Orange Beach is set to get a $9 million research facility as a branch of Auburn University, a project 13 years in the making.

During its Tuesday, July 2, council meeting, Orange Beach authorized a ground lease agreement with Auburn University for the Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station (GCERS).

The Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has discussed the concept of a research facility on the island since 2011. The Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council announced that Auburn’s proposal for GCERS was selected for funding under Alabama’s State Expenditure Plan in March 2018, which led to Orange Beach later authorizing a ground lease in November 2019, but the project funding and ground lease ultimately were never finalized.

Now, funding for GCRES construction has been secured at $9,009,631 through a 2022 award made by the RESTORE Council to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Both parties prepare to proceed with the project, located at 4697 Walker Ave.

“The Gulf research station will focus on three broad coastal research areas,” the college states. “Water quality and quantity protection and restoration; protection, restoration and conservation of habitat and living resources; and enhancing coastal community sustainability and resilience. In addition, it will also provide residents and visitors a better understanding and appreciation of the natural, historical, cultural and environmental resources of the region through community outreach and continuing education opportunities.”

Auburn currently hosts 5,224 undergraduate students in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, ranked top 30 in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded by the American Society for Engineering Education. The program is also slated as the 31st-best graduate option among public institutions and the No. 19 online curriculum by U.S. News and World Report.