Bayou La Batre, Alabama, began a new chapter on 8 September 2025 with the groundbreaking of the City Docks Redevelopment Project, a $30.5 million USD initiative. The redevelopment will modernise the city’s waterfront with a new marina, expanded facilities and spaces designed for community use.
The 100-slip marina is designed to serve both commercial and recreational vessels. The redevelopment also includes a four-lane boat ramp, a fixed dock for seafood sales, a marine fuelling station and parking for more than 300 vehicles. Community-focused additions feature two large pavilions, a 390sqm (4,200sqft) multi-use building and expanded greenspace for local events.
Mayor Henry Barnes said: “Today’s groundbreaking is the result of years of hard work, dedication and shared vision. These new docks will create opportunities for our fishermen, strengthen local businesses and provide gathering spaces for families – all while preserving the proud, small-town character that has long made Bayou La Batre the Seafood Capital of Alabama.”
The project is financed through the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement to support long-term recovery along the Gulf Coast. “The Bayou La Batre City Docks Redevelopment Project models what the RESTORE Act was meant to do by turning settlement dollars into lasting, visible recovery where it matters most,” stated Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Commissioner Chris Blankenship.
Mobile County is managing the project, with oversight by ADCNR and funding from the US Department of the Treasury. The Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council approved the project.
Construction is expected to take two years and will be led by Ben M. Radcliff Contractor Inc., which received the $24.4 million contract in July.
Local and state officials, including Senator David Sessions, Representative Chip Brown, and Mobile County Commissioners Randall Dueitt, Connie Hudson and Merceria Ludgood, joined community members at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Commissioner Dueitt said: “It’s taken years to get to this point, where oil spill recovery dollars are being put to work right where the damage was done. This project will restore the working waterfront, strengthen the seafood industry, provide local families with more opportunities to spend quality time together boating and recreational fishing and deliver the lasting transformation the Bayou has worked for and deserves.”
The ceremony also honoured the late Craig Bryant, an engineer recognised for decades of work on water and coastal projects that laid the groundwork for major investments in Bayou La Batre.
