Last week Mobile Public Works Executive Director James DeLapp said Mardi Gras balls would not be able to take place in 2025 and 2026 because the Civic Center would be closed due to construction. But on Tuesday, DeLapp said he went back to designers to see if they could reduce the disruption.

"It all depends on the timeline of this design that goes through and when they complete the design and we can put it out to bid for the construction and getting all the funding in place. Those are variables we don't know yet. But in a perfect world, we'd love to start just after the '25 Mardi Gras, immediately after," said DeLapp.

That would put construction starting after Fat Tuesday which falls on March 4th, 2025. The goal would be to finish in 21 months so the civic center could reopen in January 2027.

"But if any of those other things I just mentioned slip, then it could have a negative impact maybe on '25 or maybe on the back end on '27," said DeLapp.

The city plans to renovate the Arena and Theater. The future of the Expo Hall is undecided. On Tuesday, the city council approved a $2.9 million contract that will cover 25% of the design work for the project and provide an updated cost analysis. The renovation right now is estimated to cost $133 million, $170 million if you include the parking garage on site. Construction is slated to begin on that late summer or early fall. That construction will close down on site parking for Mardi Gras balls next year.

"We're going to be interviewing project managers to really manage this whole development and project because as you can tell, there's a lot of moving pieces. And so we want to make sure we keep all those on schedule so that we maintain that time and have the least impact possible for Mardi Gras and other events that will take place there," said DeLapp.

Later this month the marquee will come down at the civic center and construction on the new Army Corps of Engineers office building will begin.