RSA Office Tower and Battle House Project

Aug 1st, 2003

Drive down Mobile's Water Street and look to your left as you pass the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center. What you'll see is the beginning of a project that will be a huge shot in the arm to Mobile's downtown. It's the RSA Office Tower and Battle House Hotel project that sits between Water and Royal Streets. This isn't just any project however, it’s a $162-million dollar project, employing 300 people during construction, and providing millions of dollars in contracts to local companies.

So far, RSA has awarded about 12-million dollars of work to General Contractors. Of that amount, $6-million dollars was awarded to W.G. Yates who has had an office in Mobile for 15 years. Five women owned businesses have also benefited from the project including Prime Site Development, Quick Buildings, Marshall McLeod all from Mobile and Millery Iron, from Millery, Alabama. When it comes to bidding opportunities, twelve Mobile Companies have been confirmed as pre-qualified bidders for everything from the hotel demolition and stabilization package to the electrical package.

In the next three years where you see workers gutting old, outdated hotel rooms at the Battle House, you’ll see a four star hotel with 240 rooms and a ballroom restored to its original glory. Just behind the hotel, where crews are busily making sure the foundation is prepared, you’ll see a 35 story, state of the art office tower.

Two Alabama firms are the apparent low bidders for the mechanical and electrical contracts. Bids opened Wednesday, July 30 show Stanley Jones Corporation from Birmingham as the low bidder on the mechanical package at $17-point-7 million dollars. Wayne J. Griffin Electrical Co. of Pelham is the apparent low bidder for the electrical portion of the project, coming in at $10-point-3 million dollars. Before any of the bids are officially awarded, RSA officials must review the bid forms and results to make sure everything is correct. Project Manager Ron Blount says he hopes to make the awards within one month. Work on the electrical and mechanical packages for the office tower and hotel should begin in December.

The City of Mobile and RSA made a commitment to provide an opportunity for as many local companies as possible to participate in the process. Ron Blount says RSA must follow Alabama bidding laws. That means the lowest bidder gets the job, and the state gets the benefit of the lowest available price.

The core and shell construction package will be put out for bids in late September or October.