FOLEY — Construction has been completed on a new 1,300-square-foot addition at Graham Creek Nature Preserve.

The new space includes a large enclosed walk-in cooler for the preserve's hydroponics department, a 600-square-foot covered porch, storage space, bathrooms, offices and an outdoor kitchen.

This was the second addition to the park created by the Highland Group, a leading real estate development and commercial construction firm. It was created in collaboration with WAS Design, a prominent landscape architecture firm in Southern Alabama with a focus on landscape architecture and residential design.

Graham Creek Nature Preserve provides a habitat for hundreds of rare plant and animal species. The preserve also provides educational, recreational and venue rental opportunities for the community.

The Highland Group was contracted by the City of Foley Engineering Department to construct the park's new agricultural facility in early 2022.

"Graham Creek has been an absolutely beautiful job site to work on," Highland's assistant project manager, Myles York, said. "It's great to be able to give back to our community and assist the park with its development efforts. It was a pleasure to be able to visit, work on, and experience what this beautiful public preserve had to offer. If you live in the area or are just visiting, I can't recommend coming to Graham Creek enough."