Minority business owners say they're excited about taking part in the construction of the city's new civic center.Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.
And when you're talking about building a venue of this size of this complexity, a lot of different talents and skills will be needed, giving many opportunities for local and regional businesses, including minority owned companies.Rashawn Figures is the C.E.O. of Dortch, Figures and Sons, a general contractor in Mobile.
He tells NBC 15 News the project will need all the trades and now is the time for those companies to get D.B.E. certified. "Construction covers so many things,” he says. “Hauling, concrete, vertical construction, utilities, painting, sheet rock, so every trade will be in this building. I think they need to start working to get DBE certified through ALDOT, and then come to places like this and meet the contacts so they'll have the opportunity to engage and be on some of these team for the construction, whether that be a small piece of a big piece, but be involved.
"Well, the first thing is $45M in construction,” says Foster. “Being a DBE contractor, you know, that's huge to have a piece of that pie. Secondly, I have a lot of clients in the hospitality and restaurant business. And being in that space to be able to piggy back them. Being in real estate, construction and development I'm either helping them find space or helping them find contractors to renovate spaces and things of that nature."A firm consulting with D.B.E.