Andalusia city’s three cemeteries – Magnolia, Memorial and Marshall – are undergoing some big changes, said Dwight Mikel, director of the department of leisure services for the city.

“Perhaps the biggest is all the physical changes that are happening on site,” Mikel said. “The city is spending $400-,000 on Mem-orial and Marshall cemeteries to correct a lot of issues.”

Mikel said crews have been busy working to resurface drives, correcting erosion problems, installing irrigation and landscaping at the sites.

He said the cost of the project is being funded through the proceeds of lot sales, and to generate new funds, city officials raised lot prices from $600 to $750 in October.

Mikel said due to the age of Magnolia Cemetery, city crews work to maintain the site and no renovations are planned.

At Marshall Cemetery, crews have just completed a new wrought iron fence, and this weekend at Memorial Cemetery, participants of the Discipleship Now, a Baptist youth ministry, will be planning 200 crepe myrtles and magnolia trees as their community service project.

“Once these projects are completed, the changes will be remarkable,” Mikel said.

Future plans include the possibility of a columbarium, which is structure that houses cremated remains, he said.

“We’ve had lots of requests for this type of area,” he said. “It’s becoming more and more in demand. We’re looking at the flagpole area as maybe a site for that in the future.”

Mikel said the next six months will be filled with work at the areas.