From breaking ground on a new library and community center to opening new park facilities, Foley is gearing up for a year of progress and development.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich outlined the city's achievements and plans during his annual State of the City address, highlighting milestones from the past year and major projects on the horizon.

Construction of a new library and community center is set to begin in January after project bids came in under budget.

"We'll start construction in January," Hellmich said. "We're very proud of this library community center. It is very modern. It's going to be twice the size of our current facility."

Meanwhile, Foley's Public Works and Sanitation Department is preparing for a major move. The department's new campus is expected to open in 2025, with operations transitioning by mid-summer. The move will free space at the current facility to house Parks and Recreation offices, further streamlining city services.

"We believe that by mid-summer, we'll be able to move Public Works," Hellmich said. "Once Public Works gets moved, that frees up the space where we can then move our Parks and Recreation."

Improving transportation infrastructure remains a priority for the city. In 2023, the South Juniper Street extension opened, creating a new north-south connection between U.S. 98 and Baldwin County 20 without requiring drivers to navigate Alabama 59 or the Foley Beach Express. This year, the city will continue working with the Alabama Department of Transportation to optimize traffic light coordination at intersections and reduce congestion.

"Our roads are not the problem. It's the intersections that cause the glitch," Hellmich said, pointing to the millions of vehicles traveling through Foley annually.

The city is also investing heavily in road maintenance and pedestrian safety.

"We do about $1 million and in some years we do more in repaving. So those projects will generally be between $1 million to $1.5 million. That's just to maintain the quality of our road structure. We did an engineering study of our road structure. Normally, if you grade above 80 that means your roads are well maintained. We grade at about 87, so we have good roads with very few potholes. Our job is to make sure that number doesn't drop."

Foley is improving pedestrian travel around the city. The city spent about $1 million in the last year on sidewalk construction and has budgeted another $1 million for the current year.

The city installed a solar-powered crosswalk signal on North Pecan Street and plans to add more.

"You'll start seeing the solar powered pushbutton crosswalk, where you have mid-block crossings on busy roads that will allow for better pedestrian safety," Hellmich said. "Technology has improved to the point where these signs are affordable now."

Other transportation projects include widening the Foley Beach Express, set for completion in the coming weeks, and extending East Jessamine Avenue to connect Heritage Park with City Hall. Extensions for Bullard and Pilgrim streets in the Beulah Heights community are also in progress.

Foley continues to enhance its parks and recreational facilities, including the addition of pickleball and sand volleyball courts near the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermen's Market. A new park is under development in the Mills Community, and improvements are underway at Heritage Park. The city opened the new restroom facilities at Heritage Park earlier this month.

The city also celebrated its designation as an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service. Foley opened a museum exhibit commemorating its wartime history, including its role in training Navy aviators at Barin Field. The recent acquisition of a World War II Navy training aircraft further cements the city's commitment to preserving this legacy.

Downtown revitalization efforts are making strides, too. Foley Main Street unveiled the Cat Alley walkway in November, and over 20 new businesses have opened downtown in the past year. The establishment of the Arts and Entertainment District is expected to attract even more activity and cultural engagement in the historic area.

As the city grows, Foley is also expanding its public safety and educational initiatives. The Police Department is increasing to 75 positions, and six additional firefighters have been hired to serve the community. On the education front, the city formed the Foley Enhanced Education Committee and allocated $250,000 to support schools in the Foley feeder pattern.

Hellmich emphasized that all of Foley's initiatives align with the city's four guiding pillars: public safety, education, infrastructure and quality of life.

"This is what we concentrate on. Everything fits within these guidelines – public safety, education, infrastructure and quality of life. Each are equally important," Hellmich said. "Each has projects and support that we can do, and we are working in every one of those facets."

As one of Alabama's fastest-growing cities, Foley is poised to continue its momentum.

"We're moving forward," he said. "We are known as the Forward City and we're going to keep being that. We're going to keep taking it forward."