City staff presented final design refinements and a budget estimate for the Bancroft Corner improvements — a pocket park at the corner of Bancroft and Fairhope avenues — and asked the council to consider a formal project name and to approve rollover and additional capital appropriations in the FY2026 budget.

Richard Johnson, a city project manager, told council the design follows the look and pedestrian amenities used at Gaston Plaza and expands landscaping, ornamental fencing and seating to screen an adjacent parking lot. Landscape architect Christian Preuss showed concept images and described raised planters, seat walls and an ornamental iron fence with masonry columns to create a screened edge along the parking area; he said the plans include similar seating and table arrangements used successfully at Gaston Plaza.

Why it matters: the project is a visible downtown streetscape/placemaking investment intended to improve pedestrian amenities and to better screen adjacent parking, and staff said it would be an early capital project in FY2026 if council approves the requested appropriation.

Cost and schedule: staff said the project construction estimate is about $315,000 with a 15% contingency bringing the combined request to about $362,000; the funding request is a mix of rollover funds and an additional appropriation. Staff said the design and bid documents are ready, with plans to advertise for bids after the holidays and start construction after a major downtown Arts & Crafts event. Construction duration was estimated at roughly four months once work begins; staff said no parking spaces would be permanently lost.

Council and public notes: Council members suggested an informal or historic name — several supported a nod to the long‑standing nearby business (“Joe’s”/“Jewelry’s” was mentioned) — and asked staff to settle on an official project name so purchasing can prepare bid advertisements. Council also discussed trees to be removed to create the new layout and confirmed the design preserves the existing number of marked parking stripes.

Ending: The council did not take a vote in the work session; staff asked council to confirm a formal project name and to support including the rollover plus additional capital request in the FY2026 budget so the project can be bid and, pending award, begin construction in early 2026.