Mobile Development Thread

[Alxx611]

buckett5425 and phoenixboi08 welcome to the forum! You both sound like architects or architecture students which sounds really cool.

I personally have never had a problem with the Amsouth building, or at least its facade. Its more so its overall shape and setup. I hate seeing a thin box plopped on top of a large parking deck and a huge elevator shaft on top, though nevertheless your designs for it look bad ass!

I think the Van Antwerp doesnt need a facelift, i like its classic dawn of the century look, but it could use some renovation.

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by buckett5425

I was bored again this afternoon, so I figured I would continue to practice my Sketchup skills. I tried to do something a little different with the Bank Building this time. I think its a little bit more modern looking. I used a little color this time, and added elements to cover up the horrible triangle elements that surround the windows. I also abandoned the "screen" idea and added a terrace at the top floor. I still think the building has potential though.

Wow !!! Some body please give those sketches to Jones are somebody the color goes perfect .I noticed that downtown is trying to go nautical and the colors go well with it. I always imagined that building with an "A" frame on top can you make that happin !!! ?

[buckett5425]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

Wow !!! Some body please give those sketches to Jones are somebody the color goes perfect .I noticed that downtown is trying to go nautical and the colors go well with it. I always imagined that building with an "A" frame on top can you make that happin !!! ?

Yea, I was trying to keep the colors within Mobiles "theme" of blues and greens. Here is my attempt to add an A-frame to the top of the Bank Building, at your request, haha. Is that how you envisioned it?

[Scottybo]

Originally Posted by buckett5425

Yea, I was trying to keep the colors within Mobiles "theme" of blues and greens. Here is my attempt to add an A-frame to the top of the Bank Building, at your request, haha. Is that how you envisioned it?

[elb401]

thats awesome. I like the second group of drawings. I would never have imaged that. Pretty cool. I wish it was for real.

[Bayside]

buckett5425 - I can't see any of you pictures in either IE or FireFox. I wonder why. Well, I take that back ... I can see them in IE, just not FireFox.

I like your renderings ... and the A-frame on top.

Regarding the park-to-be on the old county courthouse lot, I'm all in favor of a park there. The great cities of Europe all have their piazzas and parks. This can be transformed into Mobile's version of a European piazza, or plaza.

[Bama_75]

I like that terrace drawing.

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by buckett5425

Yea, I was trying to keep the colors within Mobiles "theme" of blues and greens. Here is my attempt to add an A-frame to the top of the Bank Building, at your request, haha. Is that how you envisioned it?

Yes thanks !! Nice my friend, hmmm I was just looking at pics of B-ham`s Regions tower . The "A" frame on that building is complemented with 4 little thingies on the top I don`t know what they are called pardon me.

heres the link 1st pic
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=...mingham-al-usa

Are you able to work your magic with that ?


I agree a little green space would be nice but Mobile already has 4 downtown parks that need to be put into use first.I believe to realy draw and attract people downtown you need retail,retail,retail and not just a grocery store but clothing and shoes as well. Retail would certainly develop more foot traffick downtown convince to shopping and dinning will attract people to reside downtown. A few months ago someone on this thread mentioned about a TGI Fridays, RubyTuesday,Chillies,Charley`s,and Applebees, and other dinning right in the heart of downtown I believe that is a good idea for downtown Mobile. people shopping and eating downtown would be nice.One street down town (St. Louis)can feature Asian dinning,American(Royal st),Italin(Dauphin st),Spanish,some French,and as well as a little Caribbean (Canal St) I don`t see why this wouldn`t work in downtown Mobile .What is IE and firefox any way?

[elb401]

Well....I love downtown and want to live downtown. Parks are places that people sit down at and enjoy the day while they are shopping and eating. Kind of like a break from the pavement. There are only 2 parks that are close to the restaurants and little shopping and offices. Only 2. Spanish plaza and cooper riverside (water street cuts it off) are to far way from the center. Savannah has 20 something parks. I don't think downtown needs city block size parks but a lot of small and pocket sized parks. It would be nice.

[Port_of_Bama]

Barton Acadamy can be a Boarders bookstore , well I think thats what they call it lol. I agree !

[Bayside]

I agree a little green space would be nice but Mobile already has 4 downtown parks that need to be put into use first.I believe to realy draw and attract people downtown you need retail,retail,retail and not just a grocery store but clothing and shoes as well. Retail would certainly develop more foot traffick downtown convince to shopping and dinning will attract people to reside downtown. A few months ago someone on this thread mentioned about a TGI Fridays, RubyTuesday,Chillies,Charley`s,and Applebees, and other dinning right in the heart of downtown I believe that is a good idea for downtown Mobile. people shopping and eating downtown would be nice.One street down town (St. Louis)can feature Asian dinning,American(Royal st),Italin(Dauphin st),Spanish,some French,and as well as a little Caribbean (Canal St) I don`t see why this wouldn`t work in downtown Mobile .What is IE and firefox any way?[/QUOTE]

IE and firefox are web browsers.

Retail will come to downtown. The latest issue of Downtown Alliance News addresses just this. I understand that you want retail, but why build on the old courthouse lot? Once some greedy developer gets a hold of it, it's gone forever and ever, amen.

[Bayside]

http://www.virtualalbuquerque.com/Vi...ivicPlaza2.jpg

Civic Plaza in New Mexico

[bayou15]

Welcome Bayside, Your idea of is really How is the city/county geauxing to make anyprofit with a big grassy field? Maybe they can put on flag football games on the weekend and charge addmission

Port of Bama is right....There are enough parks to geaux around already. Look at it this way....If im waiting to cruise out of Mobile onto the Gulf of Mexico for 5days, Why would I walk to a park to see a WATER fountian sounds boring to me . I like the idea of retail even if the dont build a money maker like a condo tower.....

[bayou15]

Whereya at, Nice drawings of the bank building. I really like the one with the A-frame roof. Maybe Toomey could quit catching tarpon and talk to the owners about a exterior face lift

Looks like u neaux what u are doing designing these buildings. Though I've got a big request/challenge for ya. See if you can draw up The new look of the Riverview Plaza Hotel with the new crown and post it on Mobile's diagram on this website. The crown is measured at 168ft the builder discussed on TV about a month ago. See what u got

[Bayside]

Originally Posted by bayou15

Welcome Bayside, Your idea of is really How is the city/county geauxing to make anyprofit with a big grassy field? Maybe they can put on flag football games on the weekend and charge addmission

Port of Bama is right....There are enough parks to geaux around already. Look at it this way....If im waiting to cruise out of Mobile onto the Gulf of Mexico for 5days, Why would I walk to a park to see a WATER fountian sounds boring to me . I like the idea of retail even if the dont build a money maker like a condo tower.....

Thanks for the welcome, but I respectively disagree on the courthouse square. Why does the city/county have to make money on it? Why does everyone want a high rise condo right there. Are there no other locations for these? Why no condos on the Washington Mall, or St. Peter's Square? It's moot, though, because I don't think it's going to be developed for anything other than for public space. There are never enough parks. All the great cities have them ... big ones, too.

If your waiting to cruise out of Mobile, more than likely, you are in line, sitting in your car on Canal Street waiting for the parking garage to empty. I really don't get the cruise ship idea. Now that would have been a real money making property for a condo and retail. What does the cruise terminal do for you and me? And if you are in the Gulf of Mexico for 5 days, how does Mobile get sales tax off you?

[bayou15]

Bayside, do you live in Mobile?

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by Bayside

Thanks for the welcome, but I respectively disagree on the courthouse square. Why does the city/county have to make money on it? Why does everyone want a high rise condo right there. Are there no other locations for these? Why no condos on the Washington Mall, or St. Peter's Square? It's moot, though, because I don't think it's going to be developed for anything other than for public space. There are never enough parks. All the great cities have them ... big ones, too.

If your waiting to cruise out of Mobile, more than likely, you are in line, sitting in your car on Canal Street waiting for the parking garage to empty. I really don't get the cruise ship idea. Now that would have been a real money making property for a condo and retail. What does the cruise terminal do for you and me? And if you are in the Gulf of Mexico for 5 days, how does Mobile get sales tax off you?

I hear the voice of reason from Bayside. I know Sam Jones is going to push for the park and I now agree with him. There is a ton of property downtown where we can demolish an eyesore and put up a highrise. It would be nice if there were some great trees on the property....please no more crepe myrtles!
I'm from Savannah and the parks number around 27. Besides having more parks it would allow a more even distribution of the "park regulars" so there would be more "open space" in Bienville Square.
Bayside could not be more right about the cruise terminal. They drive in, get on the boat, get off the boat, get in their car and drive away. We get a lousy parking deck RIGHT ON our waterfront. This is prime real estate for a development and look at what we have...a parking garage! I would not allow any more expansion of the property beyond more use for the current garage.

[elb401]

Parks are about the quality of life....and its a lifestyle. Its more for the people who live there (more attractive to residence). Also parks give people a reason to linger around after they have shopped or eaten. 2 parks (the only ones close enough to the center of downtown....the other two are really out of the way) is not enough. Beinville and Cathedral are being used....everyday!! Riverside is still closed and spanish plaza is to far from anything...except the neighborhood to the west.

Parks are not about making money....its about improving the atmosphere that will bring more residence and then retail to downtown. That is what will make money.

But....i think some of the courthouse lot should be a park....not all...the retail (or, and condos) and the park can share. Besides isn't the new probate court going to take up most of government street.

[nimsjus]

Work at Brookley will move forward. Also some talk near the bottom about increased service at Mobile Regional because of newfound importance in the aeronautics industry.

Airport Authority preps for tanker assembly at Brookley
Tuesday, March 18, 2008By KAIJA WILKINSONBusiness Reporter
Despite Boeing Corp.'s protest of the U.S. Air Force's decision to buy aerial refueling tankers assembled in Mobile, the Mobile Airport Authority on Monday continued to lay the groundwork for a new $600 million complex.
The contract, valued at up to $40 billion, was awarded to the Northrop Grumman Corp.-EADS North America team Feb. 29. Should it be upheld, the companies have said they will assemble the tankers in Mobile, creating 1,500 direct jobs. Another 300 jobs are promised as EADS subsidiary Airbus also moves commercial freighter aircraft assembly to the Brookley Field Industrial Complex.
A decision on the protest is due by June 19.
"We've got a lot going on with the tanker," Executive Director Bay Haas told the Airport Authority during its regular meeting. "The protest is ongoing, but we've still got to get ready to go in case we get the notice to proceed."
To that end, the authority is working with Alabama Power Co. and the Alabama Electric Cooperative to reach out to potential suppliers, said Marc Pelham, who directs Brookley operations for the authority.
"I'm looking at it from a facilities infrastructure preparation perspective," Pelham said. "Where buildings and roads should go -- that sort of thing. I'm anticipating a heavy influx of suppliers."
The authority is meeting with engineers from Northrop Grumman Corp. and the architectural and engineering firm tapped to design and build the facility, Pelham said.
The authority is also part of the state and local team working to move utilities to make way for the plant, he added.
In other matters:
Director of Aviation Thomas Hughes, who attended a national conference early this month in San Diego, said airlines there had been "very receptive" to what's going on in Mobile. The conference kicked off two days after the Air Force announcement that the Northrop-EADS team had won the tanker contract.
He predicted the possibility of new service in the near future.
Hughes reported that the Airport Authority is close to a deal with the city of Mobile that would allow a police and fire station to be built on about 8 acres at the regional airport. The city recently annexed the airport property.
Herbert Meisler, board treasurer, told authority members that he was concerned about the length of time elapsed since the authority late last year approved a land sale to the Alabama State Port Authority. The Port Authority has agreed to pay the Airport Authority $1.3 million for 46 acres near Arlington Point. The docks plans to use the property for wetlands mitigation related to its new Mobile Container Terminal at Choctaw Point.
Hughes said the sale is tied up in the Federal Aviation Administration's approval process. Haas said he expected the approval to take another 60 to 90 days.

[Bayside]

Originally Posted by bayou15

Bayside, do you live in Mobile?

Yes, and I work downtown, within a block of Bienville Square and have a nice view looking south.