Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Stormwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council authorizes Hughes contract for Langan Park dredging; officials say project will aid stormwater capacity
Summary
The council authorized a contract for roughly $15 million in RESTORE Act funds to dredge Langan Lake and make stormwater improvements, with officials saying dredging will restore recreational use and increase stormwater capacity downstream.
The Mobile City Council on May 27 approved a contract to begin dredging Langan Lake and perform associated stormwater improvements, a project city officials said is funded through RESTORE Act dollars tied to the Deepwater Horizon settlement.
A council speaker said the project qualified for Restore Act funding after a multi‑year qualification process and that the contract award will put nearly $15 million (described at the meeting as “$15,000,000 plus, nearly $16,000,000”) to work restoring the lake and park amenities. “We qualified because this is a recreation center, recreation facility, a lake, dredging the lake to make it possible for people to use the park,” the speaker said, and indicated dredging operations could begin in July.
A separate council member emphasized the stormwater benefits: dredging increases capacity in an area where years of sediment from the 3‑Mile Creek watershed have reduced conveyance downstream, the member said, and tied the lake work to broader restoration on the watershed. The speaker said the project will both improve recreation and help manage stormwater in lower‑lying parts of West Mobile.
Council members noted that parts of the park will be unavailable while dredging occurs. The presentation singled out Jennifer Green for leading long-term efforts to secure the funding and shepherd the project through its administrative requirements.
The authorized contract appeared as Resolution 21745 on the council agenda and was approved during the meeting. City staff told the council the dredging will begin when contractor mobilization is complete and that construction activity will be visible once dredging equipment is on site.
