Fairhope project manager reports progress, schedule and design changes for Working Waterfront at South Beach and Municipal Pier

Fairhope City staff reported progress on the Working Waterfront green-space restoration project at South Beach, Municipal Pier and part of North Beach Park, saying demolition of old infrastructure is complete for phase 1 and that crews are now rebuilding key features including seawall segments, utilities and park elements.

Richard (staff member) said the south half of the circular seawall has been rehabilitated and the north half will be addressed in a later phase. He said crews removed decades of coatings from the fountain and have plaster and plumbing work ready to reinstall: “we’ve got the the plastering ready to go back in.”

The presentation covered multiple elements completed or in progress: rough-in plumbing, a major drainage trunk line and bay outfall, new pier handrails, fish-cleaning stations, benches, waste cans, and curbing in phase 1 that includes the south half of the park and the Rose Garden. Richard said welding crews sandblasted exposed steel, repaired section loss and applied a high‑performance epoxy coating intended to extend service life by decades on repaired tie-back hardware.

The council and staff discussed ADA access to South Beach. Richard described an initial design for an inclined railway-style system that was found to be more intrusive to bluff visuals and the bluff itself. With council approval, staff pursued a change of scope to a steel substructure switchback ramp (5-foot-wide runs, landings projecting about 10–12 feet off the toe of the bluff), retaining the existing stairs on one side. Richard said the substructure will be weathering-steel to reduce visual impact from the bluff top.

Other near-term work includes placement of pavers for driving and parking surfaces, bathroom remodel and utility enclosure vertical construction, lighting for the pier and park, and a possible crab-pier deck repair that staff said may be outside the current scope. Richard noted the schedule risk tied to the South Beach seawall work because many subsequent tasks (sidewalks, grading, tie-ins) depend on the seawall being set.

On schedule, Richard said the contractor still lists summer 2025 as the target for substantial completion but added a caveat: “I think we’re really fall of 2025, when we’re there,” depending on weather and production. He closed by noting the project has moved from demolition into rebuild, and invited council questions.

The council also addressed public concern about commemorative benches removed from the circle near the fountain. Staff said the benches are in city storage and were not destroyed; the city plans to install composite benches with small plaques to memorialize the inscriptions. The wooden scribe boards will be salvaged and made available to families on request; staff said the heavy concrete bases and overall condition make full bench re-use unsafe. Richard said staff will return at the next council meeting to request authority to surplus the wooden bench components if the council agrees.

Why it matters: the project affects public access, waterfront appearance and near‑term parking and circulation at a high‑use city park and pier. The change in ADA access approach, the seawall’s structural repairs and the bench/salvage plan were the most substantive items raised during the work session.

What's next: staff said they expect to stake piling locations, perform additional layout work, and continue phase 1 construction; they will return to the council with requests tied to items outside the original scope (for example, crab‑pier deck repair and bench surplus).