Possible Civic Center Plans Detailed

MOBILE, Ala. — A six- to eight-story U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building and a large adjacent parking garage may be built on the Mobile Civic Center’s parking lot, AL.com reported. The project will be considered by the Mobile Planning Commission on August 18 as part of a master plan for the 22-acre downtown property. Kansas City-based Populous Architects has been preparing plans for public input. They include a $120-million refurbishment of the Civic Center Arena, while the corps would lease a 3-acre portion in the southeast of the property near Claiborne and Canal streets. The parking garage would accommodate 1,000-1,200 cars to replace all surface parking for the Civic Center area. The project also allows the city to consider other uses for the property, including a rezoning that would allow for light commercial operations like boutique hotels. The arena has not been renovated since the late 1980s and has been criticized for its deteriorated state and high maintenance cost.