I’m glad to welcome springtime in Foley! A lot is happening in our area, from festivals to projects, so let’s jump right in.

Publix, our newest grocery retailer, will open sometime in June at the corner of the Foley Beach Express and County Road 20. Our newest restaurant, First Watch, is now open, while Doc’s Seafood is moving toward completion. The two newest hotels, The Fairfield Inn and Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, are also close to the finish line.

Several City projects are in progress. The Public Works Campus and our new library are underway. We are now in the design stage for upgrading South Chicago Street leading into the new library site. The Heritage Park/East Jessamine Street upgrade should be completed by the time this newsletter is delivered. These renovations of the east side of the park tie in a with a pedestrian walkway that provides for safer foot traffic from the middle/elementary school area, across Jessamine east, and all the way to the City Hall campus.

Pedestrian safety is an ongoing effort across our city. New solar-powered pedestrian crosswalk signals will be added to newly installed four-way stops for pedestrian safety. Foley has recently been awarded a Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant to assist with this. Crosswalks will be upgraded along Highway 98 at Cedar, Oak, Pine and Chicago streets, and the Rose Trail Crossing. The almost $900,000 grant will greatly enhance our citizens’ ability to walk around town.

The joint City/ALDOT Project at the Highway 59 and County Road 12 intersection is well on its way to completion in midsummer. This will allow a smoother flow of traffic at that intersection.
Several road projects that are not actually in the city limits also will have a positive impact on residents. Thank you to the Baldwin County Commission for addressing several of these locations. This includes the County Road 12/65 intersection, upgrades to the Hickory Street/Michigan Avenue intersection, West County Road 20 to County Road 65, and the Cedar/Michigan intersection. We expect others to be announced soon.

The Council approved $1 million in the current budget to design and build sidewalks that will improve connectivity all around Foley. Sidewalk projects are now underway in the Mills Community, on North Cedar Street and on West Peachtree Avenue. These projects will help connect outer areas to our schools and the rest of the city.

These projects are just a sample of many. We are constantly planning to meet the city’s needs, both for today and into the future. Please be patient, as these important projects take time.

The list of projects for the next few years include a new civic center, a year-round indoor aquatic center, a larger senior center, a performing arts center, and an expanded justice center. Foley’s Council and I are honored and excited to be able to serve and work together to accomplish these goals.

Enjoy this beautiful weather and the wonderful place we live. Remember to shop local!