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

[MobileAl1]

I was looking at some photos of the RSA Tower a decide to put together a monthly timeline of how the RSA Tower has grown since Sept. 1, 2004 courtsey of RSA's Construction Camera.

September 2004


October 2004


November 2004


December 2004


January 2005


February 2005


March 2005


March 18, 2005

[Atlguy33]

Man, is it really coming along!!

Fantastic!!!!

[ryan]

Awesome, looking good.

[MobileAl1]

You might can't see but they have started putting up the windows on the first five or so floors. I live about a mile away from the tower, walking distance, and I was wondering what kind of camera should I get that would take excellent pictures but isn't expensive. If I had a camera I could have pictures posted on here every day, at least every week of Downtown Mobile. Does anyone have any suggestions and estimates? I travel Downtown everyday, that is were I live.

[jcathens]

Nice, I drove by it back in February. Really looks like something coming down I-165 intodowntown.

[Jazzman]

What is the finished product supposed to look like? What's the final height?

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

What is the finished product supposed to look like? What's the final height?

the final height is suppose to be 600 something I believe.

[MobileAl1]

The finished product would look like this......

Standing at 745 feet tall

Everything together

[MardiGrasMobile]

Emporis has a better picture, also

That bridge is never gonna be built as that graphic would suggest, if it is built, they're gonna have to basically, route it to where the Cochrane bridge currently is, which means some of that industrial area, and likely some of Plateau, will have to be converted for it

The advantage of this is, Plateau will have to be cleaned up a bit, and that will help spur economic development in the part of Prichard which is east of Wilson Avenue

Because well, no one with interests in downtown, wants the bridge cutting at that angle, cause we're talking about a bridge with maximum spire heights of near what 550 if not more

Or, complete total obstruction, not the best view we want if we're trying to retake our old position among Gulf Coast Ports

Now, the RSA has a current maximum height of 745, which is down from 800

I'm guessing they'll keep it at 745, as that would keep it taller than Shell Square

...

[Jazzman]

I'm jealous.




I used to crack on Mobile. But that is a nice looking building.

[zigzag]

Looks like it gonna stick out like a sore thumb tho.

[MobileAl1]

I thought the same thing, but it should spark the development of other high rise the size of the Amsouth Bank Building or a little taller than that.

If the tower is filled by the time it opens I think there would be another building that would be proposed within the next 3 years of its opening. Because it will finally let realitors know their is a need for Class A Office space in Mobile.

I also think that the Amsouth Bank Building needs to close for renovations that should cost between $15-$30 million, this would include renovation of the external parts of the building.

[jcathens]

how much of the building is pre-leased?

Are there any renderings of what the actual views will be like from the tower - I would think they'd be pretty amazing, what with the bridge and all the water. Are there public faclities (restaurants, observation areas) up in the top?

[MobileAl1]

I don't know how much of the building is already leased. They put up a leasing sign at the corner of Royal and Water Street in Downtown, which can be viewed by 40,000 viewers a day. RSA will lease 30 to 40 percent of the building that means only about 40 to 50 percent is left giving that the first five floors(10 to 20 percent) will be pat of the hotel.

[MardiGrasMobile]

From what I understand, about 35% of the space has been pre-released (or, thats what Bronners representatives told the Business editor of the Mobile Register)

Every company, which is part of the RSA fund, will be opening an office in the tower

I expect one floor to be a primarily JD floor (damn lawyers, though, after I get the MBA, I want a JD, cause while that means more loans, also means higher salary)

And if we can start getting lawyers to stop using all those downtown townhomes as law offices, then well, it would help spur the historic housing market

The problem now is, many of our historic residential structures have, in the progression of time, been rezoned as low density commercial as demand waned (cause you have to have a commercial zoning in order to run a licensed enterprise of any kind outside of a fruit stand)

Now, some lawyers, such as the one whos kid I went to school with, do live in the townhomes they run their offices out of, most of them don't do this however

So, all these beautiful homes go to waste

[initiald]

I have read in the Mobile Register that the Riverview hotel will recieve a new spire on top during renovations to help it blend with the new RSA tower. I think this will help the skyline bend together overall. Anybody have any idea of the new height of the Riverview?

[cascraperdude]

It's very pretty but it seems too tall for Mobile. Why are they making something that big?

[MardiGrasMobile]

By that same token, I guess Chicago shouldn't have a taller building than New York........

They are making that big for several reasons, the first reason being, not only is this RSA's flagship project, but this is also what Mayor Dow wanted (doesnt hurt that firms Dow is affiliating with, got contracts on the tower), the tower was originally supposed to be 543 feet tall, but after negotiations with the city, they bumped it up

The region from Lafayette to Panama City, which will be herein refered to as the Mardi Gras Corridor, has seen metropolitan growth rates between 15-35% since 1990 (the exception being New Orleans, which fell a long way in the 80s, to its credit though, its coming back, but more because the region is booming in general)

In the wake of Hurricane Ivan, land values in Orange Beach (yes, devastated Orange Beach) went up almost immediately by at least $100,000 on many properties

Also, Mobile is the only city between New Orleans and Tampa (if you follow the gulf) which can even make a half hearted claim of being a business city

Much of the real estate boom from Pensacola to Fort Walton

Big developers werent willing to build on the Alabama or extreme NW FL coast, because of the redneck riviera stigma, so it fell to area businessmen and developers, and the only place between New Orleans and Tampa that can feign a construction industry is Mobile

So, Mobile developers and Mobile contractors developed all these condos, they created the boom in Orange Beach, they are heavily involved in Biloxi

In otherwords, they made a shitload of money because they were willing to tap a market no one was interested in

The fact that a developer is interested in building a 50 million dollar condo complex on the Mobile River, over railroad tracks none the less, with the belief that they can turn a profit

The real estate market in this area in general is the best its ever been, and the downtown real estate market is at its best state since the 1960s

But to be rather blunt, the reason is this, Bronner was looking to do a urban renewal project somewhere, he is to retirement fund corporations what Trump is to real estate

He would automatically have an easier sell in Alabama, seeing as thats where the corporation is located

And of Alabamas big four, to be quite blunt, we were the only city that made it quite clear to Bronner that we would allow him to do whatever the hell he wanted in his project, short of demolishing the Semmes home

Anything Bronner wants, he gets, and thats not something that any of the other cities could have offered him, and thats why over the next decade, he'll be sinking over a quarter billon (thats just currently announced projects) into the Mobile area

Basically, he's our savior

[thoraudio]

I personally believe Bronner and his leadership of RSA is one of the best things ever to happen to AL.

I just hope whoever takes over after him doesn't screw it up...