The vision for a grand new park on the shore of Mobile Bay has gradually come into focus over the past few months, and now Mobile has published a final version of its master plan for Brookley by the Bay.

The project now enters the engineering and design phase, with Volkert leading work to nail down the details of the features mapped out in the master plan. These include a waterfront amphitheater, a large central lawn bordered by a track, a meandering perimeter trail with boardwalks reaching into marshier terrain, play areas, a variety of beach zones, picnic areas and more.

The design and engineering work sets the stage for construction, though the timetable and funding for that have not yet been announced. In February Shonnda Smith, deputy director of public works and the city’s parks and recreation director, said the park could cost on the order of $25 million, which probably would come from a mix of grants, city allocation and other sources. But a solid estimate of the cost likely won’t be possible until the engineering work is done.

A deal announced in December 2020 laid out a plan for the city to purchase about 300 acres owned by the University of South Alabama Foundation. The plan calls for some of the land to be developed as an industrial park supporting the adjacent Brookley Aeroplex; some to be held as waterfront and wetlands conservation areas; and more than 90 acres developed as a public park. The master plan prominently refers to Brookley by the Bay as “The city of Mobile’s largest waterfront park.”

The master plan lays out an explains five key goals for the property: “(1) establish a connected site (2) bring people to the water’s edge (3) create a vibrant gathering place for all (4) enhance habitat resilience and (5) design an adaptive and enduring place for future generations to establish a more resilient, accessible, and equitable waterfront for the City of Mobile and the greater Mobile region.”

The master plan released by the city also includes extensive information about the process used to create the plan; history of the site and regional context of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta; study of the site as it exists now; maps of potential storm drainage and sea level rise; and other aspects of the project.

The full master plan can be viewed at cityofmobile.org/brookleybythebay.

“I’d like to thank Scape, Volkert, Moffatt & Nichol, Thompson and the many City of Mobile staff members that helped lead this master planning effort,” Mayor Sandy Stimpson said, naming companies involved in the process so far. “With feedback from more than 300 community members, partner agencies, and stakeholder organizations, this has been one of our most collaborative and community-driven projects. Thank you to everyone who helped us get to this point, and we want Mobilians to stay engaged as we move forward.”