New Name for Riverwalk

Riverwalk in Orange Beach has been renamed Bama Bayou, developers of the project on the Intracoastal Waterway announced Thursday.

Representatives from Joe Raley Builders and The Mitchell Co. announced the new title for their now $300 million-plus project on the Intracoastal Waterway, just off the Foley Beach Express.

What had been an $85 million development with about 300 condominium units, a water park and some meeting space has expanded to more than 1,100 units, a water park that developers said will rank among the top 15 in North America and a 68,000-square-foot convention center, according to developer Scott Raley with Joe Raley Builders.

Construction had slowed while plans were expanded, but the work schedule should soon be back up to speed, said Paul Wesch, executive vice president of The Mitchell Co.

"When you take a convention center from 20,000 square feet to 68,000 square feet, it requires a whole new set of architectural plans. We literally had to scrap the old plans and start over," said Wesch.

Rebecca Wilson, marketing coordinator for the project, said some of the development may open in late 2007 and the remainder should be completed in 2008.

The project will also include shops, cafes, restaurants and a 1,000-seat amphitheater: Gulf World on the Bama Bayou property will include live performances by dolphins, sea lions and tropical birds and the opportunity for guests to swim with the dolphins, according to the statement.

The development is being built on about 150 acres. The Orange Beach City Council sold 144 acres of the site to the developers.

City officials agreed in 2002 to sell developers 42 acres for $1.7 million and lease 97 acres for $1 a year provided Raley and Mitchell would build a tax-generating tourist attraction. Developers later decided to buy the entire site for $12 million, according to reports.

Bama Bayou is adjacent to The Wharf, another condominium, retail and entertainment complex that opened in May on the south side of the Intracoastal.