The shovels are about to hit the ground on something pretty exciting: a brand-new affordable housing community that’s bringing $22 million worth of fresh possibilities to the Port City.
On Thursday, January 20, at 2 p.m., Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis and District 1 Councilman Cory Penn will join community members at 4350 Moffett Road to officially kick off construction.
It’s one of those moments where you can practically feel the momentum building.
A Meaningful Name for a Much-Needed Project
This isn’t just another construction site—it’s Fred Marshall Court, a 50-unit development named after a man who dedicated his life to Mobile’s young people.
As the longtime principal at LeFlore Magnet High School and assistant for the Mobile County Public School System before his passing in 2019, Fred Marshall touched countless lives.
Now, his legacy gets to live on in a place that’ll provide stability and opportunity for families who need it most. There’s something genuinely beautiful about that connection.
Building Momentum Across the City
What makes this groundbreaking even more significant? It’s one of four Mobile projects funded through the Alabama Housing Finance Authority in 2025.
That’s right—four separate initiatives working to expand affordable housing options across town.
The ripple effects are real: when families can access quality housing they can actually afford, everything else starts to fall into place.
Kids have stable addresses for school enrollment. Parents can stay closer to their jobs. Communities develop stronger roots.
Partnership with Purpose
The collaboration between Figures Construction and the Hollyhand Companies shows how local expertise can turn funding into reality.
These aren’t outside developers swooping in—these are groups who understand the fabric of Mobile, who know the neighborhoods, and who have genuine investment in seeing the area thrive.
The current St. Mary’s Orphanage building on the property will make way for this new chapter, transforming the space while honoring the site’s history of serving the community.
Room to Grow, Room to Breathe
Fifty units might sound modest, but for fifty families, this represents everything.
In areas where housing costs have been climbing faster than wages, where families sometimes choose between paying rent and paying for other necessities, developments like Fred Marshall Court create breathing room.
They provide options. They offer dignity.
And when housing becomes more accessible in one neighborhood, it can ease pressure across surrounding communities too, creating opportunities throughout the wider Mobile area for people to find homes that work for their budgets and their lives.
The groundbreaking ceremony happens this week, but the real celebration will unfold over the coming months and years as families move in, neighbors meet, and another piece of Mobile’s affordable housing puzzle clicks into place.
It’s progress you can measure in construction milestones—and in the relief and hope of families who finally have somewhere to call home.
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