An official book about Gulf Shores being commissioned by the city will serve as a collection of city history and culture soon to be sold in the city store.”Gulf Shores, Big Beach Small Town,” a “coffee table book,” is expected to have approximately 188 pages with 1,000 copies created. Gulf Shores City Council approved at an Aug. 12 meeting an agreement with PV Publications to create and produce the book at a cost not to exceed $25,000.

Grant Brown, director of recreation and cultural affairs, along with Brigette Reynolds, programs and events manager, presented the agreement to the council.

“A section of the book will be dedicated to our current administration,” Brown said in a previous work session meeting, “The proposed book will include historic photos and commentary from our founding fathers and families as well as events and people who contributed to the growth and changes that brought us to the present.”

The book will run at an expected retail price of $45 and is poised to bring in $20,000 in net sales, Brown said. He mentioned that they’ve been working on this book for a while and hope to have it ready for the holiday season.

Brown also said that business owners, visitors and residents will “have an opportunity to understand who Gulf Shores was, who we are and who we’re moving to become with a beautiful picture book.”

Reynolds answered questions on timeline management for the project. The council approval, received at the Aug. 12 council meeting, was one of the last things the needed before moving onto more serious steps like final edits and sending it off to the printing company.

“Once we hit go, the biggest thing will be the print time,” Reynolds said. “So, while it is an aggressive timeline, it is already kind of a moving function.”

Reynolds and Brown both said the goal is to have the book finalized and printed by the end of August.

Councilman Jason Dyken said he would like to see this project turn into an “electronic record” that could be readily accessible to the public as something similar to an online archive for the City of Gulf Shores.