Citizens For A Better Grand Bay and the Friends of the Grand Bay announce the STOA Architects Team as the architects for the Grand Bay Library. With funding from a Community Development Grant from the Gulf Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D), the STOA Team will begin the architectural renderings and engineering documentation for adapting the Grand Bay State Bank Building into the Grand Bay Library.

Architects on the STOA team are, Kimberly E. Harden, AIA, and Mark Essert, AIA. Harden has served as the State of Alabama’s registered Preservation Architect while working at the Alabama Historical Commission. Her projects include the current renovations on the Mid Mobile Bay Channel marker and the Maxwell Air Force Base Library Renovations . Essert’s experience includes designing and providing inspection services for commercial, manufacturing, residential, health care, educational, research and government facilities. Both Harden and Essert are familiar with the State and Federal requirements necessary for rehabilitating historical buildings while providing modern up to date facilities.

Preliminary studies of the Grand Bay State Bank Building are being conducted and the drawings and renderings for the Grand Bay Library will be completed in September. Structural work on the library will begin as funds from grants and donations allow.

CBGB and the Friends of the Grand Bay Library’s goals are to preserve our past and prepare for the future of our community by restoring two buildings located in the Historic District of Grand Bay, the Grand Bay Bank and the Albert Freeland Store.

The Grand Bay State Bank was located in the two story brick building at the corner of Dezauche Lane and Freeland Avenue from 1913 to 1929. The building was used as the post office from 1933 to 1975. Many residents remember piano recitals and meetings held in the 2^nd floor Masonic meeting hall. Most recently the building was the site of the El Cazador Museum, where gold from a Spanish treasure ship found in the Gulf of Mexico was reclaimed and exhibited.

Despite the rise in technology and the number of books available online, nothing can take the place of a good library. If you love books, you'll understand that a library is an environment for learning and discovering the joy of reading. It can serve as a place to connect with friends, research homework and use computers to search for jobs.

Plans are in place for the Grand Bay Library, when completed, to become a branch of the Mobile Public Library. This will afford Grand Bay residents access to the thousands of books and resources available to other areas of the county.

Part of the overall Historic District project includes museum displays in both the Albert Freeland Store and the Grand Bay Library. These will highlight artifacts, maps, photographs and memorabilia and provide information about Grand Bay’s history.

If you are interested in having a library and museum in Grand Bay, and want to participate in your community’s growth, please attend the meeting of the Friends of the Grand Bay Library on Tuesday, August 9^th at 6:30 PM at the Grand Bay Community Center. The Friends of the Library need volunteers to work on grants, public relations and fundraising committees. For more information call 251-656-4576 and visit the website at www.friendsofgbl.org.

Please write to your local legislative representatives and the Mobile County Commissioners to show your support. Your input is essential when the Grand Bay Library and Museum Committee applies for State funding and grants.

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