Mobile’s waterfront has long been the engine of the city’s maritime economy, its busy port moving ever-growing volumes of cargo that keep coastal Alabama a vital player along the Gulf Coast.
But over the past 35 years, the shoreline has transformed into something more than a hub of commerce. It has become a civic stage, layered with a convention center, a cruise terminal, a museum, a return of Amtrak service, a pocket park honoring hometown sports Hall of Famers, and a steadily revitalizing Cooper Riverside Park.
Now, Mobile’s new mayor wants to take that transformation further, turning the waterfront into a must-see destination that draws residents and visitors alike.
“We have a lot of public investment in our waterfront,” Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said during a recent Q&A with AL.com. “I want to see a lot of private investment on our waterfront. I want more eateries, more shops, more watering holes, more places that people can sit down and enjoy the view of the waterfront, watch these ships with tons of containers roll in, and watch these Coast Guard cutters we are building at Austal.”
Cheriogotis believes the vision is achievable sooner rather than later, especially if Water Street’s size is reduced. He is channeling former Mayor Sandy Stimpson in pursuing a new configuration for the busy thoroughfare, which is part of an engineering study approved by the city council in September. The $829,923 study by Volkert is aimed at calming traffic along Water Street and better connecting the waterfront with Mobile’s historic downtown.
The study also examines ways to reconfigure the intersection of Water and Dauphin streets just north of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. One option under review is whether the intersection could be redesigned into a diverging diamond, a rare interchange in Alabama first built in 2021 at Alabama State Route 181 and Interstate 10 in Daphne.
“I would like people who are staying in the Battlehouse (Hotel), Hampton Inn or anywhere else to wake up in the morning, take a walk and accidentally find themselves on our waterfront without having to face death at the hands of a speeding 18-wheeler,” Cheriogotis said, referring to the present reality of four-lane Water Street.
A reduction of the lanes “will change our city forever,” he said.
James Gordon, spokesperson with ALDOT’s Southwest District, said a meeting is scheduled for this month with the Federal Highway Administration regarding Water Street. He noted that ALDOT will facilitate the meeting but the project is the city’s responsibility and “they will have the opportunity to discuss their proposals.”
Cheriogotis said that calming traffic will make the waterfront more attractive to private investment. He pointed to River Walk Plaza, a multi-use development planned adjacent to the Convention Center that will include a luxury hotel, condos, office space, and food, beverage, and entertainment options. Burton Property Group and Kessler Capital Partners are leading the project.
“When you talk about the Riverwalk Plaza, they see as maybe a necessary precursor to their development that Water Street is addressed,” Cheriogotis said. “A pedestrian friendly version of Water Street is at least in the works. I want to help them. My vision includes a walkable Water Street.”
South of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, Cheriogotis sees the greatest potential for food and entertainment attractions. He plans to create a waterfront task force next year to discuss ideas and help shape a master plan.
The waterfront task force will be the second under his administration. A gun violence task force will be announced next week, consisting of academic and health care professionals among others, focused on intervening with young men engaged in gun violence by connecting them with faith-based non-profits.
“I want to pay proper attention to the task force at hand,” Cheriogotis said. “I don’t want to create so much that I don’t engage properly with each one.”
The waterfront task force will likely examine redevelopment near the Mobile County Metro Jail and properties underutilized by companies along the shoreline.
“There are companies in this area that do not need the waterfront,” he said. “They don’t utilize it. I want them to be successful, but I want us to unlock this valuable real estate in an effort to make Water Street more accessible for the waterfront is more accessible.”
The timing coincides with ALDOT’s $3.5 billion I-10 Mobile Bridge and Bayway project, which is expected to remove on-ramps from the existing I-10 to Water Street as a new bridge is built further south of downtown.
“The overpasses connecting to Water Street will eventually go away and will open up more area to development,” Cheriogotis said.
He added, “Better access to the water for our citizens and our community assets frankly make it easier to attract more people to live in this beautiful city. I want anyone who comes to Mobile to know we are a city on the water.”