Gulf Shores Breaks Ground on Dollar 85M Beachfront: Down on the Gulf at Gulf Shores Public Beach, a grand ceremony marked the beginning of a new chaptera full-service resort in the making. This eight-story gem, standing tall just west of Hwy. 59, is set to be a coastal haven with 257 beachfront suites, a cozy lobby bar, and a rooftop terrace boasting a bar, grille, pool deck, and outdoor entertainment venue. Imagine 13,620 square feet of meeting space, a splendid 7,800-square-foot ballroom, a three-story parking haven, and 7,618 square feet of retail magicincluding a Starbucks. The bill for this mixed-use marvel? A cool $85 million.
Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft, beaming at the groundbreaking, declared this project as the embodiment of their Vision 2025 dreams. A top-notch resort with ample conference space in the heart of the beach district, promising to elevate not just the seasons but the entire community year-round. The ambitious plan includes a 24-month road closure on West First Street between West Beach Blvd. and West First Ave., ensuring a smooth construction process and safe storage access.
The city, proud owner of the lot, threw the proposal door wide open in 2015, with multiple extensions indicating the eagerness of both the city and developers to kickstart this venture. To sweeten the deal, Gulf Shores dangled a tax incentive carrot for the developers. Embassy Suites gets a 42 percent tax rebate for the first three years of operation, followed by a steady 35 percent annually until they hit $6.5 milliona fair trade for incorporating the meeting space originally excluded.
Modifications from the initial plan saw the building’s height gracefully reduced from 10 stories to eight. The planned rooftop pool area took a trim from 23,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet, making room for an increased room countfrom 229 to a cozy 254.
READ MORE: New Gulf Shores Resort on the Horizon: Embassy Suites to Grace Beachfront by 2025
Initially set to commence on July 1, 2019, the start date dance continued, eventually landing on Jan. 1, with eyes on a grand opening on March 1, 2022. A council vote on Dec. 2, 2019, nudged the start date further, with developers eyeing a July 2020 kickoff. As the ceremony dust settles, Gulf Shores anticipates a transformative tide, boosting the beach district and fostering a new era of quality redevelopment.
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