FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — It’s a facelift months in the making. Work wrapped up this week on the northeast corner of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street in the heart of downtown.

Crews battled rain for several days to ensure Gaston Plaza was ready for Thursday night’s Lighting of the Trees.

“This has been a labor of love. We’ve been really working on it the last several weeks to get it finished,” said Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan.

“We always say we have over a million lights downtown. Whether that’s true or not, I’m not really sure, but it sounds really good,” she added.

Work began on the corner in early September. A large, expanded courtyard replaces patchy grass and dirt.

“We’re happy that it’s been cleaned up, fewer barricades and a little less dust,” said Anne Dorman, whose Mobile Bay Realty office sits on the iconic corner.

She and her husband recently opened an Airbnb upstairs. She says these improvements are good for their new investments.

“It has stayed booked, and that’s nice. We’ll have guests upstairs tonight that can enjoy the Lighting of the Trees on the balcony,” she said.

It’s now safer for pedestrians to cross at the intersection, too.

“We’ve added pedestrian signals to our walkway, which is great. It’s all part of the improvements here,” said Sullivan.  

For years, it’s been known to locals as the “clock corner,” so don’t worry, the clock has been reinstalled — it now stands high above the corner on a new pedestal.

Just in time for the holidays.