FOLEY, Ala. — Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich says his city did not go looking for the boom that has made it one of Alabama’s fastest-growing places. But with a roughly $130 million budget now approved for the coming fiscal year, he says the city is determined to steer that boom toward what he calls “good growth,” and he has laid out a list of projects that will begin reshaping Foley in 2027.
The plan includes a new senior center, a new aquatic center, the conversion of two older city buildings to new uses and, eventually, a five-acre block downtown set aside for a new civic center and a World War II naval aviation heritage museum.
“We didn’t try to do that,” Hellmich said of the city’s rapid growth. “So, we’ve been working really hard and our council recognized that growth was coming.”
A city that grew faster than anyone planned
The numbers behind Hellmich’s comments are striking. Foley’s population has grown by roughly 70% over the past decade, and the city has added about 10,000 residents since the 2020 census, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in May 2026. Between July 2024 and July 2025, the city grew by nearly 8%, ranking it 14th in the nation among fast-growing municipalities with at least 20,000 residents. Foley is now the second most populous city in Baldwin County.
Hellmich said the city has had to manage that growth while also weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and political challenges. Even so, he said, Foley has been able to put together infrastructure plans covering roads, pedestrian paths and recreational facilities.
He acknowledged that more people bring more problems to solve, but said public safety remains at the top of the list.
“When I got elected in 2020, I laid out five to four courses of action, which we’re following and we’ve incorporated that into the strategic plan,” Hellmich said. “All of those are equally important. However, I will say that number one is that your city has to be safe.”
What is coming in 2027
The Foley City Council adopted its fiscal year 2027 budget in September, and the new fiscal year began Oct. 1. Hellmich said the total budget comes to approximately $130 million. Within it, the city has set aside about $18 million for projects, following a year in which Foley completed roughly $38 million worth of major work, including its new library and its Public Works Campus.
The 2027 project list, as Hellmich described it, includes:
- A new senior center to serve the city’s older residents.
- A new aquatic center, one of the largest recreational investments in the plan.
- The former library, which will be renovated to house city offices now that the new library is open.
- The old public works building, which is being remodeled to become the home of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Reusing the old library and the former public works site lets the city put buildings it already owns back into service rather than leaving them empty after departments moved into newer facilities.
A five-acre block for a civic center and museum
Once Parks and Recreation moves into its new quarters, the city plans to clear the department’s current site. Hellmich said that land will anchor one of the most ambitious ideas in the plan.
“At that point, we will tear down the old parks and recreation and that whole five-acre block right there will be the future home of our new civic center and our new Naval Aviation, Barron Field Naval Aviation, a World War II heritage museum that we are working on right now,” Hellmich said.
The museum would honor a little-known chapter of Foley’s past. During World War II, the Navy operated Barin Field near Foley as a training airfield where young aviators learned to fly before heading to the war. The city already tells part of that story through a Barin Field exhibit at the Foley Railroad Museum, and a stand-alone heritage museum would give that history a permanent, dedicated home in the heart of the city.
The mayor did not give a timeline for the civic center or museum, and those projects follow the move of Parks and Recreation into the remodeled public works building.
Roads, sidewalks and pedestrian routes
Beyond new buildings, Hellmich said, the city is building two new roads near Baldwin Health and continuing work on sidewalks and pedestrian routes across Foley.
That work is already visible in several neighborhoods. Foley has started a project to add about 8,700 feet of sidewalks and drainage improvements in the Mills Community, an area that previously had neither. The city’s road resurfacing program has also grown to 6.3 miles of streets scheduled for new asphalt beginning in October. Foley maintains about 180 miles of roads, and the city’s capital plan funds both design and paving as part of an effort to keep resurfacing on a steady cycle as the network grows.
How Foley pays for it
Hellmich said the city’s projects are paid for through a mix of capital project funds, grants, savings and the general fund. He also credited the city’s work with Foley’s local legislative delegation and with developers for helping complete major building projects.
The city’s savings play an outsized role. Foley expected to close the 2026 budget year with more than $48 million in its General Fund balance, and city officials plan to spend part of that cushion on capital equipment and projects while remaining well above the city’s self-imposed minimum reserve. City leaders have pointed to Foley’s relatively low debt for a city of its size as a sign that its approach is working, since it is paying cash for a larger share of its growth than many cities do.
That track record has drawn notice beyond city limits. In September, state Sen. Chris Elliott told a South Baldwin audience that Hellmich ranks among the top municipal officials in Alabama, crediting him with planning and investing ahead of growth.
Retail: BJ’s and the warehouse club race
Hellmich also pointed to private investment as a sign of where Foley is headed. He highlighted the new BJ’s Wholesale Club, which is opening at 3275 Palm Beach Way, and said that since BJ’s announced its plans, other wholesale companies, including Sam’s Club and Costco, have shown interest in the area.
Membership warehouse clubs typically draw shoppers from a wide area rather than a single neighborhood, which makes them a meaningful addition to a regional retail market. In south Baldwin County, that market includes both year-round residents and the large number of seasonal visitors and vacation rentals that buy in volume.
The mayor said the city is pushing to attract more retail stores and restaurants, but that planners are trying to be responsible as Foley grows.
‘I’m for good growth’
Hellmich addressed residents who would prefer that Foley slow down, saying the city’s goal is not growth for its own sake.
“I will tell you, for the people who are anti-growth, I’m not for growth, I’m not against growth. I’m for good growth, and that’s what we focused on in Foley,” Hellmich said. “We want to make sure that we’re getting good growth. We’ve changed our standards for home-building subdivisions and our impact fees. Everything is designed to make sure the citizens don’t bear the burden of the growth that’s coming.”
Impact fees are charges on new development intended to help pay for the added demand it places on public services such as roads, parks and public safety. Tightening subdivision standards and adjusting those fees is one way cities try to make sure that new neighborhoods help cover the cost of the infrastructure they need, rather than shifting that cost onto existing residents.
Foley has taken other steps in recent months to get ahead of development pressures. The council approved a six-month moratorium on data center applications while staff update local rules, adopted a master plan to coordinate future buildings and streetscapes on the city’s municipal campus and approved a new ordinance regulating door-to-door commercial solicitation.
How residents can follow along
The Foley City Council meets at City Hall, and meeting agendas, budget documents and project updates are posted on the City of Foley’s website. Residents who want to weigh in on new projects, development standards or the city’s plans for the downtown civic center and museum site can attend council meetings, where time is set aside for public comment, or contact City Hall directly.
For Hellmich, the coming year is about turning plans into buildings. With the budget approved and the fiscal year underway, the senior center, aquatic center and building conversions are next in line, and the five-acre downtown block is the city’s next big blank canvas.