like this across the country coming down. … That’s the new wave of public housing for HUD, is to own less real estate and manage more vouchers,” Pierce said.


https://www.fox10tv.com/news/two-pub...02ad82e7a.html
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  #6189  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2019, 3:56 AM
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I-10/ Mobile River Bridge

General updates on the bridge:

- The main hold up at this point seems to be coming down to how to fund the remaining gap of the $2.1 Billion project - a controversial $6 one-way toll, or else hold out longer for additional federal funds from an upcoming infrastructure spending bill.

-The local Mobile advisory group who's approval is needed for the tolls to be official have delayed their vote so that alternative solutions can be considered. A Baldwin County advisory group votes next week, and may do the same or may even vote to kill the toll idea all together.

What's yalls thoughts?





PHOTO: ALDOT via Alabama Political Reporter
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  #6190  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2019, 12:24 AM
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The new bridge should be 4 lanes each way. My understanding is it os only going to be 3 lanes each way.
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  #6191  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2019, 12:55 AM
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The new bridge should be 4 lanes each way. My understanding is it os only going to be 3 lanes each way.
Combined with the wallace tunnel, there will be 5 lanes each way.
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  #6192  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2019, 1:08 AM
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[QUOTE=Alxx611;8667956]General updates on the bridge:

- The main hold up at this point seems to be coming down to how to fund the remaining gap of the $2.1 Billion project - a controversial $6 one-way toll, or else hold out longer for additional federal funds from an upcoming infrastructure spending bill.

-The local Mobile advisory group who's approval is needed for the tolls to be official have delayed their vote so that alternative solutions can be considered. A Baldwin County advisory group votes next week, and may do the same or may even vote to kill the toll idea all together.

What's yalls thoughts?/QUOTE]

It has to be tolled, in some way, or else there is no way to build it.

I think that the $6 one direction toll is too much. However, if the prospect of the $6 toll is the determining factor on if it is built or not, I support that toll.

I personally believe that the state legislature should amend the new gas tax hike to contribute enough money to the bridge/bayway to reduce the toll to at most a on direction $3.50 toll.

By no means is this ideal, but this bridge needs to be built... otherwise, our port facilities will suffer and interstate commerce through Mobile will clog city streets looking to use the Africatown-Cochrane Bridge, or worse, the Buckhead Tunnel.

In the end, the bridge has to be build, no matter the stakes. Freaking Jim Ziegler is so blinded by his "conservative" ideals that he fails to see the necessity of the bridge/bayway. He is perpetuating this idea to the citizens of Alabama that any toll is the devil. People in Alabama pay tolls every day to bypass congestion in Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, and the Gulf Coast. Taking a staunch "NO" stance on tolls in general is ignorant, hypocritical, and irrational.
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  #6193  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2019, 4:22 AM
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I would pay that toll in a heartbeat if it meant not sitting in traffic for an hour just to get to the beach.
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  #6194  
Old Posted Sep 17, 2019, 12:52 AM
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Broad Street Improvements

Quote:
At long last, Mobile’s ‘transformative’ Broad Street project to start


By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com

It’s been more than three years since a key federal grant was received to rehabilitate Broad Street that encircles Mobile’s downtown area - known as Hank Aaron Loop.That same grant program doesn’t exist anymore, having been replaced and rebranded 16 months ago.

But the same “transformative” label by politicians is still being attached to the $22 million revitalization of Broad Street. The entire project kicks off this week.

...Other portions of Broad Street that are included in the first phase run along Broad from State to Dauphin streets and from Dauphin to Canal streets.

The entire project is divided into multiple phases and will be completed by 2023.

Subsequent project phases will include Broad Street from Canal to Baker streets. Also included is a rehabilitation to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from Broad Street to Three Mile Creek.

https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2019/...-to-start.html
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  #6195  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2019, 2:50 AM
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Interesting development...


Quote:

Mobile could be second-largest city in Alabama under mayor’s annexation plan

By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson will ask for the City Council’s support next week to annex approximately 13,000 new residents into Mobile, pushing the city’s population well above 200,000.

The annexation would involve three distinct areas immediately west and northwest of the present Mobile boundaries.

If successful, the annexation would boost Mobile’s population from an estimated 192,085 to 205,011, making it the second-largest city in Alabama. Mobile is presently at No. 4, behind Birmingham (210,710), Montgomery (199,518) and Huntsville (194,585).

Census estimates from earlier this year show Mobile’s population dwindling to below 190,000.

https://www.al.com/news/2019/10/mobi...tion-plan.html

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  #6196  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2019, 6:36 AM
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Interesting development...
I honestly think that Mobile should go the route of trying to consolidate city/county governments as a metropolitan government. I know there are a number of municipalities in the county now, but it's worth a shot. Let'm vote... if they don't want to become part of the metro government, they can remain an independent city or an incorporated city within the Mobile City-County metro government.
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  #6197  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2019, 5:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpawnOfVulcan View Post
I honestly think that Mobile should go the route of trying to consolidate city/county governments as a metropolitan government. I know there are a number of municipalities in the county now, but it's worth a shot. Let'm vote... if they don't want to become part of the metro government, they can remain an independent city or an incorporated city within the Mobile City-County metro government.
That'd be interesting...it would basically double the population under one umbrella. Seems like a long shot though. Mobile has a long track record of failed annexations in recent years for even little snippets of West Mobile if I remember correctly. This is a different mayor though and there's maybe a slightly improved perception of the City today.
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  #6198  
Old Posted Dec 21, 2020, 12:54 AM
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A few updates:



Gayfers Building - Conversion of the vacant structure into 94 units of affordable rentals still in pre-development by Gulf Coast Housing Partners, said to be a combo of Historic Rehab/Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Housing Authority loan and vouchers, as well as City money, potentially a TIF.

https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2020/...t-evolves.html



[IMG][/IMG]

Seaman's Building/Gateway Apartments - conversion of vacant building into a 59-unit apartment near completion



[IMG][/IMG]

Community Foundation - new construction office at St. Joseph St across from new Federal Courthouse.




[IMG][/IMG]

Lofts at Midtown - 20 loft apartments and 5 retail spaces underway in Springhill.


I'll try to show some updates along St. Louis Street when I'm in town again this week, including the start of the new Greer's grocery store.
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  #6199  
Old Posted Aug 11, 2021, 3:31 AM
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Gayfers Building funding

A little disappointing....sounds like the the $8 Million of City funding originally allocated towards the Gayfer's Building apartment project was removed from the plan; the reasoning seems to be related to criticism that this money should not go towards specific projects, which I don't understand since it seems to now specify an affordable housing project on Michigan Ave (RV Taylor development?) and one at the old Woodcock Elementary building.

Those are still two exciting potential project and it seems maybe there's still hope for Gayfers to be included in the $29 million earmarked for "equity-focused services". Not sure how much this sets back the project in the meantime...


Quote:
Mobile approves blueprint for $58.2 million in COVID stimulus funds

By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com
The Mobile City Council approved Tuesday a framework on how they want to spend $58.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money that includes doling out one-time bonuses to city employees and millions of dollars to housing redevelopment and gun violence prevention.

The council, with a 5-1 vote, backed the general provisions in Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s “People First” plan unveiled in June and described in recent weeks as akin to a city budget that does not dedicate money to specific projects.

“It is a plan we intend to submit to the federal government,” Councilman Joel Daves, chairman of the council’s finance committee, said. “The categories are pretty broad and meet the federal criteria. The specifics of the items or the programs and capital expenditures can be and will be determined later.”

‘Generalized buckets’

The general provisions of what the council approved include the following:

$11.2 million for one-time bonuses to approximately 2,200 full- and part-time city employees. Approximately 2,000 full-time employees will get $5,000, while another 200 part-time workers will receive $2,500.
$17.3 million to “address negative economic impacts” that includes $3.5 million on gun technology initiatives, $3.4 million on down payment assistances to approximately 340 families, $2.5 million on “rental assistance” and $1.4 million for tourism, among other things.
$29.1 million on “equity-focused services” that include $14 million on “affordable rental housing” near Michigan Avenue and $4.1 million for the redevelopment of a former elementary school into affordable housing.
$500,000 for grant administration.
“These are generalized buckets of resources at this point with the exception of the Woodcock redevelopment or the affordable housing targeting Michigan Avenue,” said Council President Levon Manzie.

But some residents, including representatives of the South Alabama Economic Roundtable (SAER), spoke out against the plan saying that it did not go far enough to provide funding for people who are in greatest need.

“The voice of the people will be overlooked and disrespected by the passage of the mayor’s plan,” said Teresa Bettis, a representative with SAER.

City officials, including council members, repeatedly said that was not the case and warned groups not to jump to conclusions that the approval equated to an endorsement of a specific project.

Some of the past concerns involved the inclusion of an $8 million rehabilitation project to a former Gayfer’s department store in downtown Mobile across Dauphin Street from Bienville Square. That project was removed by the city’s administration after they learned that detailed projects were not required to be included in a proposal that the city will send to the U.S. Treasury Department before August 31.

http://https://www.al.com/news/mobil...lus-funds.html
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  #6200  
Old Posted Aug 21, 2021, 10:47 PM
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Downtown Grocery Store Finally Opens

Finally, a huge keystone project for downtown has opened. And that rooftop bar is looking pretty snazzy too!


Quote:

At long last, downtown Mobile gets the supermarket of its dreams


By Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com
It’s rare for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to attract many people aside from those directly involved in the venture, but one held Friday in downtown Mobile drew enough onlookers to pack a supermarket -- and that’s exactly what they did, as Greer’s opened its new St. Louis Market.

Its location, three blocks north of Cathedral Square, makes it the latest attraction on St. Louis Street, a corridor that has seen explosive redevelopment over the last few years. How quickly have things changed? The market’s craft beer shelves hold cans from Braided River and Old Majestic, two breweries that didn’t exist back in July 2019, when ground was broken on the Greer’s project. Now both operate just a few blocks to the west along St. Louis St.


The market’s site and its upscale design and wares are tailored not only for downtown office workers but for a downtown residential population that has expanded by leaps and bounds in recent years, thanks to major new developments such as the Meridian at the Port complex as well as the redevelopment of historic buildings into condos and lofts.

Such a supermarket has long been seen as a major egg in the chicken-and-egg challenge of supporting downtown residential growth, and Mayor Sandy Stimpson on Friday called it “transformative.”

“When you think back six or seven years ago what St. Louis Street looked like, this will absolutely be a game-changer,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for many people.”

https://www.al.com/life/2021/08/at-long-last-downtown-mobile-gets-the-supermarket-of-its-dreams.html














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