MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The City of Mobile has published new renderings showcasing the look of the planned entertainment arena facility to be built on the Mobile Civic Center site.

The renderings are online at the city’s website, and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson also showed them off in a Facebook post.

“Check out the latest New Arena Project renderings!” the mayor wrote on Facebook.

The city plans to tear down the 60-year-old Mobile Civic Center and construct a new arena suited for concerts, family shows and sporting events. The city recently held a “Celebration of Life” ceremony ahead of work to demolish the current civic center’s arena, theater and expo hall.

The city boasts that the new facility is being designed to support Mardi Gras traditions and also be capable of hosting major entertainment acts. The city website speaks of the inclusion of multiple ballrooms, retail spaces, luxury suites, VIP clubs and premium seating, as well as “great sightlines and dynamic acoustics.”

In describing the design of the planned new facility, the city website states: ”The design will ensure that structurally, functionally, and aesthetically the arena will meet the current requirements from the sports entertainment industry, allowing Mobile to host top-billed entertainment that could not be hosted in the current Civic Center.”

Stimpson in March announced plans to demolish the aging Mobile Civic Center and replace it with a nearly $300 million state-of-the-art facility. Groundbreaking for the new arena was projected to take place in early 2025 with a ribbon-cutting in early 2027.

In an email to news media Tuesday, a city spokesman said exterior demolition of the Mobile Civic Center is set to begin later this month and that the project remains on budget and on schedule.

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