By Alabama Public Radio
Mobile, AL – Mobile is crediting a decade of school construction with creating an annual economic boost of more than 52 million dollars. Studies from a University of South Alabama economist suggest the 500 million dollars spent by the school system's building campaign has generated more than twice the tax revenue as the construction of the 160 million dollar R-S-A Tower in downtown Mobile. Semoon Chang says from 2000 through the end of next year, the projects will have sustained 975 jobs and more than 18-hundred indirectly. And, those workers who made millions of taxable dollars also spent their pay in the Mobile area. A Mobile County school official also said local construction, architecture and engineering firms were hired to do the work, and that allowed several local companies to expand.