Cullman County
The Cullman County Commission is currently completing road projects, renovating areas of the courthouse to better accommodate citizens and looking toward some longer-term projects, like the renovation of Big Bridge and continued involvement in the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center, says John Bullard, county administrator.
The commission sets priorities, including restoring the road and bridge system, retaining and recruiting quality personnel, maintaining facilities and equipment at a high level, and operating enterprise funds (water, sanitation, parks) more efficiently using proven business principles.
The city of Cullman is excited about the new OmniPlex Sports and Civic Center, under construction now with a planned opening in April 2025, says Nathan Anderson, parks and recreation director. More than half the dates in its first 12 months are already booked, with an estimated $30 million of economic impact in its first year of operation, he says. It is located adjacent to the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center and opposite the Field of Miracles in southwest Cullman.
The related Omni Sports District is 140 contiguous acres of athletics and parks facilities in the heart of Cullman, which also is a top 10 youth sports district in the U.S. The OmniPlex will boast a flexible open space with the capacity to accommodate eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts and multiple pickleball courts, plus space for events, competitions and other gatherings.
Cullman is ranked No. 3 for Best Small Town Cultural Scene in the 2024 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards and has a variety of popular festivals and events.
For the first time in the city’s history, it has exceeded $1 billion in taxable sales, says Susan Eller, retail and workforce development manager for the Cullman EDA. Retail is now growing in areas that were previously going unnoticed. This growth is moving along with population growth, she says.
Phase 1 of the Cotton Creek Warehouse renovation was completed in 2023 and became home to The Venue at Cotton Creek, along with several office tenants, Eller says. Phase II is underway and is home to salons and later a second home for Goat Island Brewery and one of the city’s newest restaurants, Half Shell Oyster House.
In May 2024, The Flying Fifty, a luxury boutique hotel that pays homage to its Alabama history, opened to the public. The Flying Fifty features seven suites, Alabama-made products and a hybrid self-check-in system. The hotel was developed by Wallace State Community College alumni Paul & Challie Johnson Knetter, along with John Riley, president of Cullman Savings Bank. Jubilee Coffee & Wine Bar, Seven Daughters Scoops and Sipsey Wine Tasting Room also will call the new building home. All plan to be open this fall.
The Klein building downtown, a historic building and former creamery and ice cream shop, has been renovated with Taziki’s, boutiques and more.
A Love’s Truck Stop, which the company says will be the largest in the U.S., is set to open at I-65 exit 305, with a Quick Trip planned at exit 308.
The city of Hanceville has several large projects, says Mayor Jimmy Sawyer. There will be road improvements from Highway 91 to 31, with signal upgrades, a $1.8 million project designed to improve traffic flow. Another is a sewage project upgrade and a water system upgrade, he says. The city also purchased a former post office building to convert into a utilities business office, he says.
New single-family housing is going up on Highway 31 North, he says. And the city’s C.W. Day Park will have a new pavilion built by the Civitan Club.
The city of Good Hope has a new community park, which includes a new pavilion, and new businesses Ethos Craft Brewing and Bloom Winery, which are slated for the city’s growing commercial area near I-65.
Schools are a source of pride here. The Cullman City School System was one of nine identified as exceptional for its third-grade reading performance
In addition to academic programs, city and county schools offer an array of career tech options.
The Cullman Area Technology Academy offers 15 programs, including modern manufacturing, precision machining, cybersecurity, auto service, culinary arts, educators in training, welding, health sciences, cosmetology and more.
Students may also attend the Academy of Craft Training-North America, a public-private partnership between the construction industry and schools. And dual enrollment is available through Wallace State Community College.
Walker County
The Walker County Commission is remodeling its Justice Center, including courtroom renovations.
Work continues on a 50-acre multi-use development, Heritage Landing, in southern Walker County off I-22. The development will be built in phases; utilities are in place now. Drummond Co. is creating the site for retail, commercial and/or industrial tenants.
The city of Jasper recently opened the new Jasper Centennial Park, the result of a partnership between United Way of Central Alabama and the Jasper community.
The city has had continued retail growth, including a new Starbucks Coffee, Whataburger and Mavis Tires. An existing retail center was sold, remodeled and a new Jersey Mike’s store was recruited. And, Memorial Park now has nine pickleball courts.
The city still plans to build a sportsplex, as soon as the right location is found. It’s part of a four-point plan that also includes transforming the former Sherer Auditorium into a new Jasper City Hall, which should open later this year.
The White House on Fifth, a new venue due to open in downtown Jasper in 2025, has been given to the Walker Area Community Foundation. It will be used to enhance the quality of life for residents, with a new museum, art gallery and venue.
As part of downtown revitalization, two Jasper orthopedic surgeons opened a new location for Alabama Back Institute in a historic building that has been renovated and outfitted with an open MRI and other equipment.
“Downtown has grown so much, and we feel that is the place to be,” says Dr. Mark Prevost, who operates the clinic with his father and brother. The Prevost family also has been involved in several downtown revitalization projects over the past 15 years.
In Empire, the Forks in the River-Mulberry Fork Fishing Area will soon be getting parking lot improvements, prefabricated restroom buildings, a new pavilion and a new metal fishing platform.
The town of Parrish recently bought 40 acres from the University of Alabama, officials say. The Parrish Town Council voted to purchase the land for $55,000. No decision has been made on how the land will be used.
Work has begun on the new Dora High School and Cordova Elementary School in the Walker County School System. And Jasper City Schools recently opened a new Jasper High School.
Students from both Walker County and Jasper City Schools will be eligible to attend classes at the new Heman Drummond Center for Innovation, says Paul Kennedy, president of the Walker Area Community Foundation. The center, on Industrial Boulevard, will replace the 50-year-old Walker County Center for Technology.
Winston County
In Winston County, Looney’s Amphitheater Complex and Cultural Center, in the heart of the Bankhead National Forest, is undergoing a rebirth and has reopened as an entertainment venue with a lineup of concerts and a murder mystery dinner planned in 2024.
Restoration of the amphitheater and buildings — including the former Sister Sara’s Restaurant — is currently underway. These structures had been vacant for more than 20 years, until the Winston County Arts Council purchased the complex in October 2022, with the idea of promoting tourism and the arts. The grounds also include an indoor theater and an 18-hole mini golf course.
Winston County commissioners are working to repair and replace the housing on its historic courthouse clock, says Rutger Hyche, District 1 commissioner. The county also just completed a 6.5-mile paving project with help from Rebuild Alabama, he says.
Double Springs, the county seat, has worked on its community center, digging up and covering the old pool, eliminating old shower rooms and party rooms, and opening a hallway, officials say. The city hopes to build a splash pad.
In the city of Haleyville, where 911 service originated, residents and visitors are enjoying the new Heart of Haleyville pocket park downtown, says Mayor Ken Sunseri. The park’s stage has already hosted movies and live entertainment.
The city also is working with the University of Alabama to install a healing zone next to the sportsplex with $50,000 worth of equipment such as tables and benches, he says. The university has built healing zones, an outdoor space that supports physical, mental, emotional and social health, in other rural areas in the state.
The city also received an FAA grant to repair a hangar at Haleyville Airport Posey Field. And there are new restaurants in town, along with a Tractor Supply Co., Sunseri says.
Natural Bridge Park has been sold to a couple who plan to keep the park open and expand the trail system and more.
Students in Winston County and Haleyville city schools have a variety of career tech options through the county’s Winston Career Academy and the city’s Center of Technology.
This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Business Alabama.
