[Musicisright]

When did "John Word's" close?

[Port_of_Bama]

Port ... I can't speak for Blessed, but the Brookley closure did contribute to the downtown decline. Mostly, though, it was due to the loss of retail to Springdale Plaza, and later, to BelAir Mall. With no retail, there was no reason to come downtown. Restaurants closed when shoppers went away. As the population moved westward, other non-retail businesses moved west, too.

I first worked downtown in the early 80s and it was dead as a doornail. More dead that you might imagine. Happily, we have come a very long way since then, but we are still not at the activity level of the 40s and 50s.


Hmmm interesting, downtown has come a long ways since I was a kid like I said I was born in 85. downtown needs reatil bad. I have seen pics of DT Mobile in the 40s,50s and even 60s . They all seemd to have been tooken in a large metropolitan area. When I was home for Christmas there were alot of people DT there was a wedding practice in the Cathedral park. I saw tourist I guess(Carnical Holiday) were DT taking pics and pointing .People were out feeding birds ,the police were patroling on foot,bike,and the little scooter. It was nice I loved it. Then it came to mind that what if DT had a nice shopping sector 1 street can hold all of th reatil. Nothing crazy like Gucci, but a footlocker,Gap(I hate Gap),Guess,or a Mac Apple store. This may sound crazy but Mobile doesn`t have a Macy`s but I have been seeing commericals when i`m at home. A Macy`s DT that may sound crazy to the small mind but it could work. When People in Mobile think of DT they think about Mardi Gra ,I want to say I`m goind going DT to buy a new shirt !!!

Thanks for the info Bay !!!

[Musicisright]

Yeah, I always wonder why I see Macy's commercials. Is there one around that I'm unaware of?

[10101000]

B.r.

[bayou15]

:previous: Beau Rivage? :haha:

[bayou15]

And the ones that laughed at me about Trump... Check this out about a Downtown NYC developer. :tup:

http://www.wkrg.com/mobilesmakeover/article/investment_mobile/12006/

[spookyapp]

And the ones that laughed at me about Trump... Check this out about a Downtown NYC developer. :tup:

http://www.wkrg.com/mobilesmakeover/article/investment_mobile/12006/

I think you're taking that at a little more than it's worth at face value. I assure you there are several thousand private investors in downtown New York. Keep dreaming about Trump though :tup:

[MobileLSUboy2005]

:previous: Beau Rivage? :haha:

no... baton rouge...THE BR haha...the beau rivage is...the beau... haha

[bayou15]

I think you're taking that at a little more than it's worth at face value. I assure you there are several thousand private investors in downtown New York. Keep dreaming about Trump though :tup:

Yeah, well at least the article is about maybe a skyscraper, instead of what has been posted on here lately; traffic, courthouse land, tanker contract ,a new mall.


And also i didnt neaux that us Mobile Countians are trying to compete with Nawlins and Red Stick? So What? if those cities are much bigger as far as population geauxs . We share alot in common(sp?), If it would be me the Gulf coast region( Nawlin/BR to Destin/PCB) would be the 51st state of the union. It seems like we get the Red Headed step child treatment. Hell, we all cuzins down here(so they say).

I might dream alot, And come up with some real crazy ideas, But this is the WORLD WIDE web. And you never neaux who is watching that has money and wants to invest.

[Port_of_Bama]

Well I have heard thet Target is leaving the mall and will be headed to this shopping area that will be built near Hank Aaron Stadium. So maybe the new Target area will be a Macy`s it doesn`t make sense to be airing commercials about the store and the nearest one is in B.R or Baton Rouge or what ever. i hope the developer bring reatil with the condos.

I heard a few years ago Trump was going to build something downtown, what happend ?


Bayou I know were you are comming from my friend I dream big for the Port City also. I beleve in if you build it they will come ,I beleive in risks I hope they build the Condos to the west of the sky line it is in serious need of infil come on I`m hoping for a atleast a 300 footer. I don`t know about the rest of you but I miss the excitement of the "Oh My ! The RSA Tower has Grown " thread it fealt good as a Mobilian as forumers from Chicago, Atlanata. Philly commenting on our building and looking at Alabama in a diffirent way because of that building. We need a reason to do another Oh My !! thread, tha thread is the only one with over 95,000 views over a building alone not devlopments but a building thats crazy.

I have been to every major city in Alabama and I have been to N.O and B.r I personaly feel that we (Mobile) has some type of weird tyes to Louisiana.We are nothing like the rest of this state.When I was a kid I use to wonder how N.O looks peoeple would tell me " Well it`s sort of simular to Mobile" when I visited for the first time in 1996 I was shocked because they were right. There is no other place like N.O in the world but hell Mobile comes closer than any city out side of Louisiana !!

oh yeah Red Stick (B.R) now that was funny.

[bayou15]

:previous: I hear ya ,Bra:tup:

[MobileLSUboy2005]

Mobile has alwaaays had some sort of disconnect with the rest of the state... we've never really been anything like the cities from Atmore north... We're separate and part of the northern gulf coast more than the rest of our own state, i think. We have more in common with BR, Nola, Pensacola, Biloxi-Gulfport, than we do with Montgomery, B-ham, and Huntsville... which has always caused some problems with state legislature, they (as the good example was made above) treat us like the 'red headed stepchild'.... well! we've showed them! haha

[Muskavon]

^^ As a Pensacolian, I feel the same way about my town in regards to Florida. It doesn't exist much in Florida. Really the most culturally alike/common resources/needs state would be an area from about Eufaula down to Panama City across to the Louisiana line up to Hattiesburg and back to Eufaula.

(edited: was messing with the latest poulation stats all along the gulf coast, but need to figure some more stuff out before posting)

[10101000]

Well, the whole south is connected to Europe!

[elb401]

Speaking of the "West Florida" state....maybe we have so much in common because the last half of our area's colonial life we were apart of the same colony...West florida. But there was a movement in the 1930s till about WWII to break away from our states and become one again. I think it died out with all the distractions of its time. (depression and the war). It would be neat to see....but what about all the improvements that the states have invested....they would never let the casinos in Miss go or the tax revenue from the panhandle in FL go either. And the way Mobile is booming now....forget about the Alabama legistlature giving us permission!!

[10101000]

Speaking of the "West Florida" state....maybe we have so much in common because the last half of our area's colonial life we were apart of the same colony...West florida. But there was a movement in the 1930s till about WWII to break away from our states and become one again. I think it died out with all the distractions of its time. (depression and the war). It would be neat to see....but what about all the improvements that the states have invested....they would never let the casinos in Miss go or the tax revenue from the panhandle in FL go either. And the way Mobile is booming now....forget about the Alabama legistlature giving us permission!!

Mobile is what it is today because Alabama invested in it!!!

[Port_of_Bama]

Mobile is what it is today because Alabama invested in it!!!


yep ! took them a while but true.

[MobileLSUboy2005]

yea really...it wasnt until the last 2 governors that all this started happening. You know,Al's never had a governor that was currently residing in mobile at the time of his election?? (thats part of what im sayin about the disconnect from the state) I mean, Siegelman was FROM mobile, but he didnt live there when he was running for office... the rest of the state finally realized our potential to be a major US port and manufacturing center! ... finally....

[SouthSky]

yea really...it wasnt until the last 2 governors that all this started happening. You know,Al's never had a governor that was currently residing in mobile at the time of his election?? (thats part of what im sayin about the disconnect from the state) I mean, Siegelman was FROM mobile, but he didnt live there when he was running for office... the rest of the state finally realized our potential to be a major US port and manufacturing center! ... finally....

It took a while for the rest of the state to recognize the fact that Mobile was in Alabama. Business leaders liked Mobile's port and infrastructure but politicians didn't like Mobile's Catholic background (really the only part of the state with any past French rule). Siegelman (Catholic) believe it or not was a major start of "representation" for the area. I didn't like the man, but he tried. :D

[Electrical Porpoise]

It took a while for the rest of the state to recognize the fact that Mobile was in Alabama. Business leaders liked Mobile's port and infrastructure but politicians didn't like Mobile's Catholic background (really the only part of the state with any past French rule). Siegelman (Catholic) believe it or not was a major start of "representation" for the area. I didn't like the man, but he tried. :D Seigelman did a great of trying. Too bad every thing he did was for himself and not the state.

I agree with the posts above, Mobile is different from the rest of the state. Generally if you are south of I-10/12 from Baton Rouge to Pensacola is it completely different. It mirrors the heritage of the European rulers from years ago and most cities still take pride in those traditions -- from religion, architecture, to lifestyles. Most Mobilians don't want to be like the rest of the state and I don't blame them.

[SouthSky]

I agree with the posts above, Mobile is different from the rest of the state. Generally if you are south of I-10/12 from Baton Rouge to Pensacola is it completely different. It mirrors the heritage of the European rulers from years ago and most cities still take pride in those traditions -- from religion, architecture, to lifestyles. Most Mobilians don't want to be like the rest of the state and I don't blame them.

The observance of Mardi Gras is a great example of this.

[10101000]

Is the Riverview lit? I will be coming home tonight and will pass through downtown.

[bayou15]

Good news on some condo units downtown. I put the big stuff in bold.
______________________________________________________________

From the Mobile Register Sat. February 25, 2006:

http://www.al.com/business/mobilereg...010.xml&coll=3
Property acquired to build on river

Work on Water Street Landing project could start next month, developers say

Saturday, February 25, 2006 By KATHY JUMPER

Real Estate Editor
Developers of Water Street Landing condominiums purchased needed land Friday in downtown Mobile from CSX Railway for $1.8 million, and presales and site work should start in late March, according to Andrew Oliver, project manager for Millennium Mobile.

Millennium, a Pasadena, Calif.-based company, spent almost nine months negotiating with CSX to purchase the 1.6-acre site, at the foot of Government Street at Water Street, that will house its residential and retail project.

The developers plan to build 239 condo units and 60,000 square feet of retail space. Trains will travel through the project on the CSX track, just as trains run underneath the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.
"We've got the land and we can actually start building everything, and we have the rights to cover those tracks," Oliver said.

This will be the first riverside residential project downtown, allowing people to live full-time within the developing waterfront area now called Michael C. Dow Mobile Landing. Bringing people back to the waterfront to live, dine and shop is key to a renaissance for downtown Mobile, some city officials have said.

White-Spunner Construction in Mobile was hired to build Water Street Landing, which should take two years to complete. A 22,000-square-foot railroad office on the land must first be demolished, after it is cleaned of asbestos, Oliver said.

White-Spunner is the contractor for the interior finishes for the Retirement Systems of Alabama's Battle House Hotel and built the $20 million Alabama Cruise Terminal at Mobile Landing.

The condo unit prices should be released in a week, according to Oliver, who said the number will hinge on the final design and construction costs. The developers have said their project could cost as much as $60 million.
Typically, construction does not start on a project until 80 percent of the units are taken as presales, but Oliver said that work can start while presales are in progress.

MDi, a media group, the marketing agency for Millennium, has a list of 450 people who have expressed interest in the units, Oliver said. Roberts Brothers and REMAX by the Bay on the Eastern Shore will market the units.

"It's amazing the number of people that are talking about the project," said Chris King of Roberts Brothers. "I have calls all the time from prospective buyers. They like the lifestyle it will create, and the location. Right now, the downtown residential market is great."

A commercial broker will be hired to find tenants for the retail portion of the development, Oliver said. Locally owned Wintzell's Oyster House has committed to opening a restaurant there, but with a Caribbean theme, he said.

"The whole back side of our commercial space will have a Caribbean theme to tie into the cruise ship terminal," he said.


:brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: 450 on waiting list, Damn everytime I think of this project and how LSU got cheated on 2years ago at Auburn gets me real upset. Now we have to put up with 3.50 a gallon on gas....Help I need a drink :cheers: Whereya at CUZ!

[CottonCity251]

Calm down my friend...developments come they go, no need to beat yourself up about it.

[Scottybo]

I see no bold?

[BlessedMobile]

When did "John Word's" close?

Hey Music...I'm waiting on one of your photos to update by wall. Don't forget me! To answer your question, "John Word's" was closed around '85. Brookley had been closed 20 years by then and Mobile's paper and chemical industries were thriving. His restaurant was very cosmopolitan for our demands at the time.

[Port_of_Bama]

It took a while for the rest of the state to recognize the fact that Mobile was in Alabama. Business leaders liked Mobile's port and infrastructure but politicians didn't like Mobile's Catholic background (really the only part of the state with any past French rule). Siegelman (Catholic) believe it or not was a major start of "representation" for the area. I didn't like the man, but he tried. :D


Oh so thats why we are treated like out cast in this state because of the French Catholic heritage,I always wonder why that explains it. Mobile definintly has a different charecter and culture from the rest of the state. I attend school in Huntsville , it`s an ok city but it doesn`t have any charecter !


I`m with bayou we suppose to be seeing those things comming off of I10 right now. TimothynCrystal says he`s headed to the Port tonight, i`m shure it would have been nice to see thsoe things lstanding and lit to night. If Oliver believd that Water Street landing would work, well I`m shure others will think the samething shouldn`t they ?

[Port_of_Bama]

Hey Music...I'm waiting on one of your photos to update by wall. Don't forget me! To answer your question, "John Word's" was closed around '85. Brookley had been closed 20 years by then and Mobile's paper and chemical industries were thriving. His restaurant was very cosmopolitan for our demands at the time.


Off Topic: I have heared that the restaurant "True" thats in the new shopping area off of Dauphin St across from Springhill is arealy nice place to eat. I`ve seen pics of the interior and it blew me the ceiling is blue and gold and it appears to have tiny lights in the ceiling mimicing a night sky full of stars thats crazy. I will have to visit that place when I come home for the summer expensive but I heared it`s worth it all.It was rated number 1 out of Alabam`s top 10 restaurant s by "Trip Advisor.Com."

[Port_of_Bama]

Calm down my friend...developments come they go, no need to beat yourself up about it.

Yo are you the same CottonCity251 that posted on Rich Boy`s You Tube mixtape ?

[Electrical Porpoise]

Oh so thats why we are treated like out cast in this state because of the French Catholic heritage,I always wonder why that explains it. I believe he was being partially facetious. It wasn't the religion as much as it was the ideological views that follow their respective religious beliefs. And politicians obviously knew they wouldn't receive the support they needed if they sent a lot of focus to the Catholic dominated areas -- especially reforms that favored the beliefs.

[yeahwhatever]

I see no bold?

all i see is a two year old article about a project that has been stalled/dead ever since it was announced.

[MobileLSUboy2005]

haha yea, i used to work for white-spunner...trust me....there's nothing going on with water street landing

[Port_of_Bama]

I believe he was being partially facetious. It wasn't the religion as much as it was the ideological views that follow their respective religious beliefs. And politicians obviously knew they wouldn't receive the support they needed if they sent a lot of focus to the Catholic dominated areas -- especially reforms that favored the beliefs.

Wow that realy explains a lot ,learn something new everyday. Thats not fair but finaly we are being recognized by politicians in the rest of the state. That also expalins why we are the only reagion in the state that. doesn`t have an auto plant and never had one purposed for our area. The Mississippi GulfCoast is developed and is a Catholic dominated area, I believe but the state of Mississippi saw the potensial of there coast a long time ago.

[mobile]

with all the wal-mart's we have in mobile we should have a wal-mart DC. Thats like 900 more jobs and the starting pay is around 15 dollars an hour.

[Musicisright]

Good news on some condo units downtown. I put the big stuff in bold.
______________________________________________________________

From the Mobile Register Sat. February 25, 2006:

http://www.al.com/business/mobilereg...010.xml&coll=3
Property acquired to build on river

Work on Water Street Landing project could start next month, developers say

Saturday, February 25, 2006 By KATHY JUMPER

Real Estate Editor
Developers of Water Street Landing condominiums purchased needed land Friday in downtown Mobile from CSX Railway for $1.8 million, and presales and site work should start in late March, according to Andrew Oliver, project manager for Millennium Mobile.

Millennium, a Pasadena, Calif.-based company, spent almost nine months negotiating with CSX to purchase the 1.6-acre site, at the foot of Government Street at Water Street, that will house its residential and retail project.

The developers plan to build 239 condo units and 60,000 square feet of retail space. Trains will travel through the project on the CSX track, just as trains run underneath the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.
"We've got the land and we can actually start building everything, and we have the rights to cover those tracks," Oliver said.

This will be the first riverside residential project downtown, allowing people to live full-time within the developing waterfront area now called Michael C. Dow Mobile Landing. Bringing people back to the waterfront to live, dine and shop is key to a renaissance for downtown Mobile, some city officials have said.

White-Spunner Construction in Mobile was hired to build Water Street Landing, which should take two years to complete. A 22,000-square-foot railroad office on the land must first be demolished, after it is cleaned of asbestos, Oliver said.

White-Spunner is the contractor for the interior finishes for the Retirement Systems of Alabama's Battle House Hotel and built the $20 million Alabama Cruise Terminal at Mobile Landing.

The condo unit prices should be released in a week, according to Oliver, who said the number will hinge on the final design and construction costs. The developers have said their project could cost as much as $60 million.
Typically, construction does not start on a project until 80 percent of the units are taken as presales, but Oliver said that work can start while presales are in progress.

MDi, a media group, the marketing agency for Millennium, has a list of 450 people who have expressed interest in the units, Oliver said. Roberts Brothers and REMAX by the Bay on the Eastern Shore will market the units.

"It's amazing the number of people that are talking about the project," said Chris King of Roberts Brothers. "I have calls all the time from prospective buyers. They like the lifestyle it will create, and the location. Right now, the downtown residential market is great."

A commercial broker will be hired to find tenants for the retail portion of the development, Oliver said. Locally owned Wintzell's Oyster House has committed to opening a restaurant there, but with a Caribbean theme, he said.

"The whole back side of our commercial space will have a Caribbean theme to tie into the cruise ship terminal," he said.


:brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: 450 on waiting list, Damn everytime I think of this project and how LSU got cheated on 2years ago at Auburn gets me real upset. Now we have to put up with 3.50 a gallon on gas....Help I need a drink :cheers: Whereya at CUZ!

That's a two year old article there, bud.

[Musicisright]

Hey Music...I'm waiting on one of your photos to update by wall. Don't forget me! To answer your question, "John Word's" was closed around '85. Brookley had been closed 20 years by then and Mobile's paper and chemical industries were thriving. His restaurant was very cosmopolitan for our demands at the time.

I haven't gotten down there to fo it. Don't worry, I won't forget you!

[CottonCity251]

Yo are you the same CottonCity251 that posted on Rich Boy`s You Tube mixtape ?

Yes...

[bayou15]

That's a two year old article there, bud.

You don't say:breakcomp: I was looking back on the old thread at this post. Sorry I didnt neaux we couldn't post old news.


I'll try to keep it to recent news of, low/mid rises, new malls, metro population, and the tanker project.:koko:

[| BRAVO |]

Mobile has alwaaays had some sort of disconnect with the rest of the state... we've never really been anything like the cities from Atmore north... We're separate and part of the northern gulf coast more than the rest of our own state, i think. We have more in common with BR, Nola, Pensacola, Biloxi-Gulfport, than we do with Montgomery, B-ham, and Huntsville... which has always caused some problems with state legislature, they (as the good example was made above) treat us like the 'red headed stepchild'.... well! we've showed them! haha


Oh I can't resist... I'm a big fan of reading the Mobile thread because you guys have some exciting stuff going on down there. I read the other Alabama threads regularly too and it is hilarious how we all feel neglected by ourselves:

Here Goes:

Huntsville says -
"Oh woah is me, the state of Alabama hates us. They think everybody north of the Tennessee River are a bunch of pointy-headed rocket scientists. They say we can just take care of ourselves. Well Fine! We have BRAC coming and we have UAH and Toyota and... we're more like Tennessee anyway. Thank you very much.


Birmingham says -
"Oh woah is me, the state of Alabama hates us. They think we are a bunch of arrogant snobs living in our superior little kingdoms while our city shrivels on the vine. They say we can just take care of ourselves. Well Fine! We have UAB and Mercedes and Honda and the 9th largest bank in the country and our metro population is more than double our nearest competitor and we're doing just fine. Thank you very much.


Montgomery says -
Oh woah is me, the state of Alabama hates us. They think we get all the goodies because we have the statehouse but we are by far the smallest metro and are always scrapping with our bigger siblings. They say we can just take care of ourselves. Well Fine! We have Hyundai and a snazzy new baseball park downtown... and Bronner and he is going to fix it all for us - wait - we wanted the RSA Tower! Thank you very much.


Mobile says -
Oh woah is me, the state of Alabama hates us. They think everybody below Atmore are a bunch of liberal Catholics not living up to our full potential. They should have made something out of us 30 years ago rather than letting us linger in sub-mediocrity since the 70's. They say we can just take care of ourselves. Well Fine! We have a cruise port and Airbus and Thyssenkrup and Bronner's new shiny building... and we are more like Florida and Louisiana and.... Mississippi than Alabama. Yeah! Thank you very much.



Funny huh? I don't know if you guys visit other metro threads but that's really the way it sounds out there.

Here's an interesting fact: WE ARE ALABAMA!
Our eccentricities make up what is great about our state. We all feel neglected at times but I am thankful we're not a state that is absolutely dominated by a single metro (See the Atlanta thread)

I'm excited Alabama's cities are doing well. It's not just Mobile... we are all thriving and it is going to be exciting to see the changes over the next 10-20 years.

[SouthSky]

Mobile says -
Oh woah is me, the state of Alabama hates us. They think everybody below Atmore are a bunch of liberal Catholics not living up to our full potential. They should have made something out of us 30 years ago rather than letting us linger in sub-mediocrity since the 70's. They say we can just take care of ourselves. Well Fine! We have a cruise port and Airbus and Thyssenkrup and Bronner's new shiny building... and we are more like Florida and Louisiana and.... Mississippi than Alabama. Yeah! Thank you very much.



Funny huh? I don't know if you guys visit other metro threads but that's really the way it sounds out there.

Here's an interesting fact: WE ARE ALABAMA!
Our eccentricities make up what is great about our state. We all feel neglected at times but I am thankful we're not a state that is absolutely dominated by a single metro (See the Atlanta thread)

I'm excited Alabama's cities are doing well. It's not just Mobile... we are all thriving and it is going to be exciting to see the changes over the next 10-20 years.

While what you say is true in some circles, I think the majority of people on this forum don't think there is much short-changing now but there has been in the past.

Currently, I feel Alabama is as united as ever.

[elb401]

yeah, and really there is no need to be divided.

[mobile]

Yes...

i thought i waz the only one on this site who would know who rich boy is.

[The 251]

i thought i waz the only one on this site who would know who rich boy is.

nah..
Rich Boy is awesome :worship:
i have his first album and have been trying to get my hands on the new mixtape (Bigger than the Mayor)

[Musicisright]

You don't say:breakcomp: I was looking back on the old thread at this post. Sorry I didnt neaux we couldn't post old news.


I'll try to keep it to recent news of, low/mid rises, new malls, metro population, and the tanker project.:koko:

Well the way you said, “This is good news” made it seem like it was a recent article and I just didn't want people to get confused and get their hopes up. Or maybe you copied/pasted that, too.
And though this is skyscraperpage.com, this is the Mobile Development thread. Malls, low/mid rises, population, and the tanker project are all fair conversation topics. It's not limited to just skyscrapers. If it were, we'd have very little to talk about as far as new developments go.:tup:

[Muskavon]

nm

[| BRAVO |]

I thougt you guys may enjoy this article from today's Birmingham News:


Upwardly Mobile
Sunday, March 30, 2008
DAWN KENT
News staff writer
MOBILE - Alabama's port city, known for its laid-back coastal culture, fresh seafood platters and storied Mardi Gras parade, is quickly gaining a reputation as a hub for international commerce.

Mobile has racked up a stunning string of economic development coups in recent years, and in the process, it has become a magnet for foreign investment.

A fast-growing port, abundant access to interstate and rail corridors and a cooperative effort among local leaders are drawing money and jobs from companies in Germany, France, Australia, Singapore and elsewhere.

"We look at the world as our market," said Mayor Sam Jones. "Mobile is really what we consider to be a global city. A lot of our recruitment efforts are international."

The city's success has some wondering whether it could someday eclipse Birmingham as Alabama's economic engine. While such a scenario would take years to happen, if ever, Mobile has positioned itself as a rising star on the international business scene.

Today, 30 major foreign companies employ more than 6,000 workers, according to the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Among them are Australian ship builder Austal USA, Singapore's ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering and Airbus of France.

The numbers don't include recent wins, such as German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp's $3.7 billion plant, now under construction north of the city, that will employ 2,700.

Also on the horizon is a $600 million, 1,500-job aircraft assembly project for Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. The Air Force recently selected the team to build its next-generation aerial refueling tankers in Mobile, but Boeing is challenging the contract.

Despite the protest, Mobile is on a roll, and the celebration is evident.

Billboards plastered along interstates hail the tanker project, which will make Mobile just the third place in the world where big jets are built. Meanwhile, local TV stations air frequent commercials recounting the economic wins.And across the city, from the stately Government Street lined with centuries-old oaks and columned mansions to the flip-flop-wearing crowd at restaurants along the Mobile Bay Causeway, there's a buzz about coming growth.

Back to roots:

Some say the success is simply a return to Mobile's roots. The area was settled by France and Spain, and that influence remains in downtown landmarks such as Bienville Square and Spanish Plaza.

Home to people representing 90 nationalities, the city also hosts an annual international festival that draws big crowds.

ThyssenKrupp executive and recent Mobile transplant Thomas Woelker said he and his family have been warmly welcomed to the city, where he's noticed a growing global community.

"It might be a little small right now, but it's coming up," he said, adding that he's befriended Ethiopians, French and fellow Germans since his arrival last year. "When I talk with people, they say, `Oh, my grandpa was a German, or my grandpa was a British guy.' You find many, many international roots here."

Solid partnership:

While Mobile leaders likely aren't immune to political spats, they have found a way to work together when it comes to landing big projects.

Teamwork is the foundation of the community's success in economic development, the mayor and Mobile County Commission President Stephen Nodine say from their offices on the 10th floor of Mobile's Government Plaza.

There, only about 20 paces separate the city's administrative offices from those of the county, and from any given window, there's a view of an ongoing project downtown or along the bay

Since the 1980s, the city and county have forged a wide range of partnerships, including a combined jail and other programs in departments that work side by -side in Government Plaza.

The arrangement just makes sense, Jones said, since most residents pay both city and county taxes. Officials talk frequently about how they can work together to improve education and infrastructure, and that has spilled over into economic development.

"It makes for a much, much more competitive position in economic development when you can build partnerships like that," he said.

The bond also makes a company feel at home, Nodine said.

"When they see the city and county working hand-in-hand together, that makes a company feel they can entrust their investment in that community," he said.

Jones and Nodine also credit other members of their recruiting team and Mobile's physical attributes. The city and county both contract with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce for economic development, and two of the community's crown jewels are Brookley Field and Alabama's state docks.

Port of Mobile:

The Port of Mobile, the 10th largest in the United States in total trade, is itself a daily international experience. From the East Asia to South America to Europe and beyond, ships arrive and depart, ferrying international goods and home-grown products.

Currently, the port is adding a $300 million marine container terminal, a project fused with foreign investment. The facility will be operated by arms of the world's largest shipping companies based in Denmark and France.

Across Mobile and Alabama, economic developers say it's hard to overemphasize the importance of the port, including the aggressive efforts of those who run it.

For example, when EADS was scouting sites to build the Air Force tanker, the company was concerned about the logistics of shipping large fuselage sections from Europe to the assembly site.

Using a 20-foot container and PVC pipe, Port Authority Director Jimmy Lyons and his staff created an exact size replica of those sections and, with a crane, truck and barge, demonstrated how the logistics would be handled.

Taken aback, EADS officials talked about it for months.

At Brookley, a former Air Force base turned 1,700-acre industrial complex run by the Mobile Airport Authority, the phones are ringing off the hook from suppliers and other support businesses that want to be near the tanker project, which is slated to land there.

Now, Brookley is home to about 100 companies and 4,000 workers, with 60 percent in the aviation and aerospace businesses.

Marc Pelham, director of the complex, said he once heard someone describe Mobile as a "freak of nature," thanks to its abundance of logistical assets.

"It all comes together here," he said. "I'm told by site selection companies that look at hundreds of sites that there is no place like this."

Birmingham still reigns:

Statewide, Mobile has stolen the spotlight in economic development.

The city's momentum is obvious, particularly when stacked up against Birmingham. A recent Forbes ranking listed Mobile as the fastest-growing small metro in the nation, recognized for expected economic growth through 2012, while Birmingham did not make the magazine's list of large metros.

In Birmingham, where elected leaders have long struggled to get along, business leaders have encouraged a push to build on the city's economic strengths in financial, health care and other white-collar sectors.

Sam Addy, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, said Mobile has a long way to go to capture Birmingham's title as the state's economic engine.

Metro Birmingham generates about a third of the gross state product, while metro Mobile accounts for about 8 percent. In fact, the combined output of goods and services in the metro areas of Mobile, Montgomery and Huntsville do not surpass Birmingham's.

Despite leadership issues, the area has a lot going for it. That, Addy says, "makes you marvel and wonder what Birmingham could achieve if it had the right ingredients."

E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com

[SouthSky]

Thanks for the article, hallman. That was a good read.

About the Gross State Product... I wonder if tourism is factored into those numbers, metro areas are used, and if Baldwin is considered part of the Mobile metro.

[CottonCity251]

Thanks for the article, hallman. That was a good read.

About the Gross State Product... I wonder if tourism is factored into those numbers, metro areas are used, and if Baldwin is considered part of the Mobile metro.

They don't. They won't let Mobile look that good up against Birmingham in The Birmingham News...

[| BRAVO |]

They don't. They won't let Mobile look that good up against Birmingham in The Birmingham News...

Believe my friend... The Birmingham News is no friend of Birmingham.
I do believe tourism dollars are included in the gross state product.

[Port_of_Bama]

i thought i waz the only one on this site who would know who rich boy is.


LoL me to , until I saw CottenCity251 posting "stand up." So I guess I`m not the only African American huh ?

[Port_of_Bama]

I thougt you guys may enjoy this article from today's Birmingham News:


That was interesting !

[mobile]

l'm white l just grew up around mostly all black people. i think rich boy is doin big things 4 mobile.

[10101000]

Was home this weekend and got to see the Riverview lit. It is great to see more night time lighting in the city. Very nice weekend and I needed some time on the bay!!!

[10101000]

Yesterdays paper had pictures of the 31st floor view in the RSA Tower. Nice office up there!

[CottonCity251]

Believe my friend... The Birmingham News is no friend of Birmingham.
I do believe tourism dollars are included in the gross state product.

I don't think so. Mobile's 8 percent comes from only Mobile County. If Mobile adds Harrison, George, Jackson, and Greene counties in MS along with surrounding counties in AL and maybe Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties in FL then we're talking...but they are in other states so it won't be considered or justified by area Hamsters. Anyway, we down here are looking at a bigger picture...competing with the rest of the region. As far as the state of AL, yall can have that for now.

LoL me to , until I saw CottenCity251 posting "stand up." So I guess I`m not the only African American huh ?

Yeah, I'm black and a product of John L. LeFlore High School representing the northside of Mobile...Toulminville. Speaking of Rich Boy, I pass by his daddy's store last night and it looked like he was standing outside...I know I saw his car out there for sure. His new mixtape, Bigger Than the Mayor, drops on my birthday...April 15th. Gotta go cop dat!

Could everyone from Mobile, who wants to, tell what high school they went to and what part of town they from??

[nimsjus]

UMS-Wright '02 I lived near Cottage Hill Park back in high school and I'll be back out that way in May when I move back for my pharmacy school rotations. Parents moved to Auburn while I was up here for school.

[pboo74]

I don't think so. Mobile's 8 percent comes from only Mobile County. If Mobile adds Harrison, George, Jackson, and Greene counties in MS along with surrounding counties in AL and maybe Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties in FL then we're talking...but they are in other states so it won't be considered or justified by area Hamsters. Anyway, we down here are looking at a bigger picture...competing with the rest of the region. As far as the state of AL, yall can have that for now.



Yeah, I'm black and a product of John L. LeFlore High School representing the northside of Mobile...Toulminville. Speaking of Rich Boy, I pass by his daddy's store last night and it looked like he was standing outside...I know I saw his car out there for sure. His new mixtape, Bigger Than the Mayor, drops on my birthday...April 15th. Gotta go cop dat!

Could everyone from Mobile, who wants to, tell what high school they went to and what part of town they from??
murphy high 93 represent tha bottom grew up on
653 maple st..

[Port_of_Bama]

murphy high 93 represent tha bottom grew up on
653 maple st..


Yooooo ! thats crazy / John L. Leflore C/O 2005 , grew up in the bottom also 1152 Hercules Street

[Port_of_Bama]

I don't think so. Mobile's 8 percent comes from only Mobile County. If Mobile adds Harrison, George, Jackson, and Greene counties in MS along with surrounding counties in AL and maybe Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties in FL then we're talking...but they are in other states so it won't be considered or justified by area Hamsters. Anyway, we down here are looking at a bigger picture...competing with the rest of the region. As far as the state of AL, yall can have that for now.



Yeah, I'm black and a product of John L. LeFlore High School representing the northside of Mobile...Toulminville. Speaking of Rich Boy, I pass by his daddy's store last night and it looked like he was standing outside...I know I saw his car out there for sure. His new mixtape, Bigger Than the Mayor, drops on my birthday...April 15th. Gotta go cop dat!

Could everyone from Mobile, who wants to, tell what high school they went to and what part of town they from??


The other counties that you mentioed in Mississippi are part of Mobile`s Marketing sector, but are not included in the metro hopefuly that will change soon.

[pboo74]

Yooooo ! thats crazy / John L. Leflore C/O 2005 , grew up in the bottom also 1152 Hercules Street

that's my old stumping ground'the bottom/orange groove/the camp ground....

[MobileLSUboy2005]

St. Paul's School, 2005....West Mobile off Grelot Rd.

can someone post the pictures from the Press Register from the RSA tower? they aren't showing up online... but i see where they wanted the pictures to go! haha

[CottonCity251]

Yooooo ! thats crazy / John L. Leflore C/O 2005 , grew up in the bottom also 1152 Hercules Streetthat's my old stumping ground'the bottom/orange groove/the camp ground....

How about that's where I stay now...right down the street from White's barbershop/college on Peach St. near Hercules. I graduated from LeFlore in 2006.

[10101000]

I was ridding from work to school Thursday and Come Back Home to Mobile posted a billboard advertisement for the KC-45 and move back home! Since then, today they have the advertisement on every digital billboard. It is nice to see. Cody road, M.C.A. 2000.

[phoenixboi08]

(quoted from hallman02 on previous page )


"Despite leadership issues, the area has a lot going for it. That, Addy says, "makes you marvel and wonder what Birmingham could achieve if it had the right ingredients."

Yeah, yeah, yeah :haha: SORE LOSERS, well they haven't lost yet, but they will:notacrook:

"Since the 1980s, the city and county have forged a wide range of partnerships, including a combined jail and other programs in departments that work side by -side in Government Plaza."

That is VERY unique. I think this does have a lot to do with the big deals we've been landing.

"Home to people representing 90 nationalities, the city also hosts an annual international festival that draws big crowds.

ThyssenKrupp executive and recent Mobile transplant Thomas Woelker said he and his family have been warmly welcomed to the city, where he's noticed a growing global community.

"It might be a little small right now, but it's coming up," he said, adding that he's befriended Ethiopians, French and fellow Germans since his arrival last year. "When I talk with people, they say, `Oh, my grandpa was a German, or my grandpa was a British guy.' You find many, many international roots here."

Imagine Mobile with a China Town! :haha: I think the growth in international population is good for the city, it adds some spice. Personally, Mobile's the friendliest city in Alabama, that I have ever been to anyways. Everyon talks about southern hospitality, but there are places that you go and never find it. The first day I was here, I was in a Wal-Mart and realized that I had lost my wallet. The coupke behind me paid for my $25 worth of groceries! And, after talking to me and realizing I was new in town, invited me to their home for dinner!! PEOPLE this DOES NOT happen anywhere else in this COUNTRY! At least not where I've ever been. It's funny, everyone talks about the "crime in Mobile" but I think the friendliness of the city is WAY too downplayed. :tup:

[phoenixboi08]

LoL me to , until I saw CottenCity251 posting "stand up." So I guess I`m not the only African American huh ?

I actually like to think of the people on this forum in technicolor : blue, green, red....:koko: wierd I know

[Alxx611]

I'm graduating from Murphy High School in about a little over a month. I live out in West Mob though, Cottage Hill and Hillcrest.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Alxx611/school/Murphy3-1.jpg

[phoenixboi08]

St. Paul's School, 2005....West Mobile off Grelot Rd.

can someone post the pictures from the Press Register from the RSA tower? they aren't showing up online... but i see where they wanted the pictures to go! haha

Will do tommorow, server's busy:hell: :hell: :hell:

Why do I get the felling that I'm the youngest person posting on this thread?

Edit::previous: I take that back. I'm a senior at *cough* High School:P

[Port_of_Bama]

I'm graduating from Murphy High School in about a little over a month. I live out in West Mob though, Cottage Hill and Hillcrest.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Alxx611/school/Murphy3-1.jpg



Never ever ever would have thought that it would people from my part of Mobile would ever be interested in a site like this one besides me.

Murphy is the largest school in the state of Alabama, I always thought it wasHoover but it`s not. It`s Murphy #1, Bob Jones (Huntsville area), Hoover # 3 and Murphy is a direct reflection of Mobile`s Spanish heritage with it`s architecture. There is no other school well atleast in the state of Alabama with European architecture .



I`m very Confident in the Tanker Project in Mobile, I`m just ready for all the other stuff that will come with it.

[Port_of_Bama]

I was ridding from work to school Thursday and Come Back Home to Mobile posted a billboard advertisement for the KC-45 and move back home! Since then, today they have the advertisement on every digital billboard. It is nice to see. Cody road, M.C.A. 2000.



Whats MCA 2000 ?

[mobile]

i'm from up the country citronelle high school c/o 2005 (star linebacker #8) lol. i thought i was the only young person on this site. i thought every one on here was like 30 or 40.

[mobile]

Whats MCA 2000 ?

mca stands for mobile christian academy.


o yeah and attend troy university

[Scottybo]

Mobile Christian School C/o 2003

[SouthSky]

St. Paul's 2004... grew up on Spring Hill off Old Shell.

[Musicisright]

Murphy c/o 2003

[nimsjus]

Pboo looks like your the old man around here... I had no idea everyone was that young either. I guess most of the old folks still have a bitter taste in their mouth after Brookley and the paper mills all closed up shop.

[10101000]

I guess you could consider us young professionals!

[pkp]

UMS '97 - went on the cheap with a single parent deal. From Grand Bay - live dt now

[10101000]

UMS '97 - went on the cheap with a single parent deal. From Grand Bay - live dt now

You live DT!! LUCKY!

[Port_of_Bama]

Wow that is crazy I thought everyone but myself were atleast in there thirties. Thats good because we all want the best for Mobile and we can change it for the better I hope. The old Mobile thinking and growth is a thing of the past now, Theres another generation that actualy want it to grow and change for the better. It`s crazy how the city of Detroit past Mobile but yet it`s founder is from Mobile.If you were to go on that corner of Royal street wich is right next to the new hotel they are building. It has an historic marker on a building that has "Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac" French founder of Detroit,Mi who use to reside in that very same building or the old Buick building is what it use to be also. So if B-ham is the Detroit of the south,then what does that makes Mobile then lol ?

[spookyapp]

SPS 06
Cottage Hill

currently at Auburn

[Port_of_Bama]

22 Former Generals Back Air Force tanker Pick :http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/1207041345290180.xml&coll=3&thispage=1



They know that the Kc-45 is the best for the Airforce and, the competition was won fairly !

[10101000]

Awesome letter! I am not worried about the project it is signed, sealed and delivered.

[Port_of_Bama]

Awesome letter! I am not worried about the project it is signed, sealed and delivered.


Yep !, I don`t care what that Buckett guy from B.R say I have strong feelings that NG will put a tower downtown. This protest may drive Ng to put more investment in Mobile:banana:

[10101000]

You never know.

[10101000]

I almost moved DT in Tower on Ryan Park before I got married and moved to Baton Rouge; that is a nice place to live.

[Port_of_Bama]

I almost moved DT in Tower on Ryan Park before I got married and moved to Baton Rouge; that is a nice place to live.


Yeah it is , There is a sort of brownstone type of Condos on Govt st called Central Park Condos are something like that , but any way they look good also. I wish there would be more built like them in Mobile mainly mid town/ down town because of the urban feel to it. Next time you come back to the Port City check it out it`s on your left comming from DT. I heard in B.R they are building a whole block of brownstones ? I can imagine the charecter a block of brownstones would do for Mobile , with red brick streets and oaks shadding the street like Fort Conde Village that would be crazy, I would live there hell who wouldn`t.

[nimsjus]

Speaking of apartments/condos near downtownish ,you may take a look at the old Summerville Court Apartment complex on SpringHill Ave. Pretty close to downtown and they are very nice on the inside. I looked there for my move home but the rent rates were more than I could afford. The places have granite counters/stainless appliances and all the other comparable ammenities. They are selling in the 100's for 1 and 2 bedroom models if I am not mistaken. I thought it looked more reasonable compared to prices on similar models at Matress Factory, St Louis Lofts, etc. I was shocked they were cheaper after getting a rental rate close to $1000 for 2 bedrooms.

[10101000]

I cannot wait to see the Gayfers complex. I would love to buy one there.

[Electrical Porpoise]

Speaking of apartments/condos near downtownish ,you may take a look at the old Summerville Court Apartment complex on SpringHill Ave.I know these are becoming very popular, especially for some people with money that still want a nice place in town if they move away. They look really nice to me.

[mobile]

man i'm so shocked that most of us r in r early 20's. we r the future of mobile! a bigger,better, and a more exciting mobile!

[Bama_75]

I am 33. I did not go to school here. I graduated from Kinston High School in Coffee County. I moved to Mobile in 1999 when I was 24.

My wife is from Enterprise, Alabama, also in Coffee County. She graduated from Enterprise High and went on to Troy University. Her job is why we moved to Mobile.

We really like it here a lot. She could have recently went to a job in Florida, but because we like it here, we do not want to leave.

[10101000]

I am 33. I did not go to school here. I graduated from Kinston High School in Coffee County. I moved to Mobile in 1999 when I was 24.

My wife is from Enterprise, Alabama, also in Coffee County. She graduated from Enterprise High and went on to Troy University. Her job is why we moved to Mobile.

We really like it here a lot. She could have recently went to a job in Florida, but because we like it here, we do not want to leave.

A lot of my Fathers side of my family is from Dothan/ Enterprise and most of them went to Enterprise high. You all might know each other.

[Alxx611]

I almost moved DT in Tower on Ryan Park before I got married and moved to Baton Rouge; that is a nice place to live.

I dunno why, but i thought Tower on Ryan Park was for like senior citizen's only or something, or that it was an assisted living complex. When was that thing built, its a pretty large building, and i cant imagine the views from there.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Alxx611/downtown/DSC00609.jpg

Its the wide building behind the cathedral here.

[Bama_75]

A lot of my Fathers side of my family is from Dothan/ Enterprise and most of them went to Enterprise high. You all might know each other.

My wife may. She lived there her entire life untill moving to Mobile. I lived across the county on the west side fairly close to Opp.

[pboo74]

How about that's where I stay now...right down the street from White's barbershop/college on Peach St. near Hercules. I graduated from LeFlore in 2006.
hey thats' funny b cause i went to white babershop when i had came back home for thanksgiving and he still cuts hair.i have braids but i just needed my beard trimmed up.

[pboo74]

Pboo looks like your the old man around here... I had no idea everyone was that young either. I guess most of the old folks still have a bitter taste in their mouth after Brookley and the paper mills all closed up shop.
yeah you r right i do feel old listening to some of the other posters saying class of 03 etc...

[Verve]

Wow. I must be one of the old school crowd on the board. I just passed the half-century mark. I grew up in Whistler, graduated from Vigor, live in West Mobile, and work downtown. I lived up north when I was younger and downtowns were the place to go back then. Thus my love for the downtown area and all the things happening in Mobile.

For the LeFlore grad on the board, by May of this year, I will have 3 sons who graduated from there.

[elb401]

I graduated from Davidson in 2004 and I'm about to graduate from USA this December. Yeah its surprising that most of us are in our early 20s. I'm 22.

I've lived in Midtown all my life. I live off Cathrine street between dauphin and government street. About two blocks from the crack-dixie, I mean winn-dixie.

[phoenixboi08]

Blount class of 2008.

I guess it is a really good sign that most of the people on the thread are pretty young. It shows that there's at least some excitement and enthusiasm about downtown development and growth in Mobile.

I'm originally from Phoenix, AZ and went to a high school called Westview (about 3,000 students) I fell in love with Murphy's architecture from the first time I saw it. I wish they would clean it up. I couldn't attend 'cause I had breathing problems form the mold....:shrug:

Murphy and the GM&O building are the best in Mobile!:worship:

[SouthSky]

Murphy and the GM&O building are the best in Mobile!:worship:

I agree with that...

add the Battle House, the Cathedral, and Government Plaza...


Just kidding about the last one.