MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The skyline in downtown Mobile is changing quickly as the new Mobile Entertainment Arena continues rising beam by beam.
Steel beams now outline the massive structure, and concrete is being poured across multiple levels. Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis has been closely watching the arena take shape from his office. On Friday, he invited FOX10 News to join him for a bird’s-eye view of the construction zone.
Cheriogotis says the city is preparing for the next big steps, including installing more pre-cast seating sections and beginning work on the roof.
“I expect next week they’ll start on the roof trusses which I’m happy about but I’m sad because when the roof comes up, I won’t see as much of the progress because I always peek in there and see what’s happening,” the mayor said.
This week, Oak View Group also announced the arena’s leadership team: General Manager Erik Hudson and Assistant General Manager Willie J. Williams — both with extensive experience managing large entertainment venues across the country. OVG already operates several Mobile facilities, including the Mobile Convention Center and the Saenger Theater.
“They partner with Live Nation and they book tours, people, and events throughout the country,” Mayor Cheriogotis said.
The arena will also become home to Mobile’s first hockey team in two decades. The City Council is set to vote Tuesday on purchasing dasher boards — the lower wall of a hockey rink that players and pucks bounce off.
As for the team’s name, the mayor says an announcement could be coming soon.
“I hear there might be one name that has received a mass majority of the votes so hopefully we’ll have an announcement on that soon but I’m lobbying the GM with my favorite team name,” he said.
Despite the tight timeline, the mayor says construction remains on schedule and on budget. The arena is expected to open in January 2027. The mayor says dry weather in November helped keep the project on track.
“We want to build this fast but right. We have a timeline that’s tight — with Mardi Gras being early in 2027, we’re trying to get it open and ready for the public before Mardi Gras season next year,” Cheriogotis said.
People who work downtown say they’ve noticed the arena rising quickly.
“It’s really cool how quick it came up. Sometimes construction in Mobile can take a little bit longer,” said Hunter Afzalirad, who works in the area. “Anything that brings more people downtown — it’s livelier here.”
Mayor Cheriogotis says the city hopes to reveal the hockey team’s official name sometime this spring.
The arena project is budgeted at approximately $300 million — making it the most expensive construction project in Mobile’s history.
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