SPANISH FORT, Ala.—An Aug. 1 public hearing has been set regarding the proposed rezoning of the 18-acre parcel intended for the potential development of a 29,000-square-foot city complex.

Mayor Joe Bonner told residents present during the July 5 City Council meeting that a recent meeting of the advisory committee directing the project’s design received high marks from the community.

"I think it perked up everybody. It was very refreshing to see the faces and the interest that has been generated by the complex," Bonner said.

The Planning Commission has already forwarded a favorable recommendation for the request that would rezone the northwest corner of the Spanish Fort Boulevard and Blakeley Way intersection from R-1, or single-family residential, to B-2, or local business district.

If approved, the first phase of the project is expected to cost about $6 million and include constriction of administrative offices, a library, senior citizens center, multi-purpose room and satellite terminal for the Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System, as well as a walking trail and street-front landscaping. Long-range plans could include a combination public works facility that doubles as a first-responders shelter, additional buildings to accommodate growth and an amphitheater-type seating area overlooking the project’s retention ponds.

The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held at 6 p.m. July 18, at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center. An informal work session will being at 5 p.m. July 18 in the conference room at City Hall.