A new advertising and public relations idea in Mobile AL is designed to encourage guests of Carnival Cruise Lines to visit area attractions as well as enjoy their time cruising the Gulf seas.  This new ‘arrive early’ campaign which advises Carnival Cruise passengers to ‘vacation before your vacation,’ was announced this week by Mobile officials.  The current cruise ship, the Holiday, will soon be replaced by the larger Fantasy cruise ship and Mayor Sam Jones, the Mobile Bay Convention, and the Visitors Bureau are enthusiastic about promoting more tourism via the Cruise lines.  Though Carnival Cruise tourists generally only vacation on the cruise ship, Mobile and the Gulf Coast of AL has more to offer in beautiful beaches, shopping, and other entertainment choices.

For more information on real estate in Mobile and West Mobile AL or other Gulf Coast properties, contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

This August construction is expected to start on a new hotel in downtown Mobile AL.  The project is estimated to cost $9 million and will include 81 rooms.  Though it is being developed by the same people that brought the newly opened Hampton Inn and Suites to Royal Street downtown, this project is more ambitious; this new four-story Candlewood Suites hotel seeks to accommodate those guests that wish to have an extended-stay in the area, especially business traveler.  Featured highlights of the hotel include a pool, courtyard and fire pit, and a kitchen in each room.

The presence of more hotels in the downtown Mobile AL area will allow more business into the area as larger conventions and other events will have their visitors accommodated in the nearby vicinity.

Whether you want to vacation or live year round in the beautiful Gulf Coast area of Alabama, contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves for more information on homes and condos available in your favorite areas.

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Automated beach parking may be coming to the Gulf Shores of AL as early as late June this year.  Starting under a trial basis, the city’s main public beach will be using a pay-to-park system that will eliminate the need for parking attendants.  The automated system will allow visitors at Gulf Place to pay the $5 parking fee to a machine, without an attendant needed; this move is estimated to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next five years.  In addition to saving the city money, it will help to alleviate the traffic jam situations at the lot’s entrance when the beach is in its peak tourist season.  Community officials estimate that they will need 6 machines to cover the area, costing about $10,000 per machine and an additional $1,250 to post signs explaining to visitors how to use them.

For information on available real estate on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, including Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort AL, contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

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There may be some good news concerning the replacement of the Bridge over Mobile River in the coming years, according to the Press Register online.  The 14 mile bridge in question is a 1930s era bridge that swings on a pivot in order to allow barges to pass by; if replaced a new drawbridge will be in its stead that is expected to save shippers millions of dollars yearly.  This new bridge would also be advantageous for ThyssenKrupp, as it will ease logistics for shipping raw steel slabs.  Approximately $70.9 million has been set aside for the new drawbridge on Mobile River from the $19.8 million in federal funds announced at the end of April.

For information on Gulf Coast Homes including Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Daphne contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves.

NASA announced last week that Mobile’s American Tank and Vessel Inc (AT&V) will be under contract to build and install a key component to test a new generation of rocket engines for NASA.   AT&V employs about 190 workers in the locations that will be working on a test cell diffuser, which is “a device that sits below the rocket engine as it’s being tested and diffuses the exhaust,” as reported by the Press-Register online.  This $45 million contract is the first time that AT&V will be working with NASA, and more details about whether more employees will be needed and when the project is slated to begin will be given this week in an official news release.

For information on real estate in Mobile or West Mobile, contact local agent Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking on the “Talk Now” button on this page.

This past Monday, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa, repeated his suggestion for the U.S. Air Force to split their aerial refueling tanker contract between Boeing and Northrop Grumman Corp, after a tour of Boeing’s production center in Everett, Washington.  Murtha made a similar touring visit of Mobile Alabama-based Northrop Grumman Corp in late January and he is trying to convince the secretary of defense to at least take a look at two airplanes; Murtha is the chair of the House subcommittee that is overseeing U.S. defense spending, and he feels that a split would offer a faster way to get the tankers made and replace the current aging fleet.  If Northrop Grumman Corps Mobile AL location were to be awarded at least a share of the work, it would create a projected 1,500 direct jobs to the area.

For more on this issue, visit Al.com.

For more information on real estate in Mobile or West Mobile AL, contact local agent Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking on the “Talk Now” button on this page.

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Both Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co. are gearing up for another competition for the U.S Air Force tanker for this coming year.  This time the top executives from each of these companies are setting rules for the new contest to prevent any inequality.

Boeing is trying for a “price shootout” to offer a cost-competitive option to the bidding, but Northrop of Mobile AL will be using the same technique they held to in the first competition, a best value approach.  Northrop’s Mobile location won the bid for the tanker contract this year, but due to Boeing’s urging to look more critically at the decision-making process, the decision was withdrawn for another competition.

But Northrop executives are confident that they have a ‘superior plane’ and ultimately a better price.  If Northrop can pull it off a second time Mobile will see the creation of more than a thousand jobs locally and thousands more over the region.

For information on Mobile or West Mobile AL real estate contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking on the “Talk Now” feature of this page.

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Mobile Alabama officials are looking into what additions the city could benefit from in the coming year.  Like a wish list, local government officials are making a list of improvements for the city to be discussed by the federal government in the proposed stimulus plan.  The list includes an environmentally friendly power plant, improvements to infrastructure (e.g. bridges and highways), and renovations to schools.  Total expenses for these plans are estimated at $1.16 billion.

The Press Register indicated that it is most likely that only the projects that are either underway, have begun construction already, or only need some funding to get underway, will be given funds.  The Alabama Power Co. wants to start converting coal powered plants into ones that burn biomass (e.g. wood chips and switchgrass), with the Barry Steam Plant in North Mobile County being considered currently for this conversion.

For more on what is on Mobile AL’s ‘wish list,’ visit the Press Register online.

For more information on available real estate in Mobile or West Mobile AL contact your neighborhood realtor Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking on the “Talk Now” button on the top of the page.

Homeowners: Save money on energy bills

Whether your home is new or old, a home energy audit can help you to go green and save on energy bills.  Even if you have owned your home through a winter already, the benefits of making your home more efficient are waiting for you.  If you live in Mobile Alabama or other surrounding areas an energy audit can cost from $300-400, but will save you on energy bills in the long run.

An Energy Auditor’s job is to take a look at your home and determine, using various tools and/or skills, what your home will need to improve its energy efficiency and save you money; they can find places where you are losing heat the most and recommend ways of repairing or sealing these lesser known problems as well as offer advice on how to save on electric by changing to different types of light bulbs or recommend temperatures for your thermostat and furnace that will be most cost effective, just to name a few.

For more about available energy auditors in the Mobile AL area check out “Save Money By Going Green Mobile AL.”

For more information on Mobile and West Mobile Alabama homes for sale contact your neighborhood realtor Barbara Reeves via email here or by clicking on the “Talk Now” button on the top of this page.

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ThyssenKrupp’s job fair is on for December 9th in Mobile County Alabama. The new German steel plant is expected to open in about a year and they will need an estimated 2,700 employees on a permanent basis.  Even with a somewhat sluggish economy in other parts of the nation, Mobile Alabama’s ThyssenKrupp steel plant is offering a great pick up for the local economy.  The company has already hired more than 300 workers by the end of last month and the scheduled job fair on December 9th will help answer questions for those that would like to apply.  Representatives from ThyssenKrupp will be on hand to discuss salary, and available positions including manufacturing, engineering, sales, and accounting.

This is a great time to look into Mobile AL living and apply to work for ThyssenKrupp.  For more information on available homes for sale in Mobile and West Mobile AL, contact your local agent Barbara Reeves by email or through the “Talk Now” button on this page.