-- Mobile Police Change Car Towing, Take Over Impound Yard
-- St. Louis Street Goes Two-way
-- Got Old Electronics? Time to E-Recycle
-- Boo! A Haunted House
Greetings!
The temperatures might be dipping a little lower along
the Gulf Coast, but the good times for Mobile are
heating up. The City Council has approved the
incentives for the ThyssenKrupp plant - a project that
will bring thousands of jobs to Mobile. Please read on
for more information on that and many other great
things happening in Mobile. On behalf of everyone at
the City, I wish you a safe and Happy Halloween.
Sincerely,
Samuel L. Jones Mayor
Council Approves ThyssenKrupp Incentives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mobile City Council approved $33.5 million in
incentives for the ThyssenKrupp plant. The steel plant
will bring in thousands of high paying jobs to Mobile.
The incentives were part of a $61 million bond issue.
The bond issue includes money for the ThyssenKrupp
plant, a Police and Fire station in the newly annexed
area in west Mobile, a new radio system for the police
and fire departments, and several drainage and road
projects.
"The ThyssenKrupp facility is such a major force for us
in terms of economic development," says Mayor
Jones. "These projects throughout the city
are very much needed. We are very happy to be able
to accomplish so much."
Here's a breakdown of the projects:
· ThyssenKrupp incentives - $33.5
million · Police and Fire Station - $7
million · New Emergency Radio
System - $6.5 million · Road/Drainage
Projects - $4.4 million · New Park in
Annexed Area - $1.3 million
Landmark Mardi Gras Park Coming to Mobile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A landmark park dedicated to honoring the history of
Mardi Gras in Mobile is one step closer to becoming a
reality. As part of the bond issue, $1.2 million has
been put toward the project which will serve as a jewel
in downtown Mobile on the grounds of the former
County Courthouse at Royal and Government Streets.
The estate of Bill Hearin has already committed more
than a million dollars to the park. Mayor Jones is
seeking private donations for the remaining costs.
"Right now, if you look at all the different things to do in
downtown, the Exploreum, the history museum, Fort
Conde, the cruise terminal, there is no central meeting
place," said Mayor Jones. "This park will not only
create much needed green space in downtown, it will
allow us to proclaim to the world that Mobile is the true
home of Mardi Gras."
Two Councilmen Hold Community Meetings Tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Councilmen John Williams and Fred Richardson will
hold community meetings tonight for citizens in their
respective council districts.
Councilman Williams will hold the first of four District
Four Community Meetings with Beats 11 and 12
tonight at Christ Church (3275 Halls Mill Road),
starting at 7 p.m. Beats 11 and 12 are roughly
bounded by I-65 and Moore Creek on the west, Dog
River on the south, Dog River and Eslava Creek on the
east, and Government Street and Pleasant Valley
Drive on the north.
Councilman Richardson will hold a District One, Beat
30 Trinity Gardens Community Meeting tonight at the
Dotch Community Center (3100-A Banks Avenue),
starting at 7 p.m. Beat 30 is bounded by Interstate 65
on the west, Spring Hill Avenue and Moffett Road on
the south, Stanton Road on the east and the city limit
on the north.
City department heads will be at each meeting.
Citizens in those areas are encouraged to attend.
A New Plan for Old Mobile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The growth in the City of Mobile has been tremendous
over the past few years. But growth can be hindered
without the proper planning. That is why the city is
putting together a master plan for the downtown area
called the "New Plan for Old Mobile." The City of
Mobile took a big step toward that goal by signing a
contract with Dan Dealy of DSD Services Group to
serve as a liaison between the city and the company
putting the plan together.
The master plan will encompass all aspects of life in
and around downtown. Transportation, real estate,
public safety, recreation, and economic development
will be planned in the process.
"This plan will put us in a great position for growth for
generations to come," says Mayor Jones. "Things
have a vision for the direction of Mobile, and the New
Plan for Old Mobile will help us make that vision a
reality."
Mobile Police Change Car Towing, Take Over Impound Yard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If your car gets towed by the City of Mobile, there's a
new way to get it back. The City Council approved new
regulations for towing. Earlier this year, the City of
Mobile started a new impound yard for storing vehicles
that were towed for illegal parking, used in crimes or
abandoned.
Wreckers used to be called on a rotation basis. Now,
the wrecker whose business is closest to the car to be
towed will be called. Mobile Police Chief Phillip
Garrett says this will cut down on the time officers
have to wait for a tow truck.
The City's impound yard, which is located near the
corner of Virginia and Ann streets will be overseen by
police officers. This is where you need to go if your car
is towed for the above reasons. Most towing fees will
rise from $75 to $125. Storage fees for most vehicles
will rise from $10 a day to $20 a day.
St. Louis Street Goes Two-way
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
St. Louis Street in downtown Mobile became a two-
way street at a switching ceremony on Monday,
October 15, 2007.
The project will cost $125,000 for signal work. All
signalization will be complete except at the
intersections of Conception at St. Louis and St.
Joseph at St Louis. These intersections will function
as 4-way stops until signal work is complete. St. Louis
Street is about one mile long.
Other streets that have gone two-way in the past year
include Royal Street and Spring Hill Avenue just west
of Broad Street.
Got Old Electronics? Time to E-Recycle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep Mobile Beautiful will hold a electronics recycling
event on Saturday, November 3 at the Greater Gulf
State Fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Items that will be accepted include televisions,
computers, monitors, phones, fax machines, printers,
copiers, power supplies, USB cables, hubs, switches,
routers, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, wet or dry
lead acid batteries and all types of cables.
Microwaves will NOT be accepted.
For more information, call Keep Mobile Beautiful at
208-6026.
Boo! A Haunted House
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The City of Mobile Parks and Recreation Department
invites you to some ghoulish fun at the Haunted
House at the Michael Figures Community Center (658-
C Donald Street) . The Haunted House is open every
weekday until Halloween with three shows each day.
First show is from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Second show is
from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. The third show is from 5 p.m. - 8
p.m. On Halloween, there will only be two shows (10
a.m. and 2 p.m.).
The cost is $1.00 for adults and $0.50 for children. All
proceeds go to various charities. Children under 9
must be accompanied by an adult.
