Residents and visitors to the Fairhope Pier Park area are familiar with the small café that has sat empty, on and off, for many years.

The property will soon get a second life.

Public records indicate that the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation (FSTC) purchased the .09-acre parcel from Bob Pope in May 2023 for $475,000.

The parcel is the size of some homes in the area. Public records record the property as 3,960 square feet.

During the Fairhope State of the City Expo in late January, Mayor Sherry Sullivan announced that the city had acquired the property.

"The Fairhope Single Tax purchased the property from the owner, and we are reimbursing them half of their purchase amount," Sullivan later told Gulf Coast Media. "We are purchasing that from Single Tax for $237,500."

Sullivan went on to say the property will be deeded to the city from the FSTC, but the transaction will not happen until March due to a lease agreement in place. The building is currently leased as storage to The Blind Tiger, according to Sullivan.

"Our current plan for that piece of property is to clear the building off it, clean it up and then add a fit court," Sullivan said.

In September 2023, Fairhope City Council approved the procurement of a Fitness Court System. The funding for the project comes from grants totaling $120,000 from FSTC, Fairhope Rotary Club and Blue Cross Blue Shield grants. The city will fund additional costs not to exceed $100,000.

The original plan was to install the fitness court on the west end of the Mike Ford Tennis Center, but Councilman Jack Burrell asked council to reconsider the location. At that time, Burrell said he had been approached by someone willing to help purchase the old café property at the Fairhope Pier.

Sullivan said the Recreation Board and city council agreed a fitness court would see more pedestrian traffic and use at the pier than a tennis center.

The Fairhope Pier Park area is a popular area for residents and visitors to walk and run.

"I hope people will use it," Sullivan said. "I hope that it gets the use they think it will."