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Civil Rights and Cultural Heritage District Master Plan

Pike Theatre in Mobile, AL - Cinema Treasures Remembering the Avenue – Alabama Contemporary Art Center

Overview of Master Plan Development

What: A master plan to define the physical and programmatic elements of a special district that will serve as the foundation for providing robust civil rights/cultural heritage tourism opportunities and services to the local community.

When: 

Where: Surrounding the historic Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue corridor (boundaries to be determined)

Why: The Avenue has served as the cultural, social and economic hub of Mobile’s African American community, and it has a rich history tied to the civil rights movement. This project will preserve historic sites, interpret the district’s stories and fuel revitalization through local heritage tourism.

How: The Mobile County Commission received funds for COVID-19 response and recovery through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Commissioners Merceria Ludgood, Connie Hudson, and Randall Dueitt prioritized allocating funding to five key areas that include improving public facilities and infrastructure as well as increasing efforts for economic recovery and growth. To reach these goals and others, Commissioners assigned funds to develop a master plan for a civil rights and cultural heritage district, and to make a few initial investments, like the County’s portion of Isom Clemon Memorial Civil Rights Park (across the street from the ILA building). ARPA funds must be spent by the end of 2026. To meet that deadline, as the planning process is happening, a few quick projects the Commissioners know will be on the master plan will be completed.

The plan, made with community input, will be completed in 2024 and will be a guide for the future, helping to HONOR • PROTECT • RENEW an area important to local history centered on “The Avenue” (Mobile’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue corridor), with a focus on attracting both tourism dollars and additional investments. Work carrying out the plan will be done in stages.

A project of the Mobile County Commission spearheaded by District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood

Master Plan Project Manager: Freddie Stokes

Master Plan Consultants: The Walker Collaborative; Common Ground Urban Design + Planning; SARCOR; Anitra Henderson, Lyvve Strategies; Peritus Public Relations; Randall Gross / Development Economics; Eric Finley

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