Northport City Council votes to negotiate with developers on River Run sports complex
After the contentious, three-hour Northport City Council meeting two weeks ago, when a nearly 80-acre, $350 million water complex was voted forward despite massive vocal disagreement from hundreds of citizens present, the Monday council ran brief and relatively quiet, at just a little over 20 minutes.
After the public session, the council was to move into executive session regarding a threat of potential litigation, though no more details were given on that matter. Ron Davis, city attorney, said no formal action would be taken after the executive session Monday night.
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Another major recreation project moved forward with a unanimous "Yes" vote for an exclusive dealings agreement with Northport Sports Complex Development, LLC, to create and operate the 36-acre River Run Park, a youth sports facility.
"In January we released an RFP, which is a request for proposals, for a group to come in and operate, maintain and development (sic) the River Run Park in the Northport Shore complex," said Tera Tubbs, city engineer.
Four responses were considered, and the aquatics and sports subcommittee interviewed them all, then voted unanimously for Northport Sports Complex Development, LLC. City Administrator Glenda Webb will now enter into negotiations with that group.
That group was registered by the Alabama secretary of state as a domestic limited liability company Jan. 30, 2024, with an expiration one year from that day. Michael D. Smith of Tuscaloosa filed with the state.
A groundbreaking for River Run Park, a key portion of the city's larger Northport Shore development plan, will be held 1:30 p.m. March 18, at the site on Oliver Lock and Dam Road. The Northport Shore development will encompass River Run Park, Kentuck Park, Warrior Baseball, and the Levee Trail.
"I'm real excited about this year, 2024, because this is kind of what we've been waiting for to happen, in terms of seeing things develop in our city," said Northport Mayor John Hinton, noting numerous road and other infrastructure projects were underway, and possibly to be completed by the end of the year.
Before the sports complex groundbreaking March 18, there's already been action at the River Run Park site, he said, budgeted by the council at $8.7 million for construction.
"We are beginning to see things happen with the sports complex area," Hinton said, "trees are being cut, areas cleared for development of the park. ...
"The huge pile of dirt will not be moved immediately, but will be moved a little later."
Hinton was referring to the 140,000 cubic square feet of dirt purchased from the city of Tuscaloosa, dug from an ongoing $65 million project to extend McWright's Ferry Road, and obtained by Northport for River Run Park. It's been stored at the north end of Kentuck Park, and became a source of consternation for the Kentuck Arts Center, as the mound arose just prior to the 52nd Annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Due to concerns about the development affecting Kentuck Park, and other contractual and funding matters, the art center voted to move its 53rd festival to Tuscaloosa, outside Northport for the first time. It'll be Oct. 19-20, 2024, in Snow Hinton Park.
Monday's council vote will ease the River Run Park process, the Northport mayor said.
"I ran with this in my campaign for councilman in 2020, and am glad to see that we're moving ahead in developing a great sports complex in our city," Hinton said.
Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Negotiations to begin for Northport's youth sports facility project
