This week, Bayou La Batre, Alabama, takes a major step toward a stronger and more prosperous future. Community members, local leaders, and project partners gather to celebrate the groundbreaking of the City Docks Redevelopment project, an effort designed to strengthen the city’s economy, enhance resilience, and expand access to the waterfront.
For Moffatt & Nichol, this milestone continues years of collaboration in Bayou La Batre. Just steps away, the Lightning Point Shoreline Restoration created a living shoreline that stabilized more than 1.5 miles of coast, restored 40 acres of habitat, and provided new recreational opportunities. That project proved how natural infrastructure can reduce risk, support fisheries, and connect the community to the water. This project built back to the 1916 shoreline and it has held for 5 years in 8+ named storms.
The City Docks project builds on that foundation. Supported by the City of Bayou La Batre and Mobile County, with Ben M. Radcliff Contractor, Inc. leading construction, the redevelopment will transform the working waterfront. Plans include a 100-slip marina, four-lane boat ramp, marine fueling station, fixed dock for seafood sales, and a 4,200 square foot multi-use building. Public amenities such as pavilions, greenspace, and expanded parking will create new opportunities for gatherings, community events, and visitors.
More than infrastructure alone, the project is designed to meet economic, environmental, and recreational needs for generations to come. It will support the seafood industry, strengthen eco-tourism, and showcase Bayou La Batre’s heritage as the “Seafood Capital of Alabama” while creating space for future growth.
“This project strengthens both the economy and the community,” said Meg Goecker, Project Manager. “A vibrant waterfront creates more jobs, supports local industries, and provides a space where residents and visitors can connect with the water.”
Together, Lightning Point and City Docks represent a transformation of the community’s waterfront. One restores the natural systems that protect and sustain the shoreline, while the other creates a resilient and thriving front porch for culture, economy, and daily life.