Gulf Shores, AL – The Gulf Beach District gets a new tenant on the corner of West Beach Boulevard and West 1^st street .  The plan is for a seven story 240 room hotel and conference center that will sit directly across the street from the Gulf Place – the Gulf Shores Public Beach.  The City owned 2-acre piece of property is the vacant lot directly in front of the DeSotos Restaurant and west of Alvins Island Souvenir store.   

Gulf Shores city officials announced January 10, 2017 they sold the land to a developer out of Birmingham who will in turn add to the infrastructure already in progress along the Beach District.  The developer should start moving dirt by this time next year. Along with efforts to enhance the Alabama Beach area and to continue to boost tourism in the should seasons, the proposal from Birmingham-based developer Ron Durham and architect Mack McKinney offered exactly what Gulf Shores were looking for. 

The redevelopment of the Gulf Beach District into a more engaging, pedestrian-friendly and family-focused environment has been a top priority for the Small Town Big Beach.  This coupled with the new hotel development which will include restaurant, street level retail and third floor pool deck overlooking the Gulf Shores public beach seems to be falling into place at the right time.  These projects will be the catalyst for the transformation the Alabama Gulf Coast area into the walkable, energetic district the Gulf Shores community has envisioned for a long time.  Providing a community that is welcoming, safe and accessible will enhance the quality of life of the residents and stimulate the local Alabama Vacation Rentals,  local retail and restaurants economy.