Foley approves park rest rooms remodel at increased cost

By Guy Busby
Government Editor
guy@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 4/6/22

FOLEY – The cost of remodeling the restrooms at the Foley park has almost doubled since the project was budgeted, but city officials said the work should go ahead.

The Foley City Council …

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Foley approves park rest rooms remodel at increased cost

Posted

FOLEY – The cost of remodeling the restrooms at the Foley park has almost doubled since the project was budgeted, but city officials said the work should go ahead.

The Foley City Council voted Monday, March 21, to go out for bids to remodel the restrooms at the park.

Ladonna Hinesley, Foley marketing director, said that while prices have gone up, the facilities must be replaced.

“This is obviously more than we would really like to pay for restrooms in the park,” Hinesley said. “However, the state of the current ones are really deplorable and to be able to use the funding that’s available right now, the Rescue Plan funding, for this project, this is a good opportunity to do it.”

Hinesley said visitors and residents use the park each day and many more come to the site during festivals and other events.

“There are dozens of people in the park throughout the day and we also use it for the events in the park, both sponsored by the city and also events sponsored by other organizations,” she said. “That’s the difference it would take to make it really look good.”

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city could take an option that would be less expensive, but the building would not look as good.

The mayor said that under the proposed plan, the restroom building would be renovated to look similar to the Foley Railroad Museum next to the park. He said the building is in one of the most visible locations in the city and needs to have a good appearance.

“There are two options,” Hellmich said. “I’m recommending the one that’s a little more expensive, but then it carries the look of our train museum, which did cause it to be slightly more expensive, but I think that this being our central flagship park, 30,000 to 40,000 cars a day going by there, having something that we’ll be proud of is important.”

He said the rest room would also have the capacity to serve more people under the more expensive option.

“This one is a little bit bigger and will be able to handle more people, especially during our festivals,” Hellmich said.