The Mobile City Council repealed a former intergovernmental agreement with the Mobile County School system after receiving a letter from the superintendent and the school board.
For weeks, the council has discussed versions of an agreement to sell Ladd-Peebles Stadium for $1 to the school system.
Last week, council members complained they had not heard any official word on what the board or superintendent wanted and only hearsay. After receiving a signed letter, the council could proceed with a new agreement.
The city has agreed to spend $9 million on updates, and the school system will allow event promoters to add seating to bring the capacity to 30,000 when needed.
"Many people ask the question, 'Is this a good thing or is it a bad thing?" said Council president C.J. Small. "But the school board is looking - from my understanding - to invest $60 million over in that property to try to make it one of the home fields of one of the local high schools. When I look at it and here are some of the plans that they are trying to make over there, even bringing in other activity besides football, I would say that will always keep that community vibrant."
“The good part of this is developing a good relationship between the school system and the municipality,” said District 2 Councilman William Carroll. “There’s so many municipalities across the state of Alabama that have partnerships with the school systems. We’re not one of them right now. This may be a good first step."
“But what it does allow is for us to continue the culture of the games that we have in place out there and also other activities that we have been promoting at the stadium.”
The council unanimously approved Resolution 01-670-2023, adopting the new agreement.
The school board still must approve the new agreement.
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