January 30, 2008
A Home Run for Our Area, Right in the Heart of the Condos in Gulf Shores!
I drove down to the “T” the other day, right in the midst of all of our condos in Gulf Shores. That’s where State Highway 59 (also called Gulf Shores Parkway) meets the beach road called Beach Boulevard. I was really happy to see construction activity going on!
Years ago there was a dive bar there called The Hangout. It was very aptly named because for as long as I can remember people that came to the area and stayed in homes or condos in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach condos or Fort Morgan beach condos would come to…well…hang out. It was the perfect place to sit around, have a hamburger or some fried shrimp and the cold drink of your choice.
A developer bought the whole city block a few years ago and had ambitious plans of building a mixed use array of condos, restaurants, hidden parking and a walking mall. When the sales spigot got turned off in 2005 he very prudently decided to shelve those plans and sit on it for a while.
Now comes the home run part. He has now decided to build a restaurant on part of the property and call it – you guessed it – The Hangout! This is not going to be just any old restaurant. This is going to be a 250 seat restaurant and outdoor beach club. The plans that he has put before the Gulf Shores City Council call for a beach volley ball area, a sandy play area for the kids, an outdoor stage and a wading area surrounded by cabana.
OK, here is what I don’t understand. The developer has asked the city to erect a $250,000 (you read that right) sign on the corner. It would measure 42 feet tall and 20 feet wide. He would also install a 10 ft. by 17 ft. electronic sign below the main sign and allow the city to broadcast things such as emergency messages, municipal events and water conditions. Now I am the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about the restaurant business but I think I would drive a 2X4 into the ground and nail a piece of cardboard on it that says “BEACH BAR!”. But what do I know?
I do know that people who rent and own homes or condos in Gulf Shores, AL, Orange Beach condos and Fort Morgan Beach condos are always looking for a good place to eat. Every eating establishment in the area goes on an hour or two wait by 6:30PM on any given night in the summer.
This will be a welcome addition to an area with an extreme shortage of places to eat and will most certainly be a home run if done right!