What once was a far-out dream for Daphne, is now shaping into what one business owner said could be “soon the epicenter of Daphne.” Bayfront Park’s revitalization got an unexpected $7.2 million boost last month from oil and gas lease revenues announced by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
The $7.2 million allocation to Daphne that will pay for the majority of the amphitheater, represented the single largest allocation to the 27 projects that received GOMESA funding within the governor’s announcement. The amphitheater, when built sometime in the next two years, will have a capacity of around 2,400 people.
LeJeune said he believes the city’s willingness to spend its own money on the streetscape illustrates a vision for making the park a destination. Daphne has around $3.5 million invested into the streetscape project. That part is expected to wrap up sometime this fall. The outdoor Bayfront Park is only part of the city’s overall vision for Bayfront Park Drive. It also involves turning a non-descript medical building into a recreational center.
“We’re really trying to enhance what we have for citizens to enjoy the Bay whether they are indoors playing basketball or walking in an indoor track and looking out and seeing the Bay,” LeJeune said.Additionally, the overall project includes extending an existing shoreline boardwalk north from Bayfront Park to Gator Alley Boardwalk and Interstate 10, and connect multiple parks that have long existed within the city.