Politics & Government
Northport To Develop Master Plan For Site Of Proposed Water Park, Sports Complex
The City Council unanimously approved a master plan for a proposed piece of property that could become a water park or sports complex.
NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council is moving forward with a master plan for 151 acres off of Rose Boulevard purchased in September that could become the city's highly-anticipated aquatic center and sports tournament complex.
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After the Council unanimously approved the measure, Council President Jeff Hogg — who has lobbied for a public water park and sports facility — explained that, over the weekend, he and his family traveled to Foley for a volleyball tournament. What he saw in the south Alabama city were bustling restaurants and money spent on family-oriented attractions.
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"And it's not always the baseball and softball that's in the summer time," Hogg pointed out. "It's December, those are families with disposable incomes ... it was a constant rotation of families."
As Patch previously reported, the total cost of the land itself came out to roughly $700,000, with the money coming from the city's Northport First Fund — revenue generated by the city's 1-cent sales tax. This purchase price is roughly $4,600 an acre in District 5 and officials have expressed pride in purchasing the land without borrowing.
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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.
"What that comes out to be, we don't know," Hogg said Monday. "But we've started the process to make sure recreation for families and children are a priority and a lot of us on the council, we want to see sports complexes, we want to see water parks, we want to see a lot of different things that will not only give our children something to do in the community, but also bring in visitors from other places into Northport. That could be a range of recreational items, not just sports complexes and water parks."
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