Friday brings an anniversary no one will want to celebrate: It’ll be three years since Mobile County shut down its biggest public park for a makeover.

There is some happier news: Officials said this week that they’re very close to announcing a grand opening date for Chickasabogue Park – and they expect that date to fall somewhere in late February.

After three years and a ballpark of $9 million spent, the work won’t be finished. But visitors will once again be able to enjoy a sprawling facility frequently described as the crown jewel of the county’s park system.

Chickasabogue lies just to the north of Mobile, nestled in between Prichard, Chickasaw and Saraland. Southbound travelers on I-65 can see its beach, which was among its most popular features prior to Jan. 31, 2022. But the beach, which has had a weedy, neglected look during the closure, is only a fraction of Chickasabogue’s attraction. Among other things, the 1,100-acre park offered extensive disc golf facilities, trails for hikers and mountain bikers, RV and primitive camping, athletic fields, a boat launch and canoe rentals on its namesake Chickasaw Creek.

Most of that will be back soon, according to Mobile County’s Director of Environmental Services, Tina Sanchez, and Deputy Director of Environmental Services Matthew Jones. The two said Monday that they think the county will announce an opening date in the very near future, and that date will be around a month away.

“The good news is, we’re getting close. The contractors are working on a punch list,” said Jones.

“We’re planning an opening event and hoping for good weather,” said Sanchez.

They acknowledged the timeline has stretched. When the county shut down the park in January 2022, the word was that it would remain closed for at least a year. Some fifteen months later, in April 2023, the county approved a $6.9 million contract with J Hunt Enterprises for the next phase of work.

At that point, officials said the work done so far included a major infrastructure overhaul of water, sewer and power, among other things. The work yet to come included demolition of the entry area and construction of new entrance facilities, plus construction of restrooms, a splash pad and a large pavilion.

The county said that the Chickasabogue renovation, like other projects, was “experiencing delays related to supply chain, materials, labor and increased construction costs.” District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood said it was “frustrating for everyone that this and other major Mobile County construction and renovation projects are slower than anticipated and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to build this park and a Mobile County Parks System of which we can all be proud.”

There have indeed been other concurrent developments. The county acquired the Memories Fish Camp on Fowl River, the Escatawpa Hollow campground on the Mississippi state line and the Cedar Point Pier on Mobile Bay, upgrading and reopening all of them as public facilities. It has been a sweeping, multimillion-dollar expansion of public water access that has added some jewels to the crown.

But it hasn’t helped polish that centerpiece. After the County Commission approved that big contract, another year passed. In April 2024, the county held a media preview showing off what had been completed so far. New features included a splash pad; an improved playground; two multi-sport courts suitable for basketball, tennis or pickleball; a new pavilion area; and a family friendly hiking trail connecting to the pre-existing hiking and biking trails, which got upgrades of their own.

At the time, the expectation was that the park would re-open, at least partially, by late summer or early fall 2024. That didn’t happen. Sanchez and Jones said that hope was thwarted by some familiar bugaboos such as supply chain issues, and by the fact that the park’s entrance area was still a construction zone.

Jones said that once the park reopens, shortly, work will continue in some areas. But that work won’t require the park as a whole to be closed.

After three years and $9 million, there’s more to come. The RV area won’t be complete when the park reopens, which probably means the park won’t be open for primitive camping either for a while. But the money has been allocated for all that work, so it’s just a matter of finishing up.

The biggest outstanding piece of work is on the waterfront. The beach area will open with the rest of the park. But at some point it’ll have to close again for an overhaul of its own. That will bring in a new playground, among other upgraded amenities. It’ll also relocate the boat ramp and give it better parking.

The contract hasn’t gone to bid yet, so it’s hard to pin down the timetable and cost. It’s also unknown how long the beach will be open before it closes down. It’ll remain open until a contract is awarded, Sanchez and Jones said.

The immediate goal is to finally reopen the gates. And that’s close.

“I’m looking forward to having people back and seeing them enjoy it,” said Sanchez.