The construction of the Mobile Arena has reached the halfway point, with the project being on time and on budget. The final steel beam was placed in the arena’s structural framework last week.
Mobile director of communications Jason Johnson told 1819 News that the 10,000-seat entertainment venue is expected to open just in time for the 2027 Mardi Gras season.
“To be clear, the arena could still have some things that are being finalized inside in terms of maybe hockey team locker rooms, but our primary goal is to have these functions during Mardi Gras in the facility,” Johnson said.
The arena will host Mardi Gras balls, concerts and events. The arena will bring with it a new professional hockey team. With the USA men’s and women’s hockey teams winning gold in the Winter Olympics, Johnson said conditions are ripe for a successful team.
“It certainly never hurts to have a big event like that remind Americans that we can play hockey when we want to, and so, that was great timing,” Johnson said. “But I also think the ownership group, Zawyer Sports, has a really good game plan. They've been really successful in several other southern cities that you would think traditionally aren't hockey cities.”
B.L. Harbert International is the contractor for the building, and the project is managed by Volkert, Inc.
“We've been very fortunate to have this within the budget parameters and on time, and I don't think that's an accident,” Johnson said. “We have a great contractor and they know big projects.”
Johnson said the builders have reached the halfway point of the project with no major delays.
“Everyone has felt very blessed that we have avoided some of the problems that usually can slow down projects here, namely something like a hurricane,” said Johnson. “We've been fortunate not to see something like that.”
The completion of the roof will mark the next milestone, with the facility being “dried in,” making it less susceptible to weather delays.
Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said he is looking forward to the completion of the state-of-the-art facility.
“Moments like this remind us what’s possible when a city believes in its future,” Cheriogotis said. “A thriving city has to offer economic opportunities and a great quality of life, and this project helps us do both.”
The Mobile City Council routinely approves spending items on the $247 million project. Johnson said that so far, the construction has remained under the $300 million budget.
The arena will include a variety of amenities and special features. Johnson said the open seating plan will allow clear views for everyone in general admission.
“I think there's a lot of great things throughout the arena and people are going to be really pleased about it when they're actually in there for an event in 2027,” Johnson added.
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