FOLEY – Several Foley city departments are moving into larger facilities as part of a series of building and renovation projects designed to provide more space for employees and improve services for residents.

This week, some city offices began relocating to a new administrative annex building located behind City Hall. The annex will serve as a temporary home for staff while additional projects are completed.

One of the largest upcoming moves will take place when the Foley Recreation Department and other city offices relocate into the former National Guard armory. Renovations to the armory, located next to the new annex, are scheduled for completion in January.

City Hall is also undergoing improvements, including renovations to the main conference room.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the projects are part of a long-term plan to create more efficient and functional office space for city employees.
“Our staff moving will give them a lot more space,” Hellmich said. “Then we can start inside City Hall, renovating and moving some of our staff around. So the progress is ongoing.”

In addition to office expansions, Foley is building a new library and community center. When the facility opens in 2026, the current library building will be repurposed to provide more space for other city functions.

The ground floor of the library will become the new Foley Senior Center, doubling its size from 7,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet.
“As soon as the library gets moved, then we can start the renovation of the library, moving the Senior Center over there,” Hellmich said. “Upstairs will be administration offices that will complement our needs for space at City Hall.”

City offices now housed in the administrative annex will move into permanent space on the second floor of the renovated library building. Plans call for a new exterior entrance to connect those offices directly to City Hall.

Once the annex is vacated, Foley’s Information Technology Department will move into the building from its current Alston Street location, consolidating municipal services on the City Hall campus.

“These projects are going along well, and we’ll keep moving them forward and making the government as efficient as possible by maximum use of our campus in this particular area,” Hellmich said.