Northport Reveals Potential Location For Water Park/Sportsplex

NORTHPORT, AL — The City of Northport could be one step closer to having its own water park and sports tournament facility if the City Council opts to purchase a large swath of land off of Rose Boulevard at its meeting on Thursday.

Click here to subscribe to our free Tuscaloosa Daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch on Tuesday that this land acquisition could represent the first phase in new recreational offerings for the city, while stopping short of confirming the city's explicit interest in using the site for its proposed water park or sports tournament complex.

"I will just say this land is to be used for recreational purposes for the quality of life of citizens," Hogg said. "Recreational quality of life features have been a large topic of the direction the city is headed. The last election saw this as a hot topic item and those wanting to expand the footprints of that were elected. It has been the goal of this Council to start that process and I’m glad to see that Phase 1 of land acquisition is finally on the agenda so we can move forward with providing much needed recreational opportunities for our citizens."

The land purchase will carry a proposed price tag of $700,000 when the Council votes on it Thursday, Hogg said. If approved, the city will pay cash for the land acquisition from money allocated through its Northport First funds and not have to borrow money for this phase in its development.

He then described the location as being the area surrounding Tuscaloosa County's E911 operations center, which is positioned east of Rose Boulevard and west of 7oth Avenue.

Patch reported in May when the City Council received the results of a feasibility study conducted for the two projects, both of which received favorable recommendations from consultants with respect to the city's ability to support either or both of the developments. The projects are still very much in their infancy, far even from conceptual stages, as the overall price tag also remains a thing of mystery that officials have been hesitant to speculate on publicly.

Indeed, either project will need a great deal of space to be actualized and the proposed property acquisition fits squarely into past expressed desires from those on the Council — namely Hogg — to position a water park or sports complex in an area that would allow for an exponential multiplier effect in attracting new businesses.

"The purchase of a large tract of land allows us the flexibility to do many things and also allows for supporting growth for new to market restaurants and hotels," Hogg commented. "I am very excited about opening the western area of Rose Boulevard to how it was originally envisioned."

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