sports tourism

Economic Development

The mission of Foley’s Economic Development Department is to identify, target and recruit businesses, developers and retirees to the area and to develop world-class facilities for sports tourism and other events while catering to the needs of existing businesses.

Located eight miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, the City of Foley is the gateway to Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast. Baldwin County hosted more than six million visitors in 2016. Our beautiful beaches and a diverse collection of exciting entertainment, sports and retail venues – coupled with Foley’s progressive business climate – make this a perfect location for many ventures.

The Tanger Outlet Center located in Foley has nearly 600,000 square feet of national and international brand stores, making it the number one retail attraction visited along the Alabama coast each year. Foley’s yearly retail sales average is nearly $600 million.

But Foley is so much more than retail. Serving as a commerce hub in the South Baldwin region, the city claims more than 20 lending institutions. Our local hospital, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, has received a Gold Quality Achievement Award for the past five years. Major employers include UTC Aerospace Systems, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Vulcan Inc., Ascend Materials, and Riviera Utilities.

The City of Foley is currently developing a Class “A” AdvantageSite Business Park encompassing nearly 300 acres just off the Foley Beach Express. Foley also owns the former Peavey Electronics building, more than 94,000 square feet in size. This space will be made available expressly for companies looking to locate to the area.

Foley – with its sister cities Orange Beach and Gulf Shores – has developed a strong sports tourism market generating more than 60,000 room nights annually. The city’s new 100,000-square-foot indoor multi-purpose events center and additional outdoor sports fields expand the sports tourism business. The complex includes 16 natural-grass multi-purpose fields, one of which is a championship field with stadium seating, a press box and lights to accommodate television broadcasts. Our goal is to eventually become one of the top destinations for youth sports tournaments in the country.

A business looking to relocate sees Foley’s location as a tremendous asset. It is located only 45 minutes from the Pensacola International Airport and just 40 miles from Mobile with its world-class port and Mobile Regional Airport. Foley is at the center of everything. The mild subtropical climate, low property taxes and highly rated Baldwin County School System add to the charm.