Mobile business and city officials announced plans Tuesday for a 1,300-acre logistics park along Interstate 10 in southern Mobile County. South Alabama Logistics Park is planned for the Theodore Dawes exit from I-10, close to the new Amazon sortation center and providing easy access to the Port of Mobile and the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.
The park will offer 6 million square feet in its first phase, said Philip Burton, president of Burton Property Group, which is developing the site. He estimates that the park, when complete, will exceed $350 million in value.
The park will feature Class A industrial warehouse and distribution space.
“Burton Property Group is expecting to close on the property this summer and is in the process of investing in needed infrastructure to attract clients,” the Mobile group said in announcing the park plans, which call for a mix of speculative buildings and build-to-suit options.
“This project addresses a growing sector in our industry mix,” said Mobile County Commission President Merceria Ludgood. “Its potential to attract logistics jobs can be a game changer for Mobile County.”
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson added, “In order to fully capitalize on the growth from the Port and the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, we must have sites ready for large companies to locate with utilities and infrastructure already in place. Today’s announcement is three years in the making and a huge step forward to propel our growing distribution hub.”
And Alabama State Port Authority Director and CEO John Driscoll added, “The new park offers up new land options for light manufacturing and distribution investments that rely on modern, deep-water seaport terminals for their import/export activities. We’re excited by this public/private initiative that will only strengthen the region’s growth opportunities.”
The Tuesday announcement is the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort by a group called Team Mobile. Partners in Team Mobile, which backed and announced the deal, include Mobile city and county, Alabama Power Co., the Alabama State Port Authority, Mobile Airport Authority, Spire, the University of South Alabama and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
