On January 20, 2026, City Council adopted amendments to the Downtown Development District code (Appendix A of the UDC) with an effective date of July 20, 2026. The proposed amendments clarify minor inconsistencies identified during the previous adoption process. Specifically, the amendments: establish an administrative process for minor deviations; clarify the development process in SD districts; clarify curb-cut requirements for access to parking lots from primary and secondary frontages and the location of parking lots relative to the principal building façade; clarify screening requirements for surface parking lots and parking structures; reintroduce screening requirements for rooftop equipment; clarify the design…
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Feb 19th, 2026 Mobile, Ala. — Continued progress on Complete Streets projects in downtown Mobile will require an extended lane closure on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and a new block closure on St. Louis Street. To accommodate the progress on the St. Louis Street corridor, the block between Washington Ave. and Dearborn Street has been closed. The intersection of Washington Ave. and St. Louis Street is fully closed, while Dearborn Street will remain open at St. Louis to allow access to homes and businesses. As construction continues to move east, the previously closed section of St. Louis Street…
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Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 6, the traffic signal at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and N. Lafayette Street will be temporarily converted to a flashing yellow light. This action will allow a waterline to be run along a section of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from Butchers Lane to Lexington Avenue. This work is part of the ongoing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue “Complete Streets" Project and is happening now to avoid any impacts on Mardi Gras. To accommodate the underground work, the intersection of N. Lafayette Street and MLK Avenue will be temporarily converted…
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We've had great weather since construction began and are making good progress. Our team has continued to repair the base of the culvert from Spring Hill Avenue to Jefferson Street, and the damaged lid is being removed to Bayou Street. The brick culvert wall in the last photo is likely circa 1905 during Mayor Lyons’ time in office and push for new infrastructure. The new concrete culvert lid is currently being poured, with a much more secure and appropriate design for a long-lasting product. Water lines and inserta valves are being replaced down to Scott Street. We detected a critical…
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It’s a great day on MLK! Crews began mobilizing this week and preparing our laydown yard across Three Mile Creek. Milling started between Butchers Lane and Lincoln Street, and the construction team has created a new traffic scheme with two lanes of travel, temporary striping and barrels. Work on the water line replacement will start next week. As a reminder, we will work on the west side of the Mardi Gras route until after February 17th, completing all of the major items of work. Please remember to drive slowly and with extra care in the construction zone with workers being…
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Mobile, Ala. — Construction will begin this week along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue as the City of Mobile makes major investments into this historic downtown corridor. Work is starting this week near Butchers Lane just past Three Mile Creek and will move east toward Broad Street. There will be single-lane closures as work progresses, but the road will remain open to traffic throughout the project. The project is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2027. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue “Complete Streets” Project represents an $11.2 million investment and will include a full reconstruction…
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Groundbreaking ceremony On September 19th ground was broken on the St. Louis Street improvement project at the N. Jefferson Street intersection. The groundbreaking featured Mayor Sandy Stimpson, Josh McElhenney of McElhenney Construction Company, Dr. Amy Hunter of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Tom Piper of South Alabama Regional Planning Commission. The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the "Complete Streets" project aimed at making St. Louis Street safer and more accessible for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. The St. Louis Street project will completely rebuild 17 blocks of one of the most exciting business corridors in downtown Mobile. The…
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When the UDC was adopted, the City was clear that it was a first step. Officials committed to regularly assessing and improving the code. It has now been over a year since the UDC went into effect and the City has identified several provisions where improvements or clarifications to the code are needed. These potential updates will be introduced through public hearings in several phases in 2025. On October 16th, the City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for an update to the Downtown Development District code (Appendix A of the UDC). Public comments received by noon on Friday,…
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Next Wednesday, July 30th, at 2;30pm, the bid for construction of the Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue phase of the Broad Street Project will be opening. Check the City's website for more information.
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