FOLEY — While the days are getting shorter, downtown Foley is lighting up.

Lights are going up in live oak trees near City Hall and will soon illuminate Alston Street north and south of U.S. 98.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city and Riviera Utilities have been working to install the lights. The lights will shine up into the trees to illuminate the area below with indirect lighting.

"I believe they're working now in front of City Hall," Hellmich said. "We still have a couple to do in front of Riviera. We're also going to do that in many of our wonderful oak trees downtown. All of that ambient lighting will help the walkability of downtown."

Hellmich spoke to members of Foley Main Street at the downtown improvement group's annual meeting.

The city has also approved plans to provide LED lights to be placed on the exteriors of downtown buildings.

Hellmich said the city is working with Foley Main Street and area businesses to light up buildings.
The city will provide the lights at the owners' request. The businesses will have the lights installed.

"We've ordered 8,000 feet of cafe style lighting that will outline the business," Hellmich said. "We have 30 businesses signed up. This will outline the buildings in the Main Street area with the cafe-style lights."

The businesses will pay the cost of the electricity for the lights, but the systems use LED, which will reduce the cost of utilities.

Hellmich said the city also plans to add cafe lighting on Jessamine Avenue near Heritage Park. The lighting is part of a plan to extend Jessamine east from North Chicago Street to near City Hall and to add a new entrance with pavers and columns on the east side of the park.

"The design is beautiful," Hellmich said. "We're going to have lighting and all this down the street with a sidewalk tied into the Heritage Park, so the access will be east and west, north and south."