Foley Armory Plans Proceed

The Foley City Council has approved funding to design development and construction plans for the former Alabama National Guard armory, located behind City Hall, for conversion into space for recreation facilities and city offices. David Thompson, Foley executive director of leisure services, said the appropriation includes fees for the architecture firm working on the project and some funds for additional contingencies. The city has developed a general conceptual plan for the building, and the new plan will allow Foley officials to go into final design details in preparation for the start of construction. “The conceptual plan is really a 1,000-ft plan,” Thompson said. “This is when they get into the weeds, so we’ll know a little more as they do that.” He added that the project schedule will depend on what designers find that needs to be done. The armory opened in 1969 and served as the headquarters for the Foley contingent of the guard until the unit moved into a new facility near the Foley Beach Express in 2023.