Loxley’s Growth, Incentives Outlined

AL.com reported that the town of Loxley grew by more than 86% between the U.S. Censuses in 2010 and 2020. That growth “far surpasses Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort and other cities in Baldwin County,” it said, and has been sustained by Loxley’s proximity to Interstate 10 and tax incentives for businesses. However, the property and sales tax abatements do not remove new funding from the Baldwin County Public School System. The source examined recently announced warehouses and logistics centers such as Aldi’s distribution center (BBN #28) and Imperial Dade’s 220,000-ft2 logistics hub (BBN #47). It said Imperial Dade received noneducational property tax abatements worth $26,448 each year for the next 10 years, with its development group I-10 Gulf Coast Logistics Center LLC receiving a $51,001 property tax abatement during the same timeframe. Aldi’s incentives include 10-year abatements estimated at $1.3 million for Loxley, $2.09 million for Baldwin County and $770,000 for the state. An additional sales and use tax abatement is estimated at $3 million. Mayor Richard Teal said the goal is to redefine Loxley as a city after population figures from the 2020 U.S. Census – expected to exceed 3,000 – are released.