What a year it has been on the Eastern Shore.
From January to December, a lot of developments have happened across the area, whether they be contentious issues within the community, new …
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From the divisiveness over library books that rippled into state headlines, and the straining and replacing of infrastructure projects, to quality of life additions and a variety of new businesses opening and closing, things were rolling like the incoming Mardi Gras parades on the Eastern Shore this year.
As 2026 approaches, we're taking a look back.
FAIRHOPE PUBLIC LIBRARY LOSES STATE FUNDING
One of the biggest stories to occur on the Eastern Shore has the Fairhope Public Library at the center of it, as the library has state funding paused by the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) due to alleged violations of state code regarding explicit materials available in sections for minors.
State funding, estimated to be worth around $40,000 for the fiscal year, was paused in March after APLS Chairman John Wahl said the library refused to listen to the concerns of parents. Following the funding pause, the Fairhope Public Library reviewed 17 of its challenged titles, choosing to relocate seven of them to adult sections while the rest remained in the teen section.
During their last executive board meeting in November, the APLS delayed a decision to restore funding so Wahl can have more time to personally read the challenged material. A community fundraiser, led by the local chapter of the organization Read Freely Alabama, raised over $42,000 to try and supplement the loss in state funding.
DAPHNE BAYFRONT AMPHITHEATER BREAKS GROUND
A highly anticipated project among city officials in Daphne, the city broke ground on a new multimillion-dollar amphitheater project at Bayfront Park in November.
The project, estimated to cost around $15 million, will see construction of a new amphitheater that is estimated to seat 2,500 people with lawn and/or folding chair seating. In addition, the project will also include a new splash pad along with expanded restroom facilities, additional parking space and boardwalks connecting the Daphne recreational building to the amphitheater area. The project is partially funded by a $7.2 million GoMESA grant awarded to the city of Daphne.
Due to the construction necessary for the project, Bayfront Park will be closed to the public for the entirety of 2026 and won't reopen until the project's targeted completion date of April 2027. Despite this, those in the area will still be able to access most of the amenities from the Village Pointe Park Preserve just around the corner.
"This has been a long, long time coming, and we have had a ton of people that have supported this project," Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune said at the city's groundbreaking ceremony. "Our council, previous councils, you name it. We have had a majority of people just really, really support us and uplift us. Even though it's taken this time frame to get here, we are finally here."
FLYING CREEK NATURE PRESERVE OPENS IN FAIRHOPE
Among other projects adding to the Eastern Shore's quality of life, the City of Fairhope officially opened the Flying Creek Nature Preserve this summer.
Located along Fly Creek, the preserve spans 108 acres of land and offers multi-use trails accompanied by picnic tables, a butterfly garden, bird blinds, a longleaf pine reserve and a pedestrian tunnel featuring a mural painted by local artist Hannah Legg. It also includes the John Martin Nature Center, a visitor center that was also the former residence of the Dyas family. The house was donated to the city by the nonprofit preservation group Triangle Conservancy.
The Flying Creek Nature Preserve opened to the public in August as part of the first phase of a planned project surrounding the preserve. Future phases will add more multi-use trails and amenities along with a direct connection to the Eastern Shore Trail that runs from North Daphne through South Fairhope.
"This is for you," Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said at the preserve's grand opening. "This is not for us; this is for you. This is something that you can bring your kids and grandchildren to for years."
WORK AROUND FAIRHOPE
Speaking of quality of life, those in Fairhope may know that this year, the city has made some improvements to local infrastructure this year.
There were major changes to the Fairhope Municipal Pier and Park, which saw improvements to sidewalks, drainage and shoreline protection. The city also saw road construction throughout Section Street and the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Scenic 98.
In addition to the roads and parks, the city has also been working on the local water wells, having prepared for the addition of new water wells in anticipation of growth on the south side of Fairhope. They have already installed two new water wells over the summer, which increased the total system capacity to 13 million gallons.
FAIRHOPE HARDWARE BUILDING DEMOLISHED
The old Fairhope Hardware building located in downtown Fairhope was demolished in October after being vacant for years.
The building, located at 301 Fairhope Ave., was originally built in 1922 and was the home to several storefronts over the years. The side of the building also featured a mural painted by local artist America Tickle in 2003. Despite having been designated as a "contributing" building within the Fairhope Downtown Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building sat vacant since its last business closed in 2018.
City leaders finally gave the green light to demolish the building this year, and there are plans to replace the lot with something new. Though it is unclear what it could be at this time, the City of Fairhope previously had talks with local planners to turn it into commercial space.
MOBILE BAYWAY PROJECT
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has been working to connect Mobile and Baldwin counties through a new multibillion-dollar project, though the timeline is still uncertain.
The project aims to improve traffic volume and transportation with the construction of a new 2.5-mile-long, six-lane cable-stayed bridge across the Mobile River that will be connected to new six-lane bridges across Mobile Bay that will be constructed above the 100-year storm surge level. At an estimated cost of $3.5 billion, it would be one of the most expensive projects of its kind in state history.
It is not known for certain at this time when construction on the Bayway bridge will begin, but officials are hoping that a groundbreaking for the project could happen in early 2026. ALDOT is currently underway with construction on the bridge over Tensaw River.
OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS
Here are some of the new things that have come and gone along the Eastern Shore this year.
