Media Tour of Chickasabogue Park | April 2024 Construction Update
Posted on: Apr 15th, 2024 | News and Announcementsfeatured newsPress Releases
Above: District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood and Environmental Services staff address local media at the conclusion of the April 15 guided media tour of Chickasabogue Park. • More photos of park construction progress below.
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. – Chickasabogue Park remains temporarily closed for construction and renovation. To provide the public with an update on construction progress, the Mobile County Commission hosted a guided tour for local media on Monday, April 15.
Commissioner Merceria Ludgood, joined by Mobile County staff, welcomed six media representatives into the park and provided an update on construction progress.
Ludgood announced the target of reopening Chickasabogue Park in late summer/early fall 2024.
“As with most recent renovation and construction projects, we’ve experienced more delays than anticipated. We appreciate the public’s patience as we continue to make the largest, most varied park in the Mobile County Parks System even better. We look forward to getting the current projects completed so the park can be reopened,” said Mobile County Commissioner for District 1 Merceria Ludgood.
Chickasabogue Park is an 1,100-acre outdoor recreation facility and wildlife refuge named for the creek that flows through it. It is Mobile County Commission’s largest park. It was closed in early 2022 for construction and renovation as part of the Mobile County’s Parks Initiative. The construction contract for the day-use area and entry was awarded in April 2023.
SEE PHOTOS BELOW.
Some media questions and Mobile County responses:
Q: When will Chickasabogue Park reopen?
- The park will reopen when it is safe for visitors. We anticipate late summer/early fall 2024.
- Once the park reopens, only active construction areas will be closed while work is being done.
Q: What’s been done since the park closed for construction in January 2022?
- Planning/Design (some replanning/redesign)
- Parkwide infrastructure work: underground utilities, including water/sewer and necessary lift station, fire hydrants, fire mains
- Demolition of the entry facility
- Improvements to the disc golf trail
- Improvements to the biking/hiking trails
Q: What’s happening now?
- Day-use area: splash pad, playground, trails, ball field work, basketball courts, restroom facilities, pavilion, parking (pervious pavers), sidewalks
- Bids have been received for the RV campground construction
- Rediscovering the park’s history. Cultural resources survey (archaeology); artifacts found will eventually be on display in the future interpretive center.
Q: What’s next?
- Obtain funding, bid, award the contract, and begin renovation of the beach area and construction of a new boat ramp.
- Secure funding for and constructing the planned events and interpretive center and other improvements.
- Secure permitting from Army Corps of Engineers, ADEM, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Q: Why is it taking so long?
- There have been multiple sources of delay, predominantly supply chain delays and increases in materials costs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. These have made it difficult to award bids and some redesign/replanning has been necessary.
Q: Why close the whole park?
- For public safety. The underground utilities work has been park-wide and this active phase of construction is near the park’s entry.
Q: What can the public expect when Chickasabogue reopens?
- Visitors can expect to see
- A new day-use area with ample parking, a playground, splashpad, improved courts and ball fields, a new restroom facility and more.
- An upgraded disc golf course.
- Improved hiking/biking trails on the east side of the Interstate.
Chickasabogue Park improvements are possible through funding generated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 (offshore oil drilling). Part of the local conservation plan for GOMESA funds is to increase public access to shoreline recreational areas, such as along the Chickasabogue Creek, which connects to Mobile Bay.
Day-use area under construction: pavilion, ball courts, parking, restrooms building, splash pad, and playground.
When Chickasabogue Park reopens later in 2024, visitors will see ample parking featuring environmentally-friendly pervious pavers.
New multi-use courts at Mobile County's Chickasabogue Park with a VersaCourt base configured for basketball, tennis and pickleball.
New splashpad under construction at Mobile County's Chickasabogue Park.
New pavilion under construction at Chickasabogue Park.
New mountain biking trails over a wet area near the day-use area at Mobile County's Chickasabogue Park.
Once the bidding process is completed, the RV area at Chickasabogue Park will soon be completely overhauled. The existing structure will be demolished and a new RV campground built.
Improved disc golf course at Chickasabogue Park; example hole #3.
Improved disc golf course; new baskets.
Disc golf trailhead at Chickasabogue Park.
Notice the water main. The first phase of work at Chickasabogue Park was park-wide water/sewer infrastructure (see also below). This upgrade was needed for the planned park upgrades.
Park-wide infrastructure upgrades. This work began in 2022 and is near completion.
New biking trails through a wet area at Chickasabogue Park.
Media representatives on Chickasabogue Park's floating dock.