Can the Mobile Area Support a Large Amusement Park?

[Ldunn1001]

Are they considering one in the Mobile area??

[PortCity]

Mobile and Baldwin combined which would also include neighboring Mississippi and Florida if it`s nice enough.

[humacaena]

There is plenty of room in Baldwin county...along the Foley Beach express, that at some point will connect with I-10. The biggest factor in this area is workers. There is lack of bodies in the worker category. Many restaurants have problems because of this. Down at the beach they have Eastern European young people that do a great job...also the Grand in Point Clear employs foreigners to fill the voids. They even built apartments for them as there is lack of affordable housing.
It is a great idea, but it won't be feasible at this time. The Wharf tried to be the dining, shopping and entertainment "city", and it is not doing so well.This area is not populated enough to sustain such a park.But good idea....for the future perhaps. The problem is that if we get the bodies, then we get traffic, crime and all the other negatives that many of us left behind.

[oscottscotto]

The Wharf was a neat idea in theory - but the implementation decisions will lead to its failure imo. Unfortunately it is just bland and does not have much personality, as I guess they were shooting for family-friendly and wannabe-upscale as major goals. The result of those qualities is usually "ho-hum" and typically fail after a few years. You want to sustain business? You need to be innovative.

[PortCity]

^^^ So true and honestly I beleive a theme park would do better in Mobile County near Theodore & Tillmans Corner because it has good interstate access (I-10) and being innovative is the key.

[mimpdaddy]

University of South Alabama, I think could be a key in the growth of Mobile.
Amusement Park not really seeing alot of long term growth and development in that.A major university could attract generations of young people that would invest in Mobile.

[mimpdaddy]

But thrive for both!!

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by PortCity

^^^ So true and honestly I beleive a theme park would do better in Mobile County near Theodore & Tillmans Corner because it has good interstate access (I-10) and being innovative is the key.

Oh it would do good in that area, but I would be scared of the type of people that would frequent it around there .

I really would like to see some major plaza-type developments in Baldwin County a few miles inland of the beach - like the Wharf, but better. But as someone mentioned, there is just not the population or demand to support it at this time. And I do not believe any investor has the guts to break from the norm when it comes to planning and implementation.

[7spider]

I'd say before we start thinking amusement park they need to have the Foley Beach Expressway up to I-10 open. The homeowners insurance situation needs to be addressed in the gulf coast areas which will have an effect on the growth of the area. It's good to have a vision of a nice amusement park for the area but there's a lot that would need to happen in this lousy economy to even think about it right now.