Gulf museum, Mobile riverfront, Sea Lab aquarium among projects getting millions

 

 

By ARTHUR L. MACK

MOBILE — Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday that museums, education facilities, aquariums and waterfront projects in Mobile County will receive about $17.5 million in Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) funds.

“One of the main themes for this year’s projects is environmental and nature education and outreach,” Ivey said at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. “Teaching future generations about the importance of protecting Alabama the Beautiful and all her natural habitats, wildlife and fish is critical. Several of these projects will make improvements at museums, education facilities, aquariums and along the waterfront, all to educate Alabamians and our visitors from far and wide.”

Mobile Riverfront enhancements will receive $3 million, the largest amount of GOMESA funds, for improvements to the seawall at Cooper Riverside Park.

“The construction is going on right now,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. “We had a failure of the seawall out there.”

The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico will receive $2 million devoted to converting the third floor into a hands-on exhibit about the Mobile Bay Delta.

Phase II of the Cedar Point boat ramp phase project will get $2.7 million.

“This Cedar Point acquisition is something that we started on three years ago,” Mobile County Commission President Randall Dueitt said. “Of course, we bought the pier and we’ve been working diligently to get the parking lot and seawall there.”

Other Mobile County projects to receive GOMESA funding include:

• City of Creola park, conservation and education project $1 million.

• Exploreum traveling exhibit gallery refurbishment $829,012.

• Dauphin Island programmatic dredge permit $300,000.

• Dauphin Island middle beach access improvements $1.5 million.

• Saraland Water and Sewer System upgrades $1.5 million.

• Dauphin Island sewer collection system improvements $2.9 million.

• Mobile County/TNC Coden Bayou La Batre acquisition project $753,575.

• City of Prichard Sweeney Lane bridge $650,000.

• Dauphin Island Sea Lab aquarium improvements $200,000.

• USA Lower Alabama Beach education facility $250,000.