MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mayor Sandy Stimpson's plan to demolish the Mobile Civic Center and build a new center is raising some questions about downtown transportation.
The new “state-of-the-art” arena can seat up to 10,000 people, and the mayor's staff explained at a press conference Thursday afternoon that the new arena will feature big-name entertainers.
Construction on the project is expected to take up to three years to complete, and most business owners downtown are excited about the brand new attraction. However, some question how this will affect the bottom line.
David Rasp is the owner of Heroes Sports Bar and Grille and believes the new civic center will be a great addition to downtown Mobile. Although excited, he questioned the practicality of having a separate venue with restaurant and bar service.
“One of my areas of interest is how well we can incorporate the existing entertainment district into the events that take place there on the night of the event,” he asked. “Can we make it a pedestrian-friendly venue for people who come to support existing venues that have been here, in some cases for decades, and transition there for great shows?”
The current Civic Center is scheduled to be demolished by August, with the budget for the demolition and arena set at $300 million.
