A longtime vision for the city of Daphne, Ala., is becoming reality with construction of the Bayfront Park Amphitheater. When completed in early 2027, the project will offer a place along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay for people to enjoy the performing arts and outdoor events.

"Part of what makes the city of Daphne truly special is that it's a family-oriented community with a rich heritage, southern charm and numerous recreational opportunities," Mayor Robin LeJeune told Construction Equipment Guide. "Now, with its unobstructed view of Mobile Bay and connection to our existing trail system at Village Point Park Preserve, the setting of Bayfront Park Amphitheater will be enhanced with green space and offer areas for active and passive recreation, social interaction and mental relaxation."

The city of Daphne is well-connected to interstate highways, providing easy access to Mobile and Pensacola. It offers rapid access to I-10 via multiple exits, and serves as a central hub, with Fairhope to the south and Spanish Fort to the north.

Triptek Construction photo

"The Bayfront Park Amphitheater will feature a 90-foot-wide stage, along with lawn and/or folding chair seating for approximately 2,500 people," said LeJeune. "With a splash pad for children to enjoy, the park will include a covered overlook of the bay and the pier; additional parking; a boardwalk connection to our existing trail system to Village Point Park Preserve via the Al Guarisco Boardwalk and Trail; and connecting boardwalks from the Daphne recreation building to the amphitheater area. In addition, the waterfront boardwalk will be the first phase of connecting Bayfront Park to the D'Olive Bay boat launch area."

Last fall, Mayor LeJeune addressed more than one hundred guests who turned out on a breezy day for the project groundbreaking. Joining him and other officials was Commissioner Chris Blankenship of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, who worked with Gov. Kay Ivey to provide additional funding toward the $16M project.

The much-anticipated waterfront amphitheater 15-acre project is expected to be completed just in time for the city to mark its centennial. Although the official celebration will be recognized in July, the city will be offering several events to celebrate throughout the year, including a concert at the new Bayfront Park & Amphitheater to be held in the fall of 2027.

"The public continues to be very excited about the improvements to the park with the addition of the amphitheater, and people are looking forward to enjoying concerts and a variety of performing arts on Mobile Bay," said LeJeune. "We appreciate their patience during construction, which is going well and on budget."

"For over 25 years, the citizens of Daphne and city leaders have envisioned a waterfront recreational facility with an amphitheater venue at Bayfront Park," LeJeune added. "The Bayfront Park Amphitheater will be enjoyed for generations to come."

The team leading the building effort includes general contractor Triptek Construction LLC of Atmore, Ala.; engineering design lead Dewberry; WAS Design Landscape Architects; and Adams-Stewart Architects.

Brian Cochran photo

When asked by Construction Equipment Guide about the status of the work, Triptek Construction project manager Mark Rodgers said a lot has been accomplished since work began.

"We've been on site since October, and the foundation work most people don't see is largely behind us. We started with our erosion control, safety fencing and the floating basin boom along the bay. From there, we cleared the upper parking lot, the slope, the wetlands area down to the water and cut the path for the future boardwalk."

Once the site was open, crews mobilized more equipment, set up the laydown yard and began the heavy civil work.

"We've completed the undercut and backfill across the upper parking lot, lower parking lot, ramp and amphitheater pad, and we've loaded the surcharge material at all required locations," said Rodgers. "That's the soil pre-loading process that's now in its wait phase.

"On the structural side, we've driven all the steel pilings and we've completed the timber pilings under the restroom building. The restroom and deck pavilion itself is framed, trussed and sheathed, with plumbing and mechanical rough-ins finished and electrical rough-in well under way."

At the amphitheater, workers have poured the spot footings and brought pedestals to grade. They've also begun the retaining wall sequence. The first leg is nearly complete, and the second is well into placement.

"Concrete work for the amphitheater is moving forward with the perimeter walls complete, and crews are preparing to place the concrete columns at the stage in the coming weeks," said Rodgers. "On the boardwalk, workers are steadily driving piles as they make their way into the wooded areas, setting the foundation for the future walkway."

Before the start of construction, the site featured a pier, picnic areas, a small restroom building and a gazebo and pavilion. Walking trails and a natural shoreline were also part of the scenery. The project footprint covers roughly eight acres, encompassing the upper parking lot, the boardwalk down to the amphitheater, the lower waterfront area and the new restroom building by the bay.

Triptek Construction photo

Grant Hyche, Triptek project superintendent, explained to Construction Equipment Guide that work on the waterfront boardwalk and surrounding areas is heavily focused on deep foundations and battling difficult wetland conditions.

"The most significant challenges on this project stem directly from working in and around wetlands. Building in this type of environment requires an elevated level of care, planning and compliance to protect sensitive ecosystems while still meeting construction goals."

Hyche noted that pile driving is a major part of the work across the site.

"At the restroom, piles were installed to support the structure in the soft, saturated soils. The same approach is being used along the boardwalk, where crews are driving piles to carry the elevated walkway through sensitive areas with minimal ground disturbance. At the amphitheater, large steel piles are being installed beneath the stage to support the structural loads for the concrete system above.

"In addition to the foundation work, a significant amount of structural fill is required throughout the site to bring grades up to the required elevations. This fill helps establish stable building platforms and ties all of the different site elements together at the correct finished heights."

The project calls for moving more than 100,000 cu. yds. of dirt. According to Hyche, a range of heavy equipment is being used to handle the demanding site conditions and large-scale earthwork.

"Large excavators are the primary machines for all excavation work, digging in the wetland soils and shaping the site as needed. Dozers are being used to push material, spread structural fill and level out working surfaces to create stable access and building areas."

Off-road dump trucks are hauling material across the site, moving soil, rock and fill between work zones, while wheel loaders help keep operations efficient by managing stockpiles and loading trucks as needed.

"During the pile driving phase, cranes were required to handle and set both timber and steel piles, providing the reach and lifting capacity needed to install deep foundations in the wetland conditions," said Hyche. "These piles form the backbone of the structures, including the restroom, boardwalk and amphitheater areas.

Triptek Construction photo

"Together, this equipment fleet is essential for working through soft soils, maintaining production and building the site up to the required elevations."

Rodgers noted, as with many construction projects, there have been unexpected issues.

"The first item we ran into was a damaged existing pipe in the upper parking lot during early site work. That required some unplanned coordination with the city to address, before we could move forward with the undercut and backfill in that area.

"We've also worked through a few engineering and design adjustments along the way, including modifications to the boardwalk design that pushed our schedule. A couple of secondary items were ultimately removed from the scope after design review, which is typical as plans get refined during construction."

Rodgers said soil conditions on a bayfront site are always the wild card.

"We're using a six-month surcharge process to pre-load and pre-settle the soils where the parking lots, ramp and amphitheater pad will sit, which is a standard but time-intensive approach. So far, the soils have responded as the engineers anticipated. None of these have knocked us off schedule."

Weather also is a factor when working on the Gulf Coast. Crews are ever mindful of possible rain delays and high humidity affecting concrete cures and finishes. In addition, hurricane season runs from June through November.

"For a bayfront site specifically, wind exposure and salt air drive some of our material and equipment decisions, too," said Rodgers. "We closely monitor the weather forecasts and have storm protocols in place for securing the site if a tropical system enters the Gulf. The goal is to protect the work that's already in place, keep the crews safe and get back up and running as quickly as possible once a system passes."

Rodgers said projects such as Bayfront Park Amphitheater are the kind he remembers, not because of the construction challenges, but because of what the finished product means to the community.

"Every concert, every festival, every family that spreads out a blanket on a summer evening — that's what we're really building toward. Most of our work is functional infrastructure that people use without thinking twice about it. An amphitheater is different. It's a place people choose to be, where memories get made." CEG