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Mobile County leaders will hold a groundbreaking Wednesday for a new public park featuring amenities that include kayak and fishing access to Three Mile Creek.

The ceremony for the future Lewis Landing park will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, at 1365 Conception Street Road. The location is a short distance north of downtown Mobile, where the creek crosses Conception Street Road shortly before passing under I-165 and flowing on eastward to the Mobile River.

According to information provided by the county, the park comprises almost two acres; the county purchased the land in 2020 for $40,000, using money provided via the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). Construction is expected to take about six months and to cost a little more than $800,000, funded by a state GOMESA grant.

Park amenities will include a kayak launch, pavilions, fishing piers, green space and parking. According to information provided by the county, District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood has spearheaded the effort.

Wednesday’s ceremony will include representatives of the Mobile County Commission and the Mobile City Council; Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson; Patti McCurdy, state lands director for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and Anderson Flen, representing the Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation and the Africatown Connections Blueway project.

At least in part, the choice of location celebrates the importance of the Three Mile Creek watershed to the early residents of Africatown, a community founded by survivors of the slave ship Clotilda. The park will be near Lewis Quarters, a settlement established as part of the larger Africatown community.

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A proposed $60 million water park in Mobile encountered some early pushback on Monday, but its chief advocate says she remains confident in the project, and a city councilman representing the area voiced strong support.

Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson and City Councilman Ben Reynolds made their comments after a 2-1 commission vote to advance a non-binding letter of intent for a public-private partnership with the Louisiana-based Leisure Sports and Recreation Group (LSAR). The plan would bring a 90-acre water park and recreation center, dubbed “Jubilee Park,” to Halls Mill Road.

Voting “No” was Commissioner Randall Dueitt, who said he did not have enough time to review the letter. The county had previously declined to release the letter of intent to the public. On Thursday, the document was released.

The project was publicly revealed on Thursday.

“I couldn’t, in clear conscience, vote on a document I haven’t had an opportunity to read,” Dueitt said, adding that he had hoped the commission would wait a few more weeks before voting on it. Dueitt said he received the documentation on Saturday, which wasn’t enough time for him to consider voting on it.

Project advances

Hudson, who is pushing for the project, and Commissioner Merceria Ludgood, both voted to advance the letter.

“It’s a one-page letter with four to five different points on it,” Hudson said during the meeting on Monday. “Both our attorneys and the county administrator have seen no issues whatsoever.”

Ludgood said the letter was “non-binding,” and simply advances the discussions of a development partnership to its next stage.

Hudson, after the meeting, said she wasn’t surprised there was initial opposition. She said she has no concerns about the project going forward, and the prospective votes needed to make it a reality.

The project’s main feature is an outdoor water park with several different features, such as a large waterslide, wave pool, and lazy river. Other features include a multi-use center, recreational vehicle and bungalow sites, an indoor water park and the “Jubilee Square and Boardwalk” featuring restaurants and retail shops.

Leisure Sports and Recreation Group operates the 18-acre Gulf Islands Waterpark in Gulfport, Miss.

Hudson said there were no plans for a large tax incentive package to make the water park a reality. She described the requests as the standard land lease agreements, and other public infrastructure that officials may need to approve to make the project happen.

“There is no split nor a discussion of (sharing) in the costs of construction or anything like that,” Hudson said. “(LSAR) is interested in tax credits and things. Anything you’d normally see in an incentive agreement.”

Infrastructure needs

One major public element of the project includes a possible reconfiguration of Interstate 10 near Halls Mill Road.

Hudson said she has had discussions with Alabama Department of Transportation officials about a possible future interchange to accommodate the water park, an adjacent and evolving 10-field soccer complex and a forthcoming $24.2 million aquatic center.

“I’ve been as proactive as I can be on this,” she said. “We got to do something. But we have time to work on it.”

The goal is to open portions of the development by 2027, with the outdoor water park opening in 2029. The water park is projected to draw 400,000 to 500,000 visitors annually.

James Gordon, spokesperson for the Transportation Department’s Southwest Region, confirmed that engineers have had conversations with Hudson, but said that discussions of adding an interstate interchange to accommodate the project are in a “preliminary stage.” He said the addition of an interchange would require approval from the Federal Highway Administration.

Mobile City Councilman Ben Reynolds, whose district would include the water park, said he is initially supportive of the project but also acknowledged that additional infrastructure will likely be needed.

“I think residents in the general area would like to see Halls Mill Road expanded to three lanes,” he said. “It would alleviate stress with traffic in that area. I’m all in favor of that but during construction, progress is painful and disruptive.”

Optimism

Reynolds said the overall project has the potential to enliven the area southeast of downtown Mobile.

“For this community, I think it would mean people are paying attention to our area as an attractive place,” he said. “Our area is becoming more and more attractive and if Commissioner Hudson’s vision is seen all the way through, we are talking about something big.”

He said there could be a potential to develop nearby Heron Lakes as a resort featuring golf and other amenities.

“If that happens, it’s a net positive,” Reynolds said. “I’m in favor of putting these pieces together. It’s not easy to get these projects across the finish line.”

This story was updated at 9:14 a.m. on Thursday, April 17, 2025, to indicate that the letter of intent has since been released by Mobile County.

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