FOLEY – A new recreational vehicle park in Foley will not only provide more spaces for a rapidly growing section of the accommodations industry, but is also part of a plan to provide more access to local attractions.
The Tropic Hideaway RV Park opened Wednesday, Aug. 30. The facility, which is operated by OWA Park and Resort, includes 190 lots as well as other amenities, Cody Williamson, president and chief executive officer for Creek Indian Enterprise Development, which operates OWA, said.
“We’ve got pickleball. We’ve got a nice little pool here. We’ve got dog walks, a lot of stuff,” WIllamson said at the dedication.
He said planners have been working on the project for several years.
“When we started looking at this in 2019, before the pandemic, it was a little bit smaller, a little bit different, The pandemic hit and, of course, RVs exploded,” Williamson said.
He said the demand for RV resorts in the area is still growing. “We still think there’s a lot of people who like to travel with their stuff in their own RVs, sleep in their own beds. This was just the next step. We decided this was something we needed to do,” Williamson said.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the resort fits into city plans to improve access in the area near OWA, the Tanger Outlet Mall, Foley Events Center and other attractions in the area.
“This is an incredible day,” Hellmich said. “It has been a lot of work and coordination and we really appreciate OWA and Cody and the Tribal Council who have supported these projects down here.We were able to work out a joint project on the adjoining road, which will open shortly as soon as the asphalt gets put down.”
The city is extending South Pecan Street next to the park. The project will improve access from U.S. 98 to the south as an alternate route to Alabama 59.
The city is also working with OWA to construct wider walkways on East Pride Boulevard near the site. The new walkways will be 8-feet wide and will replace a 4-foot sidewalk now on the route. OWA donated some of the right of way needed to widen the walkways.
The new walkway will be wide enough to allow use by golf carts traveling between OWA, the RV park and other attractions.
Williamson said Foley officials have been very supportive of local businesses and their efforts to make improvements in the area.
“The tribe does a lot of work in a lot of cities,” Williamson told Hellmich. “So we deal with a lot of different governmental entities. We deal with a lot of people and I can tell you that the city of Foley and your team by far are the easiest to work with. When you need me, you call me. When I need you, I call you. It’s not like that everywhere, so we certainly appreciate that.”