Could FEMA trailers house influx of construction workers?
By Chip Drago
Mobile Bay Times
With the expected arrival of 29,000 construction workers to build a $3.7 billion steel mill in north Mobile County, where will they stay?
Former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow has an idea. Why not move a few thousand of the now available Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers from the Katrina-recovering Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf Coast area to the proposed site of the Alabama Motorsports Park off of I-65 at Prichard near Saraland?
"It's a great idea," said Dow, spokesman for AMP. "There's nothing definite yet though."
The park, expected to open in 2009, features a Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway and also includes a 5,000-slip lot for recreational vehicles. The steel plant is targeted to become operational in 2010.
"If we get the chance we would love to build out the RV Park and put some FEMA trailers there," Dow said. "It is something we would love to do. It is an idea we are looking at if circumstances will allow us to move in that direction."
AMP developers, Gulf Coast Entertainment LLC, have filed for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits, Dow said.
The timing of the motorsports park development and the steel plant construction may mesh, said Dow.
The FEMA trailers could help bridge the gap between demand and supply until the area housing market catches up.
"With the start of this mill and the need for workers (housing), sure, we've had discussions," said Dow. "Obviously, it is an idea that could work and has a lot of merit. Just looking at the timing of the thing to see if the feasibility is there, those are uncertainties. There are a lot of issues surrounding the timing of the mill and our permitting process and those are uncertainties right now. We have to answer those questions first."
Plans call for the 3,000-acre motorsports park site to include a three-section recreational vehicle lot, divided as follows:
- 500 pull-through concrete slips, each with 30/50 amp electric, water and sewer, gated and fenced as necessary for security and privacy, each with picnic area with grill, shower house provided;
- 500 traditional concrete slips, each with 30/50 amp electric, water and sewer, gated and fenced as necessary for security and privacy;
- 4,000 traditional gravel RV/camper slips with shared water and electric. Area would include common bathrooms and common shower areas.
"A lot of our ability to do that type of thing depends on the timing of the Corps' permit," said Dow. ""So much of this depends on the timing of permitting and the excavation work going on, the engineering work going on to create the site."
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, federal authorities spent $2.6 billion for some 144,000 trailers and mobile homes to house displaced families and accommodate relief workers.
Over the past year, the General Services Administration has auctioned off many of the trailers at a steep discount, receiving an average of $7,367 for 2,665 trailers. New, the trailers sold for an average of $18,620.
AMP plans in its RV section include a convenience store, clubhouse and grassy outdoor area. Plans also call for a recreational lake, stocked with fish, and large enough to host national fishing tournaments.
Initially pegged at $2.9 billion, the steel plant's projected value was adjusted to $3.7 billion by company officials in announcing an expanded plan under current exchange rates. Higher capacities and extended plant configurations were shown to be feasible and economical, according to the company.
