One of the problems of having sugar white sands and emerald green waters is the growth of the community as new people and businesses relocate. The word got out about Gulf Shores decades ago but the infrastructure for city government has struggled to keep pace. The Gulf Shores City Council hope to update offices and equipment in 2026.

The city council is poised to take the first step to put in motion a plan to upgrade several city buildings in Gulf Shores. The city hall annex, currently housing the mayor’s office and other departments, is the focus downtown, with improvements and expansions planned for the south side of Clubhouse Drive, across from the current city hall. Officials are also looking to a mid- to late-summer opening of the new justice center in the old Sacred Heart building just off Cotton Creek Drive and near the freestanding ER.

The council will meet in a regular session at 4 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall on Jan. 26. 

“The city hall project is necessary to address aging infrastructure and improve operational efficiency,” Communications Manager Cory Pippin said. “The current city hall building was completed in two phases — the original section is nearly 60 years old, and the addition is 40 years old. Renovations and expansions will allow city departments to operate in modern, functional spaces that better serve the community.”

To kick off the project, the council will decide at the meeting whether the city will hire Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects for $99,000 in professional design services for the renovations and expansion.

“The current plan is to renovate the first floors of the existing Municipal Annex buildings and construct a third building adjacent to them,” Pippin said. “Our goal is to relocate all employees currently housed in the existing City Hall into these new and renovated spaces.”

Officials can’t name any target dates on the annex project until several needs studies are done, Pippin said.

“Before establishing a timeline, the city must complete the space needs assessment, schematic design, and preliminary budget estimates to fully understand the scope of work,” he said.

There are no such constraints on the justice center's timeline as it approaches completion each week.

“Contractual completion is scheduled for July 2,” Pippin said. “After the Fourth of July holiday, preparations will begin for relocating the police department and municipal courts. The goal is to have the facility fully operational by late summer 2026.”

Opening the justice center and moving the court there will provide additional space in the annex building for upcoming renovations.

“The Justice Center will house the police department, municipal jail, and courts, freeing up space currently used for these functions,” Pippin said. “Renovating the Municipal Annex (where some police operations are now located) is part of the City Hall project scope. These spaces will be repurposed for other city departments as part of the overall plan.”

Pippin says plans for the use of the current city hall and police department will be developed during the project's space assessment needs phase.

Over the next year, we plan to undertake a comprehensive facilities plan to evaluate city-owned properties and determine long-term strategies for meeting our operational needs,” he said.