小蝌蚪APP

Landscaping Project to Extend South's Visual Entrance

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Posted on August 19, 2016

Jeb Schrenk

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For drivers on South鈥檚 main campus, the ride is about to get a little more scenic.

The 小蝌蚪APP, in partnership with the city of Mobile, is adding landscaping to the medians surrounding campus and at its busiest intersection.

The project, scheduled to be completed by the end of September, will further extend the University鈥檚 visual entrance from the portals along University Boulevard and Old Shell Road, which were added in 2012.

The latest improvements, along more than a mile of those same roads, will complement the existing crepe myrtles and reflect the campus鈥� beauty.

鈥淥ne of the things that makes a city more inviting 鈥� a neighborhood more inviting 鈥� is the aesthetics,鈥� said City Council President Gina Gregory, whose district includes the University. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all part of making the city a place where you want to live, work, and, in this case, study.鈥�

Under the agreement, the city provided funding for the project; the University is responsible for landscaping and ongoing maintenance.

The plantings will be at 26 locations along University and Old Shell adjacent to campus and will include hydrangeas, irises, roses and azaleas. The University is running irrigation lines to keep the plants healthy.

鈥淥ne of our priorities at South is community engagement, finding ways to align the University鈥檚 focus with our neighbors throughout coastal Alabama,鈥� said Dr. Tony Waldrop, USA president. 鈥淓xtending the campus鈥� beauty in partnership with the city, just like we鈥檝e done near the 小蝌蚪APP Medical Center, is symbolic of our connection in research, economic development and other enhancements in quality of life.鈥�

The most dramatic change will be at the intersection of University and Old Shell, where concrete pedestrian islands will be removed to make way for plantings and new walkways.

To the north, the landscaping will extend to the east side of University across from the entrance to USA Technology & Research Park, providing a bridge from University property to the northern edge of the city鈥檚 Azalea City Golf Course and the adjacent neighborhood.

The improvements come on the heels of a surge of commercial activity along Old Shell Road across from campus and should have a positive effect on area property values, said Harry Brislin, director of USA Properties and USA Technology & Research Park, who has worked in the commercial real estate industry.

鈥淲hat this will do, along with the portals, is add cohesiveness to the South corridor that will bring everything together,鈥� Brislin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just another sign of the growth that the University is experiencing, and an indication of the working partnership between South and the city.鈥�

 

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