Mobile Civic Center’s exterior demolition begins

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — The Mobile Civic Center is one step closer to being fully demolished. Crews began tearing down the exterior of the 60-year-old building this week.

One of the first parts to go was the thoroughfare connecting the theater and the arena.

“It’s kind of sentimental in a way but I think it needs to be done,” Mobile native Brandon Walker said. “I’m glad to see them finally kind of do something else with it.”

Thursday, crews started work to tear down the theater. The arena will be demolished once two mosaic murals in the atrium are removed for preservation and set aside to be added to the new civic center. These steps come weeks after work including asbestos remediation began on the inside of the building.

The demolition will pave the way for a brand new $300 million civic center, which will be able to host 10,000 people.

“I think it’s going to be OK,” Mobile resident Steve Guerin said. “Hopefully it will suit the Mardi Gras organizations because it does have a big impact on that.”

The City of Mobile said the project is on schedule. Construction of the new Civic Center is expected to start in February 2025.

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