New Mixed Use “Village” Proposed For Daphne

DAPHNE, Ala. July 16, 2024

68 Ventures, one of the largest real estate developers in Baldwin County with several new projects in the area underway, is eyeing another project in a growing area of Daphne.

The company is now proposing to build an upscale “village” just off State Highway 18, near Daphne High School.

The site which has been vacant for some time was once rumored to become an innovation and science complex, but it never came to fruition.

But 68 Ventures CEO Drew Dolan says the pandemic really put a halt on that project. Now his company, with the blessing of the previous developer, has some big plans for the vacant lot.

The group proposes a walkable community that will include a hotel, townhomes, apartments, shops, and restaurants, plus a training site for new hires at the Novelis aluminum manufacturing plant currently being built in Bay Minette.

“We want a mix of mom-and-pop shops as well as some national tenants that are very successful, and in demand but don’t have to serve as an amenity to them,” Dolan said.

Dolan said the plans have been formulated and will have to go through the process of getting approval to move forward. The next step for 68 Ventures is to formally submit a permit application to the Daphne Planning Commission at the end of July.

The Highway 181 corridor between Interstate 10 and the Fairhope area has been seeing rapid growth during the past few years and has made it a hot area for future development.

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