FOLEY – Construction is starting on the new Foley Public Library that will double the size of the facility.
The city held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Jan. 30, for the library at the building’s site on East Orange Avenue. Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the event was a great day for the city.
“As we stand here at the site of what soon will be our new library and community center, we are not just breaking ground on a building,” Hellmich said. “We are laying the foundation for a future where ideas can grow, where minds can be nurtured, and where every individual, regardless of age or background, has access to the tools they need to succeed.”
He said the library will be more than a collection of books.
“We are creating a community hub where people of all walks of life come together to share stories and knowledge,” the mayor said. “Our library will be a place of learning, exploration and inspiration.”
The two-story library will have about 40,000 square feet of space. The new center will include a sensory room, separate children’s and teens’ activity areas and a large multi-purpose room that seats 277. Other facilities planned for the new library include a STEAM-STEM lab and spaces for programs such as special-needs activities.
The building will also feature a second-story porch that overlooks the Perry Wilbourne Antique Rose Trail and the city’s Dog Park.
Hellmich said city officials and project supporters have been working for several years to bring the project to the start of construction.
“This project was started three years ago,” Hellmich said. “I would like to commend our team from the city of Foley engineering, our committee that worked on this, all of the folks, particularly David Thompson (executive director of leisure services), Kate Norris (library director) and our library folks with the input into this library.”
The mayor also thanked White-Spunner Construction, the company building the library, and Williams Blackstock Associates, the architects who designed the building, for their work on the project.
The winning bid on the project by White-Spunner Construction was lower than the projected city estimate of $22 million. The bid approved by the City Council was about $17.99 million.
“Our library was bid. We had lots of bidders, and we came in under budget,” Hellmich said. “That is impressive in this day and time.
He said some of that cost will be paid through $2 million in federal funding secured by former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl.
“Those federal dollars help the local economy, and it allows us to take our dollars and to buy other things,” Hellmich said. “For example, the money that was given from the federal government for this library can buy over 25 police cars.”
Hellmich said other project supporters include the Friends of the Foley Public Library and the Foley Library Board.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2026.
“As we look forward to the completion of this beautiful new facility, let us also remember the deeper significance of what this library represents, a commitment to learning, to grow and to a better tomorrow,” Hellmich said. “We are laying the groundwork for a future where knowledge will continue to be a bridge, a tool to empower and a beacon of possibilities for all.”
The Foley Library first opened in 1923 as a project of the Foley Women’s Club. The first library building was in a small structure on the northeast corner of Alabama 59 and U.S. 98.
That building was renovated and expanded in 1962. It is now the Foley Welcome Center.
The library moved into a new building at its current location next to City Hall in 1984. A second story was added in 2008. The current library building will be used for other municipal purposes when the new facility opens.