Growth in the City of Foley

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This year, the City of Foley is working with bigger and better plans to accommodate the city's growth. From new home constructions to major business expansions, this city is preparing for future growth. According to a national study, Foley is in the top 10 among the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

When the Mayor of Foley, Ralph Hellmich, was asked why the growth occurred, he answered, "There are many reasons, but mainly the low cost of living, the low state tax, and property taxes. When compared to other states, many have higher property taxes and higher insurance costs. 

Mayor Hellmich said that there are other factors why people are attracted to Foley. "Retirees move to Foley not only for the cost-of-living benefits, but they feel safe here. Foley has a lower crime rate than most cities." Mayor Hellmich also said, "I am repeatedly told that we have nice people who live here. They say to me, it's not like where I'm from." Many vacationers on their way to the beach like it so much that they decide to move to Foley when they retire.

The Mayor said, "Right now, we are improving the infrastructure to meet our needs. We have a 5-year road plan." He said that they have 50 projects going on, which include updating and expanding the parks, civic center, public works, police and fire departments, library, post office, senior citizen center, and much more. "We are even working on a new pickleball complex and sand volleyball complex and a new city pool." Vacationers and visitors contribute a lot of revenue to the city, which helps them with these projects. He added, "We want to maintain quality of life here in Foley."

Foley's historic downtown continues to improve and grow. Community patrons and visitors are encouraged to tour the new Cat Alley extension. It includes a walkway and public seating area in what had been a fenced area between the main alley and North Alston Street. "The walkway was one of Foley Main Street's projects during last year," said Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street. 

The city also created a downtown Arts and Entertainment District. In the district, patrons can take drinks out of local restaurants and bars while strolling around the district.

Dunmore said, "Since Foley Main Street began in 2018, the city spurred private efforts to renovate downtown buildings and bring new businesses to Foley's historic center."

With all this growth, there is always an increase in emergencies and medical needs. The South Baldwin Regional Medical Center has changed its name to Baldwin Health and is expanding due to the growth in Foley.

Margaret Roley, hospital Administrator, says, "No matter the name, quality care is still at the forefront."  She said, "We have expanded our surgical services to inpatients and outpatients, as well as our critical care." They have 90+ beds, and with the expansion, they will have the capacity of 142 beds. The robotic surgeries and orthopedic robotics' program have also gone to the next level. 

This past September, they had a groundbreaking for an Ambulatory Surgery Center located behind the hospital, which is 50% completed. Currently, the hospital has about 35 to 40 doctors, but the plan is to expand, adding 30 more doctors in 12-18 months.

Other than the parking spaces in the West and South parking lots, Roley said, "We will have 300 more parking spaces, and 100 parking spaces will be added to the front of the hospital, which will be completed in May or June. The new hospital will increase the number of employees in the workforce by 10 percent.

Mayor Hellmich said, "The Foley Public Library has increased in visitors every year. We saw the need for expansion." Director of the Library, Kate Norris, says, "We are thrilled about our upcoming move to a new, nearly doubled-in-size facility." 

The new library will be 40,000 square feet across two stories, allowing the staff to continue providing all the current services with several new services, which include a sensory room, dedicated activity areas for children and teens, a STEAM/STEM lab, a spacious multi-purpose room with seating for 277, and a second-story porch overlooking the Perry Wilbourne Antique Rose Trail and the City's Dog Park.

Norris says, "With this expansion, we anticipate the need for additional staff, which will be considered as the city begins planning for the FY26 budget cycle."

New constructions of businesses and homes always come with growth. Miriam Boone, Community Development Director, shared some numbers and information about what the future will look like. New commercial businesses under construction are Cobblestone Inn & Suites, Doc's Seafood, Express Oil, Fairfield Inn, Goodwill, Ocean Marine, and Publix. New residential approvals are 192 townhomes, 372 apartments, and 1,338 homes. Residential subdivisions in the city limits are 11 subdivisions. 

Mayor Hellmich is excited about Foley's growth. He said that he had rather have this growth explosion in Foley than to have to find ways to cut the city budget for services for their residents.