With a view of the Gulf of Mexico as soon as you park your car, it’s hard to believe anything could make it better.
The city of Gulf Shores is going to try.
“Today it is a parking lot that has access to the sand,” says spokesman Grant Brown. “We want to see it much more than that.”
The city has a multi-million dollar plan to transform the beach front with more tree’s, grass, expanded boardwalks and venues for concerts and retail shops. “A lot of people go to the beach and they don’t want to lay in the sand and sunbathe all day,” says Brown. “They want activities. They want to do other things. They want a park atmosphere. So, truly creating that is important to us.”
The city owns a half-mile stretch of this beach. It’s all public but a large portion of it isn’t even accessible to the public. The new plan would change that.
“It’s, at least, a two and a half to three and a half year project,” according to Brown. Construction could get underway as soon as this fall. The price tag: 15 to 20 million dollars.
The city will apply for RESTORE money from the BP oil spill to fund the project. If that doesn’t work city officials could fund the project through a bond issue.
Via Debbie Williams
WKRG News 5