Long-anticipated Africatown Welcome Center in the works

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Mobile city leaders are ready to get the ball rolling on a long overdue project.

An Africatown Welcome Center is in the works.

The community came out Thursday night to give their input on how they’d like to see the design look.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson says millions of dollars will be going into this project.

Mayor Stimpson says they received the money from restore funding several years ago.

It’s about six million dollars.

The welcome center will play a big part in telling the story of Africatown.

At the meeting, people were able to see the designs of what the building could look like.

One of the models showed it will be built in the shape of a ship, modeling after the Clotilda.

The Clotilda, the last known slave ship to arrive in the U.S., that sailed into Mobile Bay.

The mayor emphasized that they want to get it right which is why the input from the community was so vital.

People at the meeting say they’re glad they’ll have a voice in it.

“This meeting has been a long time coming. This has been going on for about six years,” Rochelle Williams said. “We have been waiting on a welcome center, as some say four walls. So now it is in existence, it is time for this to come up.”

“I have been here even before they found the Clotilda ship but I’m just interested in the community and the progress that we’re making as Mobilians,” Vonnie McMillan-Jamison said.

Thursday night was the first of many meetings as part of the design of the building.

No date has been announced yet on when the next meeting will be.

Anyone interested in providing info can do so at africatownwelcomecenter@cityofmobile.org.