Fairhope is giving financial assistance to the Blind Tiger restaurant as the city's waterfront revitalization project progresses, resulting in closures in the area at and around the pier.

During a meeting on June 23, Fairhope City Council approved a measure to temporarily pause the Blind Tiger's lease payments in July and August due to the ongoing construction on the Fairhope Municipal Pier. Under the terms, the lease payments will be paused starting July 1 but will resume to the original agreed upon amounts beginning on Sept 1.

Brent Barkin, co-owner of the Blind Tiger in Fairhope, has previously said during a June 9 council meeting that while he loves the project and thinks it's the right thing to do, he asked the council for assistance. Council had previously reduced the Blind Tiger's rent, which was 3% of monthly gross income, in half, but more is needed to continue to pay employees' salaries amid the estimated loss in revenue that closures are causing. During a previous five-day period when the area was closed due to construction, Barkin said they lost at least $30,000 with the fresh food delivered that week having to be discarded.

"We love the project. We're not going to obstruct the closure, but we need to find a way so that we don't have to borrow $30,000 from our lender to cover us through this," Barkin told council.

Following that meeting, the council authorized Mayor Sherry Sullivan to negotiate an agreement, which led to the proposal approved June 23.

The ongoing construction at the Fairhope Municipal Pier is part of a $10 million project that began last fall. Sullivan told GCM in previous reporting that the north end of the pier should be open in time for Fairhope's Fourth of July celebrations this weekend, with the project expected to be completed as early as September.