For Immediate Release

AIG Baker Pioneers Mixed-Use Wharf Development

Vision Reveals All-Inclusive Destination
Planned for Orange Beach’s Intracoastal Canal

May 19, 2004 – Orange Beach – Alabama based developer AIG Baker announces plans for the most unique, all-inclusive, mixed-use development to hit the Gulf Coast ever. The project currently known as The Wharf will expand along the Intracoastal Canal and the well-traveled Foley Beach Expressway in southern Baldwin County. Plans for the 200-acre destination scheduled to open in 2005 include a unique and picturesque mix of retail outlets, condominium homes, hotels and amenities rivaled only by the beauty of the area’s nearby sugar white beaches. With a sensitivity to the environment, AIG Baker also plans to leave more than 50 acres of natural conservation areas within the project.

As a true destination, The Wharf promises the utmost in enjoyment for residents and vacationers alike in almost a storybook atmosphere. AIG Baker President and CEO Alex Baker reflects, “We are envisioning a place where all of life’s simple pleasures and then some are found right at your doorstep or just around the corner. We are proud to be pioneering this whimsical type of development, a first of its kind along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. It will be a world unto itself.”

Indeed, those looking for life’s little pleasures need not look elsewhere. Long lazy days exploring the Intracoastal Canal aboard a boat launched from the full-service marina, shopping and dining along the boardwalk’s 350,000 square feet of retail venues, watching a movie from the comfort of a true stadium theatre, sneaking peaks at rare birds in the many outdoor sanctuaries, or a thrilling ride into a twilight sky aboard a five-story Ferris wheel are only a few of the highlights that await residents and visitors to the Wharf.

As a true mixed-use development, The Wharf has immense plans for local and national retail, fashion and restaurant offerings unlike any other in the area. Other amenities include an amphitheatre perfect for outdoor concerts, luxurious swimming pools, an exquisite health club, a nightlife plaza, markets and delis, and tennis courts.

The team that makes such a story-book development possible is led by AIG Baker the renowned ground-up developer based in Birmingham and known across the nation for a variety of successful projects. AIG Baker has already begun development on another property in the area – Blackwater Plantation, a 3,300-acre community in South Baldwin County. Jubilee Square in Daphne is also an AIG Baker project complete with more than 350,000 square feet of space. It is evident that AIG Baker representatives see great opportunity in southern Baldwin County not only because of the increasing population and fast-growing tourism industry but also due to the steady shift of traffic patterns to the Foley Beach Expressway. According to John Hogue, Project Developer, “Traffic along the Foley Beach Expressway is growing at a phenomenal rate, and it will continue to do so especially with plans in the works for a connection to I-10 and a cross-island connector to the beach.”

Joining AIG Baker in the venture is also world-renown architect firm RTKL. Responsible for numerous international projects and with a wealth of expertise in mixed-use development, RTKL will be serving in a consulting nature on conceptual design. Volkert & Associates of Mobile will also serve as environmental consultants on the project and a deal with Rave Motion Pictures is in the works for a 15-screen movie theatre complete with 3,200 seats.

Local advertising and public relations firm Lewis Communications has joined the effort as well to serve as the marketing arm of the project. One of Lewis’ first steps has been to organize a SIR (Strategic Insights and Research) meeting which is a unique branding program exclusive to the firm that brings all the parties together to create a shared vision for the development.

According to Project Developer John Hogue, “We have a combined wealth of experience and expertise working together to ensure this project is a win-win for everyone involved. Baldwin County will benefit with increased tourism dollars; the citizens will enjoy the opportunity to experience the area’s first all-inclusive mixed-use destination; and The Wharf will become an Alabama icon. That’s a great combination.”

All eyes will be on The Wharf as it brings something to Alabama’s Gulf Coast never seen before – a true, all-inclusive, mixed-use destination for everyone to enjoy. Watch for more information as this story-book vision unfolds.

AIG Baker Shopping Center Properties, LLC, is a privately held entrepreneurial-driven company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, that specializes in ground-up development, acquisition, leasing and management of retail centers nationwide. As a financially solid company, AIG Baker has developed more than 20 million square feet of retail in 17 states since 1993.

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