City of Andalusia breaks ground for new Heritage Park

Ground is broken for the new Heritage Park in Andalusia, Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – Photo from City of Andalusia

Construction will now be underway on the new Heritage Park in Andalusia.

The Andalusia City Council broke ground today for the new park, which is being built in the former rail yard on South Cotton Street. 

“We’ve waited a long time for this to happen, but today, after a couple of years of planning, we are breaking ground on our new Heritage Park,” Mayor Earl Johnson said in a statement. 

“The idea for this park came from our planning partners at Concordia in New Orleans,” he said. “The park concept was designed after we received input from local residents in two town hall meetings. 

“Since then, we have put the financing in place, worked with ADEM, the Corp of Engineers, and the Alabama Historical Commission on the proper permitting, and with CDG, Inc., a local engineering firm, for the final designs.” 

Pipes as seen in rail yard in Andalusia, Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – Photo from City of Andalusia

The new park will include a 1.4 acre pond, a quarter-mile, 8-foot wide concrete walking path, an exterior, 12-foot-wide, multi-purpose asphalt trail, an amphitheater that will seat about 300 people and green spaces.

The city also plans to add a carousel, gazebo, and pavilion in later phases of this development. 

“In the coming days, you’ll see city crews moving dirt and putting the pipe in place to build the water feature,” the mayor said. “We are very excited about this project, and believe it will help us as we continue to redevelop our historic downtown.”

Later this month, Lost Pizza will open in the Prestwood Building on the historic Court Square, and the city also is preparing to announce another major redevelopment project in the downtown area. 

— Information from the City of Andalusia