MOBILE, Ala. – The City of Mobile, Burton Property Group, and Kessler Capital announced plans to develop Mobile’s only mixed-use waterfront entertainment and hospitality development, combining a hotel, residences, offices, retail, bars, and restaurants.

City of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said, “35 years ago people started talking about various downtown developments being like a string of pearls. The downtown Mobile skyline was set by that vision of a string of pearls. Now from my understanding, ladies who have a string of pearls would typically love to see it offset by a big diamond. You can see from these pictures that what is being proposed is the diamond for our downtown.”

River Walk Plaza is to be located on the City of Mobile property on the opposite side of Water Street from the end of Dauphin Street. The new development will sit adjacent to the Mobile Convention Center — bookending the GulfQuest Maritime Museum and Cooper Riverside Park. 

This project will leverage the only available site in downtown Mobile that can truly connect the downtown entertainment district to the waterfront.

Stimpson continued, “Whenever we have gone on Mobile Chamber Leaders Exchange trips, the cities we visit have always figured out how to maximize their waterfront. We have not quite figured that out until now. It’s always been a potential, but I can say right now we are getting ready to check that box. It’s no longer potential. It will be a reality.”  

Mobile Chamber President & CEO Bradley Byrne said, “This is the beginning of a huge transformation for our municipal waterfront. It adds another option to the activities available downtown, appealing to both local residents and visitors.“ 

The River Walk Plaza concept developed following the City of Mobile’s request for proposals for a potential development on the downtown waterfront. The concept, which marries residential, recreational and office uses, was selected by the City as the best use for this property.

“Activating our downtown waterfront has been a major goal of our administration,” said Stimpson. “For decades, Mobilians have wanted to bring entertainment and recreation options to the banks of our greatest asset, and the River Walk Plaza will do that in incredible fashion. I know that I’m not the only Mobilian looking forward to having dinner on our downtown waterfront.”

Burton Property Group (BPG) is a Mobile-based real estate developer with a successful track record of developing numerous large-scale projects. BPG is also developing the South Alabama Logistics Park in Theodore, which is the largest master-planned warehousing and distribution center in the Southeast.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Mobile to have a truly world-class, mixed-use development on the downtown waterfront. This project is still in its early stages, but the right team is in place to bring this project across the finish line,” said Philip Burton, President and CEO of the Burton Property Group. “We have had incredible support from the City of Mobile and our Mobile community to bring this vision forward. When completed, River Walk Plaza will be a destination for Mobilians and visitors alike.”

Based in Savannah, Kessler Capital is a hospitality developer with a history of developing and operating high-end, destination hotels and resorts.

“We are excited to bring hospitality and entertainment to mid-size, emerging markets like Mobile, especially with the leadership of visionaries like Mayor Stimpson and other local leaders. We see momentum and opportunity with all the success and growth that Mobile continues to experience,” said Laura Kessler, President of Kessler Capital. “These are remarkable times in the Port City, and our team is excited to be part of Mobile’s momentum and bright future. All of us involved in the project have been overwhelmed at the support of the city and are excited to make Mobile’s vision a reality.”

Alabama native and architect Gray Reese, President of Gray Reese LLC Architects, is designing the project. Reese specializes in luxury hotel and residential developments within major cities and historic districts across the country. Some of Reese’s relevant projects include the Plant Riverside Marriott in Savannah, GA; the Sutton and Huntley Residential Towers in Atlanta, GA and the Arras mixed-use residential, Kimpton hotel and retail tower in Asheville, NC. Hotel projects located in historic districts include Grand Bohemian Hotels in Mountain Brook, AL; Savannah, GA; Asheville, NC and Charleston, SC.

River Walk Plaza is intended to be a destination venue to experience living, working, dining, meeting, interacting with the waterfront and entertainment in the rich historical and modern culture of downtown Mobile. The development will include a luxury hotel and condos, Class A office space and multiple food and beverage, retail and entertainment options. To allow for easier access, the project will be engineered to provide vehicular and pedestrian access over Water Street and the CSX train tracks.

This project, which is in its early stages of development, is aiming for a groundbreaking in 2025. Design and conceptual elements will incorporate stakeholder feedback and are subject to change over time. 

Renderings for the project are available at www.riverwalkmobile.com.