The Real Deal

By Sharman Egan Lagniappe columnist

Have you noticed the increase in commercial development in Midtown Mobile, in predominantly residential historic districts? And the neighborhood protests surrounding those developments?

First there was the hoopla about a business operating out of a house on Dauphin Street that is zoned for residential use (see Real Deal, July 3, 2007). When neighbors ratted out the owners to the city, they applied for several variances that would allow them to continue to operate. The neighborhood mounted a well-organized protest, and the planning commission denied the variances in early July.

Then there was the ill-fated Texaco in the Oakleigh Garden District. A developer out of the Atlanta area, Marvin Hewitt Enterprises, planned to build a small strip mall with a gas station and convenience store on Broad Street at Elmira Street. The company already has approval for a similar project on Spring Hill Avenue in the Old Dauphinway Historic District.

Nonetheless, the Oakleigh-ians didn’t like the idea of another gas station/convenience store on Broad Street. The whole story is too complicated to detail here. Suffice it to say the neighborhood association rallied enough opposition to convince the developer to abandon the plan in late July.

Now another developer is proposing a new commercial project in Oakleigh at the intersection of Government and George Streets. Two things are significant about this location. First, it’s just two blocks from Government and Charles Streets, the former site of a notorious Circle K that, according to neighbors, attracted a criminal element before it was shut down a few years ago. Second, it’s so close to my house that even I will walk a couple of blocks rather than crank up the car. So I’m pretty interested in what’s going to happen there.

The plans call for a café and gourmet market in front of the StorageMax building. Ben Cummings (the architect for the project who, by the way, also lives in Oakleigh) explained that the developer is an expat from New Orleans, and he wants to create a NOLA-style café. Cummings cautioned that plans are still in the preliminary stages but it sounds like they want to channel the Camellia Grill in the interior and a Café du Monde vibe for the outside patio area. They’re planning to offer beignets, French Market Coffee Company coffee and gourmet meals to go.

So what does the neighborhood think about all this? High fives all around apparently as Stoney Chavers, president of the Oakleigh Garden District Society, said that although the neighborhood association hasn’t taken an official position on the project, most of the feedback has been positive. “When I first heard about the project I sent an e-mail out to members,” said Chavers. “I didn’t ask for input – it was just an informative e-mail. But the response was overwhelming. There were about 15 responses, and every one was supportive, as long as the project falls within the architectural guidelines for a historic district.”

So why do neighbors like this business when they are so opposed to others? Chavers says the key is the fit with the neighborhood. “We aren’t anti-business,” he says. “But we want to make sure new businesses will contribute to the neighborhood. I think most residents will support new businesses as long as they don’t introduce a criminal element. We were concerned about the proposed Texaco because of the criminal activity around similar businesses such as the old Circle K on Government. There were people loitering there, hanging around and drinking, even prostitution.”

Cummings agrees the fit with the neighborhood is key. “I like Guido’s,” he says. “I like Callaghan’s. People sit outside there even on our hottest summer days. This seems like something that will fit into the neighborhood the way those places do. It will add to the character of the neighborhood.”

Corrections and Clarifications

Ho-ly mackerel, it seems like everyone’s mad at me right now. I’ve asked the powers-that-be to add a Nappie category next year for “The columnist you most love to dis.” I’d really like one of those cool Nappie Award plaques hanging on my office wall. I’m taking suggestions for the symbol that should appear on it. Note that both a gold-plated toilet brush and plunger are already taken for other awards.

Anyway…let’s go to the corrections. In my last column, I mentioned that Norman Scott is the listing agent for the Mattress Factory Lofts. Wrong….Scott is the listing agent for the St. Louis Lofts at 308 St. Louis St. Nichole Patrick is the listing agent for the Mattress Factory Lofts at 412 Dauphin St. Both are agents with Dauphin Realty.

And now for the clarification. I regret that I wasn’t clear in my last column. Just for the record, I do not – repeat, do NOT – think downtown Mobile has a major crime problem. Of course, this comes from a street-wise gal from Atlanta who not so many years ago found a dead body in her front yard (in Atlanta, not Mobile!). So what do I know?

In fact, downtown Mobile’s relatively low crime rate is one of the reasons my husband and I moved here (and we live within spitting distance of downtown). And you can bet I checked the crime rate before we moved. For the record, Mobile has about 1/5th the rate of violent crime of Atlanta. So I’ll say it again….Atlanta’s chief of police would KILL for our crime rate.

Sharman Egan is Lagniappe lagniappe columnist. Contact her at Sharman@SharmanEgan.com.

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