University Beach District Boards To Meet Friday

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University Beach Improvement District and Cooperative District boards of directors will hold a public meeting Friday, Jan. 23.

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The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Northport and comes amid sustained public scrutiny of the $350 million lagoon resort project off of Harper Road and McFarland Boulevard.

As Patch previously reported, the University Beach Improvement and Cooperative District boards were established to oversee bonding, assessments and administrative functions associated with the project, which includes a lagoon-centered mixed-use development.

The University Beach Improvement District consists of developers Kent Donahue, John Hughes and outside investor Katie Li of San Mateo, California, while the Cooperative Improvement District Board of Directors consists of Shaferris Porter, Allison Rush and Steven Fikes.

The Improvement District has the authority to issue bonds and levy assessments on properties within its boundaries to pay for roads, utilities and other infrastructure improvements.

The two districts' boards held organizational meetings on Jan. 6 in which officers were appointed and routine administrative measures were approved.

The project has been the subject of ongoing legal and political debate, including a highly publicized bond validation hearing and court filings that challenged whether city officials improperly pre-committed to approving the district.

Supporters argue the development will bring jobs, tourism and new tax revenue to the area, while opponents continue to raise concerns about transparency, financial risk and long-term impacts on Northport residents.

The agendas for Friday's meetings have not been made public as of the publication of this story.

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