Design the downtown of your dreams
Topic: Development
Hello all!
On 23 April
The Mobile Press Register asked its readers to submit their ideas of what
Downtown Mobile, Alabama looks like in their dreams.
This is what I wrote in response to Mobile Press Register's 4/23/06 article "Design the downtown of your dreams"
"In my mind, Downtown Mobile will be a cultural center, an educational center and a residential community. This is in addition to Mobile currently being a major shipping port, transportation hub, and business center.
The renovation of the historic buildings and new construction fill-in of vacant lots draw people into the area.
Main Street Mobile and Mobile’s
Architectural Review Board have done great jobs in maintaining architectural historic integrity in the downtown area.
Wireless electric trollies carry you from parking garages to one of the culinary arts schools where you can sample cooking skills of the students. From there, you could walk to a play at one of the performing arts colleges. After the show, you could walk to the Peanut Shop and get a healthy snack. Then sit in one of the landscaped areas with bench seats and gas lighting scattered throughout downtown.
During school hours, students attend colleges of performing arts, culinary arts, art and sculpture, medical, etc… After school hours, students live in downtown apartments, with businesses furnishing all necessities nearby.
At night, students go to their upstairs apartments, freshen-up, change clothes, and go out on the town. They have choices between going to one of the movies at the theater complex, a couple of plays, one of them on the floating stage next to the marina. They could go to the bowling alley, a pool hall, or one of the many
restaurants or clubs. They could go to the gym, spa, tennis or basketball courts. The handball courts, racquetball courts or the indoor firing range are options.
After crossing Water Street via one of the overhead walkways, they could walk or jog along the waterfront, come back for a visit to the
Explorium/IMAX center or the one of the museums. A riverboat dinner cruise or a pre-sail party on board of one of the cruise ships in port is an option. Or they could just watch the ships go by and gaze at the stars and water.
If they want to ride the hovercraft to Fairhope Pier for a change of pace, they know it would have a stop at the
USS Alabama Battleship Park to drop off and pick up people enjoying the causeway’s restaurants, amusement parks and nature trails. Then again, if they’re carrying fishing tackle or swimming gear, that’s another option.
Visitors to the City of Mobile would stay in one of the downtown hotels, attend conventions and business meetings with the international businesses that have moved into one of the new office buildings downtown. They too could enjoy the flavor of downtown Mobile. Imagine their surprise when they open their lap top computers to find the entire downtown area has wireless internet access.
Local downtown residents live in houses, gated communities, efficiency apartments, luxury apartments, and in condominiums at one of the new riverfront residential towers. Delivery services would be available at any hour. Or they could walk to one of the corner grocery stores, delli, restaurants, or coffee houses.
If they do not want to drive to the malls, they could ride the monorail along the interstates and transfer to the monorail loop serving the three malls. City buses and taxis would take you to the other places you want to go.
I was one of over 600 participants involved in creating what became the Final Report for Mayor Sam Jones Transition Task Force. The
report is available on the internet at the
City of Mobile's web site. It does not include everything I pictured above for downtown Mobile, but it can be utilized as the beginning of a new Master Plan for Downtown Mobile. Developers and investors can get some great ideas by reading this report because Mobilians have asked Mayor Jones to accomplish these goals for Mobile.
I have worked in the consulting, architectural, engineering, and construction industries since 1976 and am looking forward to seeing the city continue to grow in a positive direction.
I was born and raised in Mobile. After my four year enlistment with the US Army I returned to Mobile. While employed by Architect Dewey Crowder I was an architectural design team member for the construction of Riverview Plaza and other projects. In fact, I have a collection of several development studies he created for the Mobile area.
I encourage you to contact me via my email address gfbmail@yahoo.com to discuss.
Sincerely yours, Girard Frank Bolton, III."
I am interested in what dream you envision for your city's downtown.
Until next time, I am and will always be Frank....
