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Record Snow Assists Demo of Mobile's Civic Center; Gadsden Set to Build New City Hall

Record snow caused Mobile Civic Center's roof collapse, assisting in its demo for a new $300M arena. Gadsden, AL awarded $16.7M bid to build a modern City Hall complex, set for completion in 18 months.

Thu January 23, 2025 - Southeast Edition #3
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The roof cave-in comes as crews hired by the city were already in the process of demolishing the more than 60-year-old structure in order to rebuild the facility into a $300 million entertainment arena by 2027.
Photo courtesy of the City of Mobile
The roof cave-in comes as crews hired by the city were already in the process of demolishing the more than 60-year-old structure in order to rebuild the facility into a $300 million entertainment arena by 2027.

After a historic snowfall in south Alabama, the old Mobile Civic Center's roof collapsed on Jan. 22 due to the heavy amount of frozen precipitation, the city announced.

The roof cave-in comes as crews hired by the city were already in the process of demolishing the more than 60-year-old structure in order to rebuild the facility into a $300 million entertainment arena by 2027.

Luckily, no one was injured in the collapse and the record snowfall should not delay the new arena's construction, which is expected to begin sometime around March 12, Al.com. reported.

"Earlier this morning, the roof of the Mobile Civic Center collapsed under the weight of excessive snow," municipal officials stated in a Facebook post. "The collapse occurred in a manner consistent with the plans for the building's ongoing demolition. Fortunately, there were no injuries, and the mosaic murals were undamaged."

Mobile got an unprecedented 7.5 in. of snow on Jan. 21, shattering its all-time record for snow accumulation, which had stood since 1895.

Once the new Mobile Civic Center construction gets going, the city will build a new, world-class entertainment destination suited for concerts, family shows and sporting events.

"The new facility will be uniquely designed to support Mobile's Mardi Gras traditions while providing a state-of-the-art venue capable of bringing in major acts that previously drove through the Port City enroute to other destinations," according to the project page on the city of Mobile's website. "The design will ensure that structurally, functionally and aesthetically the arena will meet the current requirements from the sports entertainment industry, allowing Mobile to host top-billed entertainment that could not [have been] hosted in the [old] Civic Center."

Its design also calls for a number of features created to provide retail spaces, luxury suites, VIP clubs, premium seating, great sightlines and dynamic acoustics, the city noted. Flexible seating and layout options will allow the new arena to accommodate a range of activities, including smaller shows and larger events with up to 10,000 spectators and fans.

Multiple ballrooms capable of hosting events of all sizes also will be part of the new venue, offering greater flexibility for Mardi Gras balls and local events, as well as creating additional spaces for conventions.

In addition to concerts and live performances, the new Mobile Civic Center will be built to host professional hockey, ice skating performances and many other youth, collegiate and professional sporting events.

Mobile's new Civic Center will no longer be just a venue, noted Bama Buzz, a statewide online news service. The project's master plan also includes utilizing the extra 16 acres of the old arena's land to build a residential community, a theater, a parking garage, a hotel and mixed-use facilities.

Gadsden Awards $16.7M Construction Contract for New City Hall Complex

A year and a half of planning, acquiring, and maneuvering became something tangible in late December as the city council in Gadsden, Ala., awarded the bid for construction of its new City Hall complex.

Clements Dean Building Co., located in Wilsonville, Ala., will build the modern $16.7 million Gadsden City Hall.

Mayor Craig Ford said that figure is well under the $20 million to $22 million range he and Heath Williamson, the city's director of engineering, were expecting after pre-qualifying, the Gadsden Times reported.

"We were holding our breath," Ford told council members. "We were tickled to death when this bid came in."

The money will cover the renovation of the Regions Bank building at 200 Broad St., which the city purchased for $2.8 million in July 2023 as the first step toward relocating City Hall; and the adjacent Merrill Lynch building at 224 Broad St., which it bought for $2.6 million three months later. In addition, a new building will be constructed to connect the two structures.

That will free up the riverfront property — where the current City Hall and the adjoining police building have sat since 1960 — for commercial development, most notably a new hotel that Gadsden officials have long been recruiting.

The hotel would be at the site of the police building, which will be torn down, according to the Times. As for the current City Hall, Ford said that that structure will either be repurposed for commercial retail space or torn down, with the hotel developer making that call.

Everything housed in the current City Hall will move to the Regions Bank building, although the bank will still retain a small interior and drive-thru presence.

Ford said that the space will be smaller than the current City Hall, but it will be "more directional" and easier to navigate.

Gadsden's police and fire chiefs and their command staffs will be set up in the Merrill Lynch building. Other police operations will be based at the East Gadsden precinct, and dispatch is relocating to the Etowah County 911 headquarters near the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport.

The planned connector building will house the City Council chambers on the second floor, while the first floor will be a lobby with space that the public can rent for events.

"This is something the public will be proud of," Ford told the Gadsden news source, adding that it will be a more professional setting for city employees and city residents needing to do business there.

Additionally, he said the new City Hall should also increase property values in the 100 and 200 blocks of Broad Street.

Ground is likely to be broken for the new Gadsden City Hall in February, Ford added, and the projected completion time for the project is 18 months.

He also explained that Clements Dean Building Co. has committed to use local firms as subcontractors, "... which is important to all of us."

The city should not have to borrow any funds to cover the project, as roughly half the cost will come from the capital projects funds in Gadsden's Fiscal Year 2025 budget, with the remainder coming from the FY 2026 budget.

Council members approved the bid following a unanimous consent vote to take it up on its first reading.

"It's had its day," the mayor said of the current City Hall, noting that aside from not being Americans with Disabilities Act compliant and having little parking, it has "substantial issues" like black mold and asbestos, and the elevators are constantly breaking down.

"This is going to be good for the citizens of Gadsden," he said.




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