Ribbon cutting for spectacular Gulf Place Revitalization Project is April 26

Ribbon cutting for spectacular Gulf Place Revitalization Project is April 26
By Fran Thompson
The City of Gulf Shores will celebrate the completion of the first two phases of its Gulf Place Revitalization Project with a 5:30 p.m. ribbon cutting under the Town Green Sail at the Public Beach on April 26. Jimmy Lumpkin & Revival will perform following the ceremony.
Public access and pedestrian safety were the city’s two main goals when it announced its plans for what will, upon completion, be a $15 million investment in its town core.
The city also used words like family & bike friendly, year-round usage, sustainable, and welcoming destination to describe what they wanted for the project.
The result is a spectacular showcase in front of the body of water for which the city was named.
There will be about 450 parking spaces in Gulf Place when all phases are complete. That is about 30 less than before the revitalization. But an additional 200 to 300 on-street parking spaces are planned for the north side of Hwy 182.
Safer pedestrian crossings and sidewalks throughout the Beach District will start after this summer’s tourist season, according to Dan Bond, the Environmental/Grants Coordinator for the City of Gulf Shores.
In addition to 8 ft. pedestrian sidewalks throughout the city’s center, The Alabama Dept. of Transportation will add permanent striping for dedicated bicycle lanes on both sides of Hwy. 182 from Lake Shelby to West Lagoon Blvd. when it repaves the Beach Rd. next winter.
The third and final phase of the beach district revitalization project will include the creation of a similarly designed public beach on the city owned parcel directly east of The Phoenix All-Suites Hotel. It will include a paved parking lot, a shade plaza, enhanced dunes and two dune walkovers to the beach.
There are about 300 palm trees and a wide assortment of Pink Muhly Grass, Beach Sunflower, Sea Oats, Sea Purslane, Oleander, African Iris, Bottlebrush, and Indian Hawthorne spread around Phases 1 & 11 of the project. The grass on the expansive lawn is Celebration Bermuda, a turf most often used for stadiums, parks and other areas built for heavy foot traffic. Celebration Bermuda holds up fairly well to salt spray, according to Bond. The landscaping will be irrigated through Gulf Shores Utilities smart meters.
The city worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize impacts to wildlife, including endangered nesting sea turtles by installing shielded, amber colored LED lighting throughout the site. Bright white lights can prevent them from finding their way to the Gulf.
The contractor for the project was Robertsdale based Cunningham Delaney. Atlanta based TSW was provided architectural services.
Annual events held at the public beach attract over 350,000 visitors and generate an estimated regional economic impact exceeding $100 million. ESPN will broadcast live from the beach during the May 3-7 NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball Championships.
“We are really trying to work towards getting grants in the future to transform that whole district to make it more pedestrian friendly. We want to enhance that area and that will help enhance economic development,’’ said Bond.

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“This project will rejuvenate the face of our community.’’
– G.S.Mayor Robert Craft
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“Our public beach is one of the most important resources we have in our community.”
– G.S.Mayor Robert Craft
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“We are excited to be able to make such a significant investment into the quality of life of our residents, the experience of our visitors and the future of Gulf Shores.”
– G.S.Mayor Robert Craft
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Gulf Place Revitalization Highlights
– The new West Beach Access on 2nd St.
– Sustainable, low impact designs
– Enhanced and expanded public parking
– 20 ft. wide beachfront boardwalk
– Seating and shade structures
-Renovated public restroom facilities
-New Beach Safety Headquarters
-Extensive natural/coastal landscape
-20 foot wide beach boardwalk
-Large open green space
– Children’s playground

– Seating and shade structures
– Improved pedestrian access and safety
– Improved traffic flow & drop-off locations
– Both public restrooms completely redone
– Environmentally-friendly lighting
– Attractive hardscaping and landscaping