MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — With 16,000 bricks in danger of falling from the side of the Mobile Civic Center Theater, the Mobile City Council voted to hold off on spending $286,804 that would be used to make “emergency repairs.”
The 16-foot by 32-foot area near the roof on the East and South sides of the theatre buckled in on itself, leaving a 12-foot crack in the wall. In one place, Mobile City Chief of Staff James Barber said the brick separated 6 inches from the cinder block underneath.
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Barber said only danger comes to those who may be walking on the sidewalks below. The city set a 30-foot perimeter around the sidewalk below the wall to reduce the risk to the public.
He said those inside the theatre are not in danger, as a concrete mezzanine roof would catch any falling bricks.
“Even if it penetrated the roof, it would not go into the backstage area,” Barber said.
However, falling bricks could damage the roof or a cooling tower on top of the roof. District 2 Councilman William Carroll said putting a cage around the cooling tower could reduce some of the damage to the cooling tower.