ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — A $46 million on-campus athletic complex is coming to city schools after a unanimous vote Tuesday night by the city council.

“It is a great day for Orange Beach City School students,” Superintendent Randy Wilkes said.

The current home of the Makos will move on campus next to the Performing Arts Center. It will be a state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line facility with all the bells and whistles, according to Wilkes.

“From the competition gym to the multi-purpose pavilion, to the exercise kinesiology, to the track, to the stadium and grandstands and all the support buildings,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes said two-thirds of Orange Beach students participate in extra-curricular activities. All will have a home in the new complex.

“If we had the facility today, 81% of our students would benefit from this facility,” Wilkes said.

The approval of the $46.1 million project comes after unanimous votes from the school board and the Orange Beach city council.

“To get a unanimous vote of 11 people is really just unprecedented and speaks volumes to the city’s and the board’s commitment to education to our students and to excellence,” Wilkes said.

A commitment that will resonate with families and students for generations to come.

Construction is set to start next month. The Makos could be moving into the new facilities in May 2025.

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