Alabama’s most popular tourism draw remains its beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, which help attract roughly 8 million visitors to the state’s coastal region each year.
For beachgoers who want to avoid the crowds and traffic of south Baldwin County, there are alternatives. Dauphin Island, known for its 14 miles of uninterrupted shoreline and its bird-watching, offers a quieter option on Alabama’s only barrier island. Bayfront Park, just north of Dauphin Island, includes a small public beach. Fairhope Municipal Beach, with about a half-mile of shoreline along Mobile Bay, is another.
Within two years, Mobile could join that conversation in a significant way.
The $9 Million
“It will be an exciting place for tourism in Mobile,” said City Council President C.J. Small, whose district includes the future site of Brookley by the Bay — a planned 98-acre waterfront park south of downtown Mobile within Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.
The project received a major boost last month when Gov. Kay Ivey dedicated $9 million toward the development. The funding represented 17% of the overall amount distributed among 21 coastal Alabama projects receiving oil and gas lease revenue through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.
Capturing 17% of a multi-project funding round is a substantial share, and it signals where the state placed this project among competing coastal priorities.
Phase One
The city will contribute an additional $5 million, allowing the beachfront project to move toward a groundbreaking later this year or early next.
Construction on the first phase is expected to take about one year and includes utility installation, road construction and development of the beach area.
That sequence is typical for a greenfield park site. Utilities and access roads have to exist before anything the public interacts with can be built, which is why the visible portion of a project like this tends to appear late in a construction schedule that has already been underway for months.
Phase Two Hinges on a Federal Grant
The project’s second phase depends on the city securing a $7.5 million federal grant. The Mobile City Council authorized pursuing that grant on Tuesday, and the city is committed to approximately $7 million in matching funds.
The highlight of the second phase would be new hiking trails and an amphitheater overlooking Mobile Bay.
“If we get the grant, both of these opportunities dovetail well together,” said Jennifer Greene, the city’s director of programs and project management.
A $50 Million to $60 Million Vision
The overall project, to be completed in multiple phases, is expected to cost between $50 million and $60 million, Greene said.
Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said Brookley by the Bay is among his administration’s top priorities, and that he hopes portions of the park will be open to the public before his first term ends in 2029.
“My top priority is to get that open and so the public can enjoy access to the water,” Cheriogotis said. “I’m thankful that through GOMESA, and other (revenue sources) we can start construction on that.”
Why It’s Being Built in Pieces
Cheriogotis said the city is approaching the project “one piece at a time,” beginning with the park’s southern end. The second phase, if funded, would focus on the northern section near Arlington Park. A third phase includes construction of an educational facility, Greene said.
“It’s why we phased this project out,” Cheriogotis said. “It’s hard to spend $50 million at one time as a city.”
Phasing also allows the city to align construction with funding as it becomes available, rather than waiting to assemble the full amount before breaking ground — a practical necessity when a substantial share of the money comes from competitive grants awarded on their own timelines.
Designed With Public Input
Brookley by the Bay has been years in the making as part of Mobile’s effort to reconnect residents with public waterfront access. Community workshops held in 2022 and 2023 generated input from more than 300 residents about what they wanted in a future waterfront destination.
Greene said many of those ideas, particularly those offered by children, are being incorporated into the design. Planners also interviewed approximately 350 children, whose feedback shaped plans for an interactive play area.
Not a Typical Splash Pad
“It’s not your typical splash pad,” Greene said of the planned attraction. “Children wanted to play with the water, move the water. We’ve got dams and mushrooms that shoot water in the air. They also wanted to climb trees and be in the forest. The experimental play area has fantastic treetop areas that they go into. And the entire park will be (handicap) accessible.”
The distinction Greene draws is meaningful in playground design. A conventional splash pad sprays water at children; a play area with dams and diverters lets them control it. The second design supports longer, more inventive play, and it is the kind of feature that emerges from actually asking children what they want rather than selecting from a catalog.
What It Would Mean for Mobile
For a city on a bay whose residents have historically had limited public access to its shoreline, the project represents a change in kind rather than degree. Mobile’s waterfront has been dominated by port, industrial and aviation uses, which is precisely why 98 acres of publicly accessible shoreline within the city limits is being treated as a signature initiative.
South Alabama News will report the groundbreaking date and the outcome of the federal grant application as they are announced.