Lee County
This summer, construction began on a new storm shelter in the town of Smiths Station in Lee County. The shelter will stand behind City Hall and will have the capacity to hold 500 people and withstand strong winds up to an EF5 tornado. The town also will use the shelter for community meetings. The shelter is being paid for through a hazard mitigation grant.
The city of Auburn won a $2.85 million Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) grant to expand the Auburn Technology Park West, an industrial park just off Interstate 85.
The city of Auburn is continuing to open and construct amenities at the Wilmore Park Recreation Center. The new park opened this spring at a cost of more than $26 million. The first set of pickleball courts opened in April. The city closed the park’s pool in October to begin construction of a pool enclosure.
The park improvement is part of the City Parks, Recreation and Cultural Master Plan that provides a 20-year plan to improve the quality of Auburn’s parks, recreation, arts and cultural facilities and programming, the library, greenspace and greenways, trails, facilities, landscape and natural features. The Auburn City Council adopted the plan in May 2018.
Auburn University Regional Airport broke ground on a new 109-foot air traffic control tower. The project, which will include a 360-degree observation deck, will cost $7.2 million.
In January 2025, Auburn City Schools’ board of education approved the 2035 Facilities Master Plan, a 10-year, $400 million initiative to construct a second high school and a new middle school, renovate Auburn Junior High School and demolish and rebuild Dean Road and Wrights Mill Road elementary schools.
In the city of Opelika, the nonprofit Opelika Main Street is funding upgrades to downtown buildings. Opelika Main Street’s aim is to revitalize and grow the city’s downtown through historic preservation of buildings and economic development through leadership, community engagement and public-private partnerships.
Executive Director Kelsey Gallahar Sullivan says this year alone, the organization has issued more than $62,000 in facade enhancement grants to downtown property owners and businesses.
In October 2024, the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park won a Site Evaluation Economic Development Strategy grant of nearly $2.02 million from the state. The industrial park will use the funds to extend North Park Drive and construct a bridge over Halawakee Creek to create greater access to the park.
The Opelika Chamber opened its new 15,000-square-foot facility this year. The Chamber moved into the old Opelika Public Library at 200 South 6th St. downtown. The building also will house part of Auburn-Opelika Tourism.
Macon County
The Macon County Economic Development Authority teamed up with ADECA, Point Broadband, Connect Humanity and Rural Local Initiatives Support Corp. to lay more than 63 miles of broadband in Macon County. The $3.1 million project was completed in 2023.
This year the BDO Zone Initiative awarded Macon County with an investment grade BDO Zone “A” Rating.
The announcement says, “Macon County’s ‘A’ rating indicates high prospective viability to support new biobased plant operations with low risk associated with Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure in the Zone.”
The rating is a creation of the BDO Zone Initiative that assesses the readiness of a region to attract new biomanufacturing plants based on factors such as supply-chain readiness and existing infrastructure.
MCEDA won a $2.77 million Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy grant this year to enable the purchase and development of a 360-acre industrial site with close proximity to rail lines, Moton Field Municipal Airport and Interstate 85.
In addition, Macon County also has won a $1.3 million grant through the Alabama Industrial Access Road & Bridge Corp., for enhancement of local highways and a new industrial entryway for the Regional East Alabama Logistics Park, a 700-acre industrial development at Exit 42 on I-85.
Russell County
In Phenix City, the city has continued to purchase properties to start the development process for what will become the Lively Entertainment District in the downtown area.
The Lively Entertainment District will become a public green space overlooking the Chattahoochee River and surrounded by commercial businesses that encourage people to gather, from restaurants, coffee shops and nightlife establishments. The Lively District will connect to the city’s Riverwalk.
In addition, Phenix City’s Department of Parks and Recreation is on the path to opening its first Miracle Park, an inclusive baseball field for children with physical and cognitive disabilities. Miracle League, a national organization, is helping communities like Phenix City to build Miracle Fields so children with disabilities will have the opportunity to play the game by outfitting the fields with features such as rubberized turf field that makes wheelchair use easier.
The city also is making improvements to Idle Hour Park and Moon Lake — beautifying, installing a retaining wall to prevent erosion, building a pavilion and adding fishing piers along the lake with easier access for individuals with disabilities. And four old tennis courts have been revamped into 12 pickleball courts.
Russell County Schools is building a new multiplex facility that will include a full-size basketball court, two volleyball courts and dedicated areas for cheerleading and wrestling practice. The facility also will house a weight room and a plunge pool. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2026.
To ensure that all perspectives are represented, the school system established both a superintendent’s advisory council and a superintendent’s student advisory council.
Also, the Russell County Schools Education Foundation is gearing up for the second annual Hall of Fame on Feb. 21, 2026, to honor a former athlete, educator and alumnus who have made a lasting impact on the school community.
This article appears in the December 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
