Northport Council To Vote On Firm For Water Park/Tournament Facility Master Plan

NORTHPORT, AL — Northport officials are gearing up to vote on the next major step in a push for a new water park and sports tournament complex on Rose Boulevard.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

On Monday during its upcoming regular meeting, the Northport City Council will consider contracting with TTL, Inc. to provide the recreational master plan for the project.

Council President Jeff Hogg, who has been the tip of the spear in the push for a water park and tournament facility, expressed his excitement as the next phase comes under consideration.

"When we purchased the land, it was a priority to move quickly to address the concerns of the lack of recreational quality of life services in our City," Hogg told Patch on Thursday. "The potential for a water park, sports complex, and other outdoor recreational opportunities are something this mayor and Council are eager to develop."

In September, Patch reported when the city purchased 151 acres off of Rose Boulevard as the potential site for the project. The total cost of the land itself came out to roughly $700,000, with the money coming from revenue generated by the city's 1-cent sales tax. The land is located in the area surrounding Tuscaloosa County's E911 operations center, which is positioned east of Rose Boulevard and west of 7oth Avenue in Northport.

"Having a master plan along with the previous feasibility studies is the road map to continuing to think outside the box for our citizens," Hogg said. "I have said it time and time again, 'old ways won’t open new doors' and we will not be complacent.

As Patch reported last May, Counsilman-Hunsaker — the firm hired by the city to conduct a feasibility study for the large-scale project — said its market research found the necessary demand to support a 5.5- to 8-acre outdoor water park, with a capacity of 500 people at one time.

Predictions say 1,200-1,500 visitors per day could be expected during peak summer months, which Counsilman-Hunsaker says would justify the incorporation of a 7,500-square-foot leisure pool with built-in amenities for a range of ages.

Other proposed amenities would include a 3,500-square-foot lazy river aimed at keeping visitors at the park longer, in addition to one tower that could support 2-3 customizable slides.

In total, the research firm expects 50,000 annual visits on admissions, plus another 1,700 for swim lesson visits over a period of 85-95 days — primarily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

With respect to the proposed sports tournament facility, the firm said the complex could support eight baseball/softball diamonds, concession stands, press boxes and other support buildings to "offer an attractive and quality experience for tournament visitors and locals alike."

An indoor facility was also recommended, as we previously reported, which would include six basketball courts that could be converted into volleyball courts. If indeed the complex comes to fruition, it is expected to result in 321,000 annual visits.

Due to the expensive series of amenities and different moving parts in the proposed project, the overall price tag remains unclear, as city leaders suss through the details of exactly what they want to see the facility look like.

The Northport City Council is set to meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 7.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.