Alabama News

General

Mobile sets sail on $2 million tribute to Jimmy Buffett with museum exhibit

Jimmy Buffett’s deep ties to the Gulf Coast run like a current through the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf—from the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company, where his father worked, to the waters near Spanish Fort, where his grandfather’s schooner rests.

So it’s only fitting that the museum, aiming to chart a bold future with immersive exhibits over the next two years, will anchor what may be the most comprehensive tribute ever assembled to the legendary songwriter and beloved “Parrot Head King.”

“When you talk to Lucy and Laurie (Buffett’s sisters), they will tell you that his love for the water came from his grandfather and his grandfather’s stories,” said Karen Poth, executive director of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. “We feel a special ownership to that. We’re the only museum that cares about this body of water.”

Plans are now full sail ahead: A 6,000-square-foot interactive exhibit honoring Buffett—complete with a statue facing the Mobile River—is set to open by Sept. 1, 2026, the third anniversary of his death.

“We want to touch upon the cultural touchstones that make the Gulf unique,” said Matt Anderson, the city’s director of civic, cultural and maritime affairs. “Jimmy was the one who sang that song first. No one made the Gulf part of their identity before he did.”

The opening will also coincide with what will be the third annual Son of a Sailor Fest. The inaugural festival, honoring Buffett and his musical legacy, took place last September in downtown Mobile. The second annual festival is scheduled for Sept. 20.

Exhibit progress

The Mobile City Council gave the project an early boost on Tuesday, approving a $60,000 contract with Cat Head Media Inc. to curate and compile concert footage for the exhibit.

“The primary thing behind this (contract) is to help us make sure we have adequate intellectual property for the Jimmy Buffett experience to come to the Maritime Museum,” Anderson said.

The contract’s approval comes ahead of a visit from Chicago-based Pinnacle Design Studios, which has been tapped to bring the exhibit to life through a plan to completely redo a portion of the museum’s first floor.

The exhibit will be built in the museum’s 1 and 1A sections near the entrance. Highlights include:

• In 1A, the museum’s temporary exhibit space, visitors will find galleries, an interactive Parrot Head Hall of Fame, and a replica of Shrimp Boat Sound Studio — the converted Key West commercial icehouse where Buffett recorded many of his albums.
• In Section 1, just down a short flight of stairs, guests will be immersed in a Buffett musical experience. Officials are working to secure rare, possibly never-before-seen concert footage. The goal includes finding footage of Buffett performances in and around the Mobile area including a surprise 2010 show Buffett performed at Lulu’s in Gulf Shores before approximately 2,000 attendees.  

Poth said the museum has already acquired key artifacts, including Buffett’s first music contract, and continues to collect memorabilia and stories that connect the artist to his coastal Alabama roots.

“Some of his first shows were at The Admiral (hotel in downtown Mobile), and he performed a lot at Judge Roy Bean (in Daphne),” Poth said. “There is just a lot of great history here and we are excited.”

She added, “I think what struck me the most is finding people everywhere, including people in Mobile, talking about when he was a kid, they would give him lemonade on their dock … there are a lot of these stories. Without exception, when they talk about Jimmy Buffett, there is a wonderful smile on their faces. We want to capture these wonderful stories about him as a person.”

Statue project

The entire project is estimated to cost around $2 million, Poth said. She said the museum’s board of directors is privately raising funds, and Anderson said the Mobile City Council will be asked to support the project with future contracts.

The council, later this year, will also be asked to vote on a contract with a sculptor that will design and build a statue of Buffett that will be located on the northeast side of the museum, facing the waterfront.

Anderson said there are five finalists for the project. He said the goal is to narrow down the artists to the final two within the next several weeks.

The statue’s budget is $400,000, but Anderson said he doesn’t believe the city will spend that much. He said most of applicants for the job proposed bids that came in “well under that.”

Rooftop restaurant

Longer term, the city could look at redesigning its rooftop to build a tropical-themed restaurant and bar that connects to the Buffett exhibit.

The space is currently empty, though it was originally designed to possibly accommodate a restaurant overlooking the Mobile River and downtown Mobile.

“It’s the best views of the city, period,” said Anderson, who has long wanted to redevelop the site into an attraction.

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, last month, said he hoped the venue would someday be a Margaritaville restaurant. However, city officials say they have not had any direct conversations with the Margaritaville entities about putting a restaurant into the museum’s rooftop.

“The mayor made the aspirational comment because we would love to see something like that there,” Anderson said.

He said there is a lot of potential in connecting the site with the adjacent Alabama Cruise Terminal, where Carnival Cruise Line will resume year-round operations in 2027.

“We can get cruisers coming in and thinking of Mobile in that tropic context,” Anderson said. “Everyone that comes into (the museum), I want them thinking this is Jimmy Buffett’s hometown. That’s one of my No. 1 cultural goals for the city is that there is this huge Jimmy Buffett hometown vibe (that you will experience) as soon as you get off a cruise ship.”

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The rise and fall of one of Alabama’s grandest hotels

Before the Civil War, Selma, Ala., was a bustling city of about 3,000 souls situated on the Alabama River. Like most towns in Alabama at the time, Selma’s economy was centered on growing, ginning and shipping cotton.

In 1860, city leaders created the Broad Street Hotel Co. to build a grand hotel to house cotton merchants who visited, according to the 1960 book “Alabama Hotels and Resorts” by James F. Sulzby. They determined it would be an architectural marvel.

A Feb. 28, 1860, edition of The Daily State Sentinel newspaper reported: “All concede the great necessity for a first-class hotel in Selma and if a proper effort is now made we will have one and its consequent benefits.”

Construction began later that year at the corner of Broad Street and Dallas Avenue. But, as war began in 1861, work on the hotel stalled. The people of Selma got busy producing munitions and iron-clad warships and construction of the partially built hotel was abandoned. Following the Battle of Selma, the building was used as headquarters for Union troops, according to the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Both Confederate and Union soldiers reportedly used the first floor as horse stalls on occasion, according to Sulzby’s book.

The hotel’s design

It wasn’t until 1867 that work resumed but even then only part of Hotel Albert was completed. The massive hotel, based on the design of Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy, was easily recognizable from its bright-red brick façade. Like most buildings in Alabama at the time, it was constructed of hundreds of thousands of bricks made by enslaved people.

Until the 1890s, only the first two floors operated until, finally, the entire hotel was completed in 1893.

Designed by architect James. E. Sweet, the four-story Venetian Gothic hotel featured a skating rink, a bridal apartment, two parlors, retail space and guest rooms. The front was adorned with a Venetian arcade, a series of arches and colonnades used to create a covered walkway.

The hotel was named for Albert G. Parrish, a man active in procuring the money to purchase the property where the hotel was built, Sulzby wrote.

Pivotal events

The Hotel Albert would be the site of many interesting events, including a visit by Martin Luther King Jr., a devastating fire and an appearance in a movie.

In 1910, Hotel Albert had one of its biggest setbacks when the hotel caught fire.

“Selma’s beautiful Hotel Albert is greatly damaged by fire which was discovered in the east end of the South wing of the building at one o’clock this morning,” a reporter wrote in the Aug. 19, 1910, edition of The Selma Times-Journal. “The fire originated in a toilet on the fourth floor and the only solution as to is origin is that someone dropped a cigarette or lighted match and this started the most disastrous fire Selma has suffered in a long number of years.”

The blaze was contained mostly to the south wing but the damage was estimated at $20,000, or $637,000 in today’s money, according to news reports at the time.

Within two months, work began to repair the building. In addition, owners decided to do some upgrades and installed “a large number of bath rooms [sic],” according to a Nov. 18, 1910, article in the Selma Times-Journal.

In January of 1965, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. stayed at the hotel. An article in The Selma Times-Journal reminded readers that the hotel was built using the labor of enslaved people.

“A symbolic action came when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. several months ago took a room at the Hotel Albert in Selma, Ala.,” the article said.

According to Sarah DeRupo of Villanova University’s Falvey Library, “King chose to stay at the Hotel Albert because it had never had a Black hotel guest, despite segregation of public spaces like hotels being outlawed the previous year.”

He was attacked by a man named Jimmy Robinson trying to stop King’s demonstrations against segregation and voter discrimination while registering at the hotel counter, according to DeRupo. Villanova purchased an archive of receipts and other civil rights memorabilia in 2005.

The New York Times published a story about the incident under the headline “Dr. King punched and kicked at Alabama hotel” on Jan. 19, 1965.

In 1967, Hotel Albert and much of downtown Selma were used in filming “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” a film based on Carson McCullers’ novel of the same name.

Because many of the extras and the crew used in the film were Selma residents, the film’s producers held a local premiere at the Wilby Theatre in Selma in October 1968. Before the screening, local officials proclaimed “Carson McCullers” week and temporarily renamed Selma Avenue to Carson McCullers Avenue to celebrate the author. The Wilby burned in 1971.

According to the film’s listing on IMDb, Hotel Albert appears twice in the film, once when the character Singer (played by Alan Arkin) arrives in town and again when Singer and the character Antonapoulos (Chuck McCann) dine on the hotel’s terrace.

End of an era

Demolition of the Hotel Albert began in June 1968, despite efforts from some local citizens to save it. It was slowly dismantled over six months. Hotel details such as chandeliers, columns, stained-glass windows, stair rails and doors were salvaged, as well as many as half a million bricks that were used in other construction projects.

Four of its columns were installed in the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum, according to The Selma Times-Journal.

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New gallery in Ensley highlights neighborhood’s resilience: ‘Pride’

Visitors to a certain brick building on an Ensley corner open the door to smooth melodies of old-school R&B and the smell of freshly baked cookies.

Framed photos of smiling snaggletooth children in shotgun houses, proud young adults in grad caps and neighborhood faces line the walls, guiding visitors into a cozy living room, where they can sit in a worn, velvet armchair. Beside a vintage TV, a record player perches on a wooden shelf, a rotary phone nearby.

The space feels like walking through your grandmother’s home.

Timothy Quarshie, curator of the Ensley Childhood Project gallery, said he wanted to create a timeline of Ensley’s past and present through the eyes of its residents.

While Ensley has faced disinvestment, blight and violence over the years, Quarshie said the gallery is an account of the community’s beauty and resilience.

“It’s just been a blessing to get a chance to meet these people and to learn more about the story of Ensley, and really about the beautiful aspects of it. People just focus on the negative things, but there’s so much going for Enlsey, it’s just a matter of it being unlocked and shown,” Quarshie said.

What is the Ensley Childhood Project?

Quarshie was born and raised in Trussville. He attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he participated in a film festival for Black students.

He said he was inspired to continue creating.

One day, while watching old cartoons with his little brother, it hit him: he wanted to create a space that made its visitors feel like they were looking through the eyes of a child.

And so he got to work, searching for the right space, renovating the building, interviewing residents, learning the history of the neighborhood and sourcing authentic, old-school decor.

He partnered with organizations working to make Ensley better, including Renew Birmingham, a blight removal nonprofit, the Flourish Alabama, an arts program, the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

“At first it was kind of daunting. There’s those preconceived notions of what Ensley is, that it’s violent and that you have to watch your back…But one thing I’ve noticed about Ensley’s people is that they’re so welcoming. And they’re really about their city and their community,” Quarshie said.

The Ensley Childhood Project opened its doors on May 5 and will close on May 31.

Lining the walls are donated photos. One shows Ensley Works, the steel plant, dating back to the 1940’s. Another depicts a child who had just been baptized and bundled in white towels. Another features two girls posing in a photobooth at the Alabama State Fair.

Quarshie said residents told him that Ensley was thriving before the devastating effects of disinvestment, gangs and drugs.

“The late seventies were a pivotal moment in Ensley: Ensley Works had closed its final furnace, marking the end of the industrial era. The removal of Ensley’s heart, in combination with factors such as limited job opportunities, white flight and affluent flight started the decline of Ensley’s population,” a gallery plaque reads.

But above all, Quarshie said, the residents reflected on the community’s resilience.

Each wall showcases that with photos of residents who have shaped Ensley, such as Annetta Nunn, the first Black woman chief of the Birmingham Police Department, A.G. Callins, a longtime Ensley business owner and Nichole Davis Williams, the former principal at Jackson-Olin High School.

“Nichole describes those who grew up in Ensley as products of their own environment, those who made the most of where they were and did what they needed to survive,” reads a plaque next to a 1987 photo of 12-year-old Williams.

‘An important piece to the story of Ensley’

Williams was raised in Ensley with her six siblings.

A photo of her and her cousins posing in front of their home, the former Tuxedo Court public housing community known as “The Brickyard,” hangs on the wall.

Her smile is large, though her front teeth are missing.

“When I was little, downtown Ensley was filled with churches and businesses. It was just bustling with people, and life and just people trying to make it…It was a community. We took care of each other.”

But the tides in Ensley began to shift.

“Now it’s just abandoned. The houses are run down. They got trash everywhere. There’s fighting, gangs, selling drugs. They’re shooting each other,” Williams said.

In seventh grade, Williams was jumped into a West End gang.

In ninth grade, Williams said she remembers the gang members shooting outside her home during her birthday party.

Williams said her mother forbade her from crossing the train tracks to West End, in fear of her daughter being killed.

That event, Williams said, helped her find who she really was: a hard worker.

She joined the Jackson Olin band, cheer team, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, drill team, basketball and track team.

Williams smiles proudly in a gallery photo, her white, green and yellow cheer uniform pristine.

Despite the hardships she faced, Williams was as resilient as the community she grew up in.

“Back then, we did what we had to do to survive…You couldn’t wait on anybody. You had to go out there and make it happen for yourself,” Williams said.

And so she did. Williams earned a track scholarship to the University of Alabama, became a campus ambassador, pledged to Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and earned her doctorate. She also started a business.

“It was a big deal, especially being a little dark skinned girl from Ensley,” Williams said.

In 2024, she became principal at Jackson Olin High School, where her parents and siblings also attended. Today, she teaches at Dupuy Alternative School.

And her story is making a difference.

“While I was at the gallery, a young man came up to me. He was a former Jackson Olin student and he said, ‘I want you to know that I didn’t know this about you. You came from the Brickyard and you got your doctorate, and came back to be the principal, Dr. Williams, that’s motivational.’ And that touched my heart,” Williams said.

“I didn’t realize that my journey was important to anybody…Growing up, I saw the dynamics changing. I had to get out of Ensley because it was no longer safe. But when I came back, I came back to help other people. But I didn’t realize that I was an important piece to the story of Ensley.”

Williams said she hopes her story will continue to inspire other Ensley residents who visit the gallery.

“I realized that I’m a tool that’s being used to help other people. I’m helping other people realize that they can make it, that they can do great things, that great things come out of Ensley, and they will continue to,” Williams said.

What’s next for Ensley

Brian K. Rice, owner of the building housing the gallery and five other Ensley properties on the same block, has big dreams for Ensley despite the barriers the community faces.

“I’ve always been committed to doing work in underserved communities…My aspirations are to bring positive spaces to Ensley with the arts, workforce and entrepreneurial development and eventually living spaces,” Rice said.

“Ensley is probably the largest underdeveloped historic commercial district in Birmingham. And I believe it has all the potential to be the next best business district…I hope the gallery gives people ideas for what can be next.”

Jahmon Hill, executive director of the Flourish Alabama, next door to the gallery, said he is working with other artists like Quarshie to create a Black arts district in Ensley, a hub for creatives.

“The gallery is amazing. I love how you really get to experience Ensley through time…It allows everyday people to see themselves being revered,” Hill said.

“They can see what this space can be. They can see what could happen if we continue to invest in the community. We can build these sorts of spaces for ourselves.”

The gallery is a part of that vision, but it does not stop there.

“Explore more than this in Ensley. Explore the entertainment district, go see the murals. There’s so many local businesses. Take the time to see the community that we’re talking about here…I’m hoping that people will see this and say, ‘investing in our community is really important,’” Quarshie said.

He said he hopes the gallery is a reminder to Ensley residents of the beauty in themselves and their community.

“It’s not just a case study on the past, but it’s also a hope for the future,” Quarshie said.

“It’s important for the people, especially with this being a predominantly Black area, to see themselves in a positive light…To see yourself as art, it allows for you to gain a certain respect for yourself, a certain pride for your community.”

He said that he hopes that people visit, and when they do, “that they not only reminisce, but that they feel that sense of pride in themselves and where they come from.”

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What Auburn baseball can expect in its regional of the College World Series

Auburn baseball earned a top four national seed in the NCAA tournament and will host a regional at Plainsman Park beginning Friday.

The Tigers regional will consist of Central Connecticut State, Stetson and NC State. Auburn will take on four-seed Central Connecticut State in its first game.

Here’s a full breakdown of what to know ahead of the tournament.

Central Connecticut State

Record: 28-14

Tournament history: This will be the Blue Devils fifth time playing in the NCAA tournament since 2017 with the last appearance coming in 2023.

Players to watch: Aidan Redahan, Chris Brown, Wyatt Cameron, Vincent Borghese and Antonio Ducatelli were named to All-NEC teams.

NC State

Record: 33-19

Tournament history: The Wolfpack has made an NCAA Regional appearance in 19 of the past 22 tournaments since 2003. NC State made the trip to Omaha last postseason.

Players to watch: Chris McHugh, Dominic Fritton, Ryan Marohn Anderson Nance and Ty Head were all named to All-ACC teams.

Stetson

Record: 40-20 record

Tournament history: The Hatters was named co-champions with Florida Gulf Coast after the ASUN tournament was cancelled due to weather. Stetson will make its 20th all-time appearance at Regionals.

Players to watch: Landon Moran, Ty Van Dyke, Jake Gorelick, Isaiah Barkett, and Jordan Taylor earned ASUN All-Tournament Team honors. Taylor was named Co-MVP.

First pitch for NC State and Stetson is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday. The Tigers game with Central Connecticut State fill start at 6 p.m. and both games will be streaming on ESPN+.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

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General

Miss Manners: My friends don’t believe that I need a break

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a community volunteer who participates in and has created community organizations to do a variety of projects — arts, history, service, political advocacy and so forth. I deeply enjoy it and have devoted a lot of time to this work over the years.

The other night, though, after feeling a little slowed down and more tired than usual (I’m in my late 60s with some age-related medical issues) and thinking that I’d like to start cutting back on some of my volunteer load, I commented to that effect during a meeting.

My friends, probably thinking that they were expressing their admiration for my long-term productivity, laughed at the idea that I could be feeling tired. In other words, instead of expressing sympathy and openness about helping me shed responsibilities, they maybe assumed that I must be joking. I was a little taken aback, surprised and a little hurt. What would be a good way to politely approach this at the next meeting?

GENTLE READER: With an announcement that you are now cutting back. Yes, you will get more laughter, denial and attempts to dissuade you. It means more work for them — and Miss Manners believes that is where you may expect their sympathy to be directed.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

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General

Dear Abby: My best friend and I aren’t speaking

DEAR ABBY: My best friend “Carla” and I haven’t spoken for several years, which breaks my heart. Her son was getting married. The dress was evening cocktail attire. The venue was an hour and a half from where I live. I don’t drive. At the time, I was having financial difficulties and was worried about the attire and transportation to the venue.

I advised Carla that I had no way to get to the wedding and to Uber to the venue would cost well over $200. I was hoping I could ride with her. The family had rooms at the hotel where the wedding was being held. I was hoping she’d offer that I could go with her and stay the night with her at the hotel. She didn’t offer, so I wasn’t able to attend.

Carla didn’t return my calls and hasn’t spoken to me since. We were close friends for 25 years. She has since moved out of state. I miss her terribly. After all this time, would it be wrong to contact her again, or should I just let it go? I have been upset about the situation for years. I’d love your opinion. — MISSING MY FRIEND IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR MISSING: Weddings can be complicated affairs, and it’s likely that Carla was stressed and distracted because of the number of guests and all the activities related to the wedding at the hotel. To have expected her to provide you with transportation and share her room with you may have been regarded as presumptuous.

If you would like to hear her side of this and gain some closure, by all means, reach out. But because you are now so geographically distant, do not expect to resurrect the relationship you had with her.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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General

Developer sees untapped opportunity: ‘Birmingham should be as vibrant as Montgomery’

In a series of stories, AL.com will continue to explore big ideas for transforming Birmingham – ideas, programs and initiatives aimed at making the city stronger, more prosperous, better educated and safer than it is today.

Michael Mouron loves Birmingham. He loves its historic architecture and in recent years, the CPA and real estate developer has restored several of the city’s faded and forgotten shells and leased them to now-thriving businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Mouron loves the state capital 77 miles away — loves its trio of museums conceived by visionary attorney Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and how they’ve transformed the city into Alabama’s premier historical destination.

Birmingham’s relative lethargy in rebuilding and boosting its vital role in history baffles Mouron.

“Birmingham should be as vibrant as Montgomery,” he says. “If people are driving and flying in to see those exhibits, guess what city they’re coming through to get to Montgomery: Birmingham. What’s to stop Birmingham from doing that? We’re our own worst enemy.”

Mouron will share with anyone a link to a story AL.com published last summer highlighting the economic impact of EJI’s exhibits and how hotels and restaurants are springing up around them.

“The city of Birmingham is missing a tremendous opportunity to, in effect, copy what Brian Stevenson did, “ he says.

Boom.

Decades ago, there was the boom that didn’t happen.

Not in Birmingham. Not in the second half of the 20th century.

It happened in cities throughout the South as they bore the first fruits of progress and economic growth from seeds that had been planted years before, while Birmingham stayed parched from hate and division.

In cities where aging buildings were leveled and replaced with structures stretching toward the sky.

Not in Birmingham. Not in a city where myopic city leaders spurned anything progressive, anything that sought to repair the brokenness, anything new — they turned their noses as if it was unsweet tea.

In Birmingham, buildings were abandoned as businesses that once flourished slowly flailed or fled over the mountain or to other Southern cities. As did their workers. Their white workers.

Through decades of neglect, many of the city’s architecturally unique structures languished. Empty, ignored and deteriorating. They crumbled into pitiable carcasses, faint reminders of Birmingham’s once-promising roots — dusty remnants of a thriving past.

Of lost opportunities.

Mouron sees new opportunity in those iconic buildings. He sees a second chance to revive them as catalysts for growth and beacons attracting more visitors to Birmingham.

He sees a long-overdue boom.

“The Magic City grew up at the turn of the 20th century, so it’s got a lot of historic buildings,” Mouron says. “Unlike Atlanta or Southern cities, Birmingham did not have the explosive boom where people came in and tore down the old buildings to build skyscrapers. The net result is we still have a tremendous inventory of older buildings, such that value can be created.”

Mouron is a phenomenally successful businessman who capitalizes on his deep knowledge of federal, state and local historic tax credits, and Opportunity Zones. He also possesses a genuine passion for the city’s history.

The historic properties he’s restored include a long-vacant building in Mountain Brook (now Little Hardware); the 101-year-old Federal Reserve Building in downtown Birmingham; the former Greyhound Bus Terminal on 19th Street North, which once had a segregated side entrance and was a stop for Freedom Riders in 1961; and the 90-year-old NextTec building.

He’s currently restoring an aged warehouse in the Parkside District on the south side now called Transfer on 1st.

We recently had lunch in a 1930s building on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and 23rd Street South that Mouron also restored, where the seafood restaurant Magnolia Point is now located. His excitement about the latest restoration was immediately clear.

“I had some time before we met so I went to the job that’s under construction,” he shared. “I just walked around thinking, ‘Gosh, this is really coming together. This is cool. I can’t wait to see it keep progressing.’”

Mouron also develops new construction. He built the places in Homewood that now house Edgar’s Bakery, Little Donkey, and Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ; as well as the nearby Valley Hotel, where he’s principal owner along with Twin Construction. The City of Homewood incentivized the hotel construction by offering the owners a percentage of lodging tax revenue generated.

He’s an unabashed dealmaker, but historic buildings stir him.

“I like to tell people a historic building is like an antique piece of furniture,” he said. “If done right, it has a patina you can’t duplicate with new construction.

“I’m a blessed man,” he added. “I just like what I do.”

He would like to see more of the city’s fading historic properties developed to unlock their value and economic growth. “There’s still an inventory of historic buildings yet to be redeveloped,” he says, “and most of them would be eligible for the state and federal credits, which is significant.”

Mouron also sees historic redevelopment as a component of what should be a bold and concerted strategy to reignite Birmingham as a premier civil rights destination in the state.

The blueprint, he says, sits in Montgomery, embodied in the Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice (widely known as the “lynching” museum) and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.

The Legacy Museum, which opened in 2021, draws more than 500,000 visitors annually, according to the Alabama Department of Tourism. It’s the second most visited tourist attraction in the state behind the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

“I would think Birmingham’s civil rights history is much broader and deeper than Montgomery’s,” he says.

Full disclosure, Mouron has long been in talks with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s board of directors and leadership about making the Greyhound terminal part of the Institute’s footprint — they’re separated by three blocks. — by using it as a cornerstone of a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign and buying the terminal with a portion of the money raised.

Because the terminal benefits from the tax credit allowed, being in an Opportunity Zone, Mouron cannot sell it until 2029. Discussions, he said, centered on a proposed agreement providing the civil rights institute with a lease-to-purchase option.

In December 2023, the board toured and held a meeting at the terminal. Beyond providing additional exhibit space, preliminary ideas centered on it being utilized for learning, teaching and critical discussions, as well as corporate leadership meetings facilitated by the institute.

“I can’t imagine a building that would have more national interest as the catalyst for the civil rights campaign than the historic Greyhound bus terminal,” Mouron says. “We couldn’t get any traction with the board.”

Roz Houston, interim CEO and chair of the institute’s board, acknowledges that the terminal could be a “unique opportunity.” However, in the months since former CEO Dejuana Thompson left last July, the Institute has laid off several staffers (“We’re right-sized now,” Houston said) and is currently developing a timeline and strategy for a much-needed capital campaign while embarking on a national search for a new CEO.

“Mike contacted me about resurrecting the idea [of acquiring the Greyhound terminal] in December,” Houston said. “I told him BCRI is undergoing a Capital Project Readiness Analysis before we would entertain any further ideas.”

Mouron hopes it’s not “another opportunity lost.”

“I’m self-serving, I know that,” he said. “I get so frustrated when it seems so obvious to me.”

Mouron’s frustration has not dampened his enthusiasm for historic revivals. He’ll continue seeking aging gems in need of restoration and acknowledges other developers, mindful of how the historical credits and tax benefits are bringing new life to old buildings, as well.

“If you ride around Birmingham,” he says, “there’s quite a bit of historic renovation that’s been done. If you really wanted to look ahead, if half the buildings that remain are redone, I think Birmingham would have a really interesting draw for visitors as one of the more charming cities to walk through and see all the variety of 100-year-old buildings that have been nicely restored.”

He’s not given up either on a vision of a city with a rich historical district and a valuable portfolio of restored properties complementing the already popular state capital.

“Think about the benefit of having both Birmingham and Montgomery less than 100 miles apart,” Mouron adds. “I think the whole would be even greater than the parts.”

Boom.

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General

It’s almost brown shrimp season. These three recipes take advantage of the bounty.

I live near the Alabama coast, where it is common for folks to have somebody in their lives they call “the shrimp man.”

What is a “shrimp man?” It’s got nothing to do with physical appearance or anything of the short. Instead, it’s a person who is generally well-versed in the subject of shrimp. That person is your go-to for quality, locally sourced shrimp at good prices.

Where, you also ask, does one find a ‘shrimp man.”

Some, like my guy, sell from the back of a pickup truck on the side of a road with hand-lettered signs proclaiming “Pretty Shrimp.” Or they can be behind ther counter at your favorite grocery store or fish market dispensing local shrimp with a smile.

Wherever you find them, they are a precious commodity and something to be cherished.

Why are we talking about “shrimp guys,” you ask? Because in a few days these individuals will become even more important to our lives.

In just days, the state of Alabama will decide that brown shrimp have reached sufficient size that they can be harvested in state waters. That day is the rough equivalent of opening day of squirrel season or deer season and met with great anticipation by just about anybody with access to a seaworthy boat and the equipment necessary to go after these tasty creatures.

Why, you ask, are brown shrimp so prized? They have a very distinctive taste, somewhat brinier than their white or pink or any other counterparts.

They are also found in close, which makes them fair game for amateur shrimpers who don’t have to go way offshore to find their prey.

So, as I do most every year at this time, I will offer some tasty recipes featuring brownies, as they are affectionately known, with hopes of a good season ahead.

So pay a visit to your favorite “shrimp guy” and join the fun. And if you don’t have a “shrimp guy,” now’s a good time to get yourself one.

I found this recipe at a terrific site for seafood served with an Alabama accent. I’m a big fan of eatalabamaseafood.com because it never fails to offer good ideas about how to best utilize our natural bounty.

Shrimp with Feta over Angel Hair Pasta

4 servings

• 12 ounces angel hair pasta 
• ¾ cup feta, crumbled 
• ¼ cup white wine 
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
• ½ teaspoon oregano 
• 1 teaspoon basil 
• 3 tablespoon butter 
• ¼ cup clam Juice 
• 5 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped 
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 
• ¾ cup green onion, finely chopped 
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 
• 1 pound medium Alabama Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined 

Toss the shrimp and lemon juice in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the green onions and garlic. Sauté until the green onions are tender. Stir in 1½ cups of the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the clam juice and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Place the remaining tomatoes in the center of the tomato mixture and surround with the shrimp.

Sprinkle the basil, oregano, and salt over the shrimp and drizzle with wine. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Cook the pasta using the package directions and drain. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the hot pasta on a serving platter and serve immediately.

This is a slightly spicy recipe that is packed with flavor. And if you want to make it spicier (piquant is part of the title, right?) just season to your heart’s content.

I’ve had this one in my private collection for a number of years.

Shrimp Sauce Piquant

6 servings

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine 
• ½ cup vegetable oil  
• 1 cup water 
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine 
• 1 cup celery, chopped fine 
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice 
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can tomato sauce 
• 1 cup green onions, chopped fine 
• Creole seasoning, to taste (but don’t skimp) 
• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• ¼ lemon, cut in half again into quarters 
• 1 cup parsley, chopped fine 
• Tabasco, to taste 

In a large skillet, sauté onions in oil until translucent and soft.

Add celery and garlic and cook for a few minutes more; add water, cover and cook until vegetables are tender.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Creole seasoning and Tabasco.

Simmer, uncovered over low heat 30-40 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Add shrimp and lemon quarters, cover and cook 15 minutes more over low heat.

Just before serving, add green onions and parsley to heat through. Serve over fresh hot rice.

For something a little more elegant, here is an easy recipe for a tasty main dish that is perfect for a summer party. It was submitted by a reader a long time ago.

Shrimp Scampi

2 servings

• ¼ cup butter 
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• 4-6 tablespoons parsley, chopped (divided) 
• 1 tablespoon garlic power 
• Creole seasoning, to taste 
• Dash cayenne 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• Sliced lemon, garnish 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large ovenproof skillet, melt butter and olive oil. Add about half the parsley, garlic power, Creole seasoning, cayenne and lemon juice.

Add shrimp and toss to incorporate. Arrange in a single layer in the skillet and bake in oven 8-10 minutes or until shrimp are tender.

Garnish with remaining chopped parsley and garnish with fresh lemon slice. Serve in a shallow bowl with fresh, crusty French bread for dipping the sauce.

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General

Alabama football countdown to kickoff: No. 94, Jay Barker breaks out Georgia 1994

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

Two numbers — 18 and 396 — tell the story of how far Jay Barker came in a little less than two years.

In Alabama’s 34-13 victory over Miami in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, Barker threw for a mere 18 yards. The sophomore was a woeful 4-for-13 with an interception passing, as the Crimson Tide’s running game and defense shouldered the load to secure a national championship.

But on Oct. 1, 1994, Barker shredded Georgia’s defense for a career-best 396 yards in a 29-28 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It was a breakout performance for Barker, who up until that point in his career had worn the dreaded “game manager” label.

“I haven’t looked at the statistics, but I know this was one of Jay Barker’s best games,” Alabama coach Gene Stallings told reporters afterward. “Remember, Jay’s won 28 games. It’s not like he hasn’t done things well.”

Indeed, Barker entered that night against Georgia with a 28-1-1 career record as Alabama’s starter. The lone loss had come to Auburn in the 1993 Iron Bowl, with the tie that same season against Tennessee.

The fifth-year senior had endured an injury riddled 1993 season, missing four games and parts of a few others. He was knocked out of that Iron Bowl loss with a knee injury that resulted in offseason surgery.

Alabama also made a change at offensive coordinator, with Mal Moore moving into administration and the popular Homer Smith returning to Tuscaloosa after a four-year hiatus. He found a willing pupil in Barker.

“I was blessed to have two great offensive coordinators, Mal Moore and Homer Smith,” Barker told The Tuscaloosa News upon Smith’s death in 2011. “But it was Coach Smith who really opened my eyes to the possibilities in the passing game. Before, I had coaches who would tell you something and maybe give you a test. But Coach Smith would make you stand up in the meeting and actually teach. He’d make you go through the entire playbook. Sometimes you’d stand up at the board for an hour-and-a-half, but his theory was, if you could teach it, that meant you knew it. And because of that, when you went on the field, everything came easily.”

Barker and Alabama got off to a 4-0 start in 1994, but had struggled offensively. The Crimson Tide managed just 92 total points in those four games, with 42 coming in the season-opener against FCS opponent Chattanooga.

But once the Georgia game began, it was the Bulldogs’ offense that was clicking. Eric Zeier — who would set the SEC record for career passing yards during the game — staked his team to a 21-10 lead with three first-half touchdown passes.

“He toasted us,” Alabama safety Willie Gaston years later said of Zeier. “We had no answer for Eric Zeier, especially in the first half. And Hines Ward ran all over us.”

Alabama scored on its opening possession of the second half, with Barker hitting Toderick Malone for a 35-yard touchdown. A Michael Proctor field goal cut Georgia’s lead to 21-19, but Zeier threw his fourth touchdown pass to make it 28-19 heading into the fourth quarter.

Barker went to Malone again — this time on a 49-yarder — to pull Alabama within 28-26 with 11:04 left. And after a second straight Georgia punt, he drove the Crimson Tide into position for Proctor’s 33-yard game-winner with 1:12 left.

“I always felt if I had the opportunity to get into a rhythm as a quarterback, that I could get the job done,” Barker said afterward. “Tonight proved that. … I knew we could do it. I knew our offense could do it. I knew I could do it.”

Here are highlights from the game:

Barker continued to play well throughout the season, finishing with 1,996 yards and 14 touchdowns passing with just five interceptions. Those numbers are pedestrian these days, but in 1994 were good enough to put the Alabama quarterback in the conversation for national awards.

Alabama finished the regular season at 11-0 before losing to Florida 24-23 in the SEC championship game. Barker won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the country’s top quarterback and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind Colorado’s Rashaan Salaam, Penn State teammates Ki-Jana Carter and Kerry Collins and Alcorn State’s Steve McNair.

Alabama ended its season with a 24-17 victory over Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl, with Barker’s 50-yard touchdown pass to Sherman Williams proving to be the deciding score. The Crimson Tide finished 12-1 and was ranked No. 5 in the final polls.

Barker ended his career with a 35-2-1 record as a starter, a .934 winning percentage that is first in Alabama history for any quarterback with at least 20 career starts. Only AJ McCarron won more games as the Crimson Tide’s starter, going 36-4 from 2011-13.

Coming Thursday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 93, a man who spoke the truth, even if it sounded like trash talk.

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General

‘Mini Christmas’ arrives for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers opened the portion of their offseason program formally known as Organized Team Activities on Tuesday. By NFL rules, the third phase of the program allows 11-on-11 drills for the first time in the offseason (although contact remains prohibited).

“It’s like the beginning of Phase 3 is always a really fun thing,” Carolina quarterback Bryce Young said on Tuesday. “Like, you come back, it’s cool, Phase 1. The rookies come in; you get drafted. It’s a feeling-out process, and you see it on air. I think the first day of Phase 3 is kind of like that mini Christmas before training camp. You know, you’re actually playing football again. It’s full speed. It’s always fun watching the rookies and the young guys just kind of — you start to see it. They see it for the first time. You see them adapt. You see them just coming to assimilate with the team. So I think for all of us, it’s a long offseason and you miss the game, so it’s always fun coming back to full-speed stuff.”

Last year at this time, Young was preparing for his second NFL season by learning the offense of coach Dave Canales. Canales had taken the reins for the Panthers after he had served as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina had won two games in 2024.

After being schooled in the new offensive playbook last offseason, Young feels as though he’s working on an advanced degree in the system this time around.

“I think it’s just being able to build off of the foundation we laid last year,” Young said. “Around this time last year, obviously, it’s a new system, new offense, so we were getting the basics. We were ironing out Day 1, first stuff and just the basics of the offense. And now, Year 2, we get to start so much further ahead. … And for us, a lot of guys, it’s let’s start at a master’s level. Let’s make sure that we’re more advanced.”

Young joined Carolina as the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. After Young started 16 games as a rookie, Canales benched the former Alabama All-American two games into the 2024 campaign. Young spent five games as Andy Dalton’s backup before returning to start the final 10.

In the final three games of the season, Young threw for 612 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns. His passing-efficiency rating was 111.6. Before those games, Young’s career passing-efficiency rating was 73.6.

“My expectation is just wide open, especially as he goes in there with command, like he’s been doing this offseason and really just leading the guys,” Canales said on Tuesday about Young in 2025. “There were some great plays out there, some great timing throws. But also just the level of comfort we talked about with the offense. Knowing the words, making different tweaks, and he’s a part of that process. These are conversations that we’ve been having with him going back to the end of last season that we want to implement and just be able to, especially in the pass game, become Bryce Young Offense, become this collective thing and getting the chemistry going, so I feel really confident about what I saw today, especially going against the defense, just the speed we were playing with.”

While Young called the opening of OTAs “mini Christmas,” he already got his present from the Panthers, who chose Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 in the NFL Draft on April 24. Young lobbied for the pick.

“I’ve played against him in high school,” Young said. “I’ve seen him and followed his career ever since high school, so I’ve always, whether it’s playing against him or from afar, he was always someone that I had a ton of respect for. I loved his game. I’d been around him before that, too. Heard great things. Loved his work ethic. Had seen him live. So just, again, I had a ton of exposure, so I was always kind of following, always kind of looking.

“And, you know, obviously, just us having that opportunity was — I’m super grateful. Obviously, I trusted coach Canales and (general manager) Dan (Morgan) with the decision. They were going to do what was best for the team. And they obviously felt that that was what was best. And, obviously for me, it was music to my ears.”

McMillan joins Carolina’s top three wide receivers from 2024 – Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. The Panthers also added former 1,000-yard receiver Hunter Renfrow as a free agent and Colorado wide receiver Jimmy Horn in the sixth round of the draft on April 26.

“It’s a really dynamic group,” Young said, “them coming in and bringing great energy, great depth. Again, this is kind of the first day where you get to see it live and see it in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7. But even on air, you could tell. And all the guys, they want to work.”

The Panthers have eight days of practice remaining on their offseason schedule before starting their summer break until training camp.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

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