The City of Gulf Shores was awarded a RESTORE grant to build the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability on city property adjacent to Gulf Shores High School and Gulf State Park.

Scheduled to open Fall of 2024, the campus will offer a suite of community programs including youth camps, field studies, public classes, workshops, and recreational programs. The campus will feature a farm and garden complex, art center, habitat restoration demonstrations, bicycle hub, wetland lab, event space, and challenge course. Programming is based on Ocean Futures Society’s “Ambassadors of the Environment,” a world-renowned experiential learning program dedicated to engaging people of all ages with their natural and cultural environment.

The Design Team is comprised of the Alabama firms Architecture Works (Birmingham), Watershed (Fairhope) and Thompson Engineering (Mobile). Ground breaking is expected to begin Spring of 2023. The campus will employ the latest in green building design and aims to achieve LEED Gold certification.