Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is making adjustments to another project it is planning because skyrocketing costs greatly exceeded what was budgeted for the new Justice Center near the freestanding ER.

Earlier this year, the city scaled back plans for a pedestrian bridge when two bids came in to build the bridge and extensive ramps leading up to it, the $46 million and $52 million bids were at least double what the city had budgeted. The ramps were eliminated to cut costs but may be added at a later date.

With the Justice Center, plans were to build a new one from scratch near the site of the former Sacred Heart Hospital building on the site near Cotton Creek Drive and State Route 59. Those plans had to be scaled back as well and the building incorporated into a plan for the new center.

“Police Facility Design Group designed the new Justice Center we bid out a few months back, but that project came in significantly over budget,” Construction Manager Clint Colvin said. “So, in an effort to build the facility that they need within the budget, the decision was made to look at retrofitting the former Sacred Heart building that the city owns and using that to house the Justice Center.”

Gulf Shores asked the company to give a review of the Sacred Heart building to see how it could be used for the new center.

“The architect did come out and review the building and we’ve looked over the plans and we can fit basically everything that we were going to build into this building provided with us adding on the jail to the rear,” Colvin said. “This proposal will do just that. We had $19 million budgeted for this year for the construction so that will be redistributed over the next couple of years assuming we move forward with the project.”

The original total was $30 million for the engineering design and construction including paying Police Facility Design Group $1.5 for the design work on the facility and was given the go-ahead by the city council at the March 25 meeting.

The city hopes to have the work completed sometime in 2026 and once completed it will put the police department, jail and municipal courts under one roof.

During the meeting, the council also:

OK’d $1.6 million in expense vouchers including $1.1 million in capital projects for County Road 6, Waterway East Boulevard extension and the beach walking district. Another $557,387 was for bi-weekly operating expenses.

Bought three VMS signs for the Public Works for $54,552 from Prologic ITS. Public Works Director Noel Hand said in a memo to the council four of the boards are nonoperational, one needs repairs leaving the city with two working signs. The signs are used to provide information to drivers regarding traffic, events or safety concerns.

OK’d a rezoning of property on West 36th Avenue from single-family residential to neighborhood business. The house is across from the city’s Public Works complex and has been used for a beauty salon.

OK’d a conditional-use permit for renovations to two duplexes at 419 Canal Drive East and 416 E. 24th Ave. and allow for the construction of a multi-family building to be used as vacation rentals. There will be a total of 10 units on the site.

Denied a conditional use permit to Baldwin County Sewer Service to expand its operations at the Fort Morgan plant in the city limits. The company illegally added a sludge pond at the site and the city’s order is to have the sludge pond removed, filled back in, sodded and trees replanted. The plant is a nonconforming use that was allowed because of annexation into the city but city regulations do not allow expansion of a nonconforming use. The company can continue to use the plant at the capacity it was at when annexed. The company wants to expand daily operations from 1.2 million gallons to 1.8 gallons.