North Tuscaloosa Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed Sports Illustrated Resort
A group of engaged residents of North Tuscaloosa voiced concerns about - and some support for - the proposed first-of-its-kind Sports Illustrated resort that could bring a 9-story, 137-key hotel to Rice Mine Road, along with 150 condos and 250 timeshare units.
North Tuscaloosa is represented by District 3 Councilor Norman Crow, who invited residents to the Indian Hills Country Club Tuesday afternoon for a meeting about the resort.
The project was announced last September, and city staff said Sports Illustrated and Travel & Leisure Resorts were proactive in finding and acquiring the property. They were not recruited here, and no incentives have been offered for the resort.
Phase I of the project includes the entire hotel and the first round of 44 condos and 55 timeshares. The remaining units would come in Phase II, when developers propose building up four new towers on the 40-acre site that sits between Cypress Inn and the Randall Family Trailhead of the Northern Riverwalk.
City staff at the meeting said that in the three public meetings about the Sports Illustrated resort so far, few, if any, residents have spoken against the concept.
That wasn't the case on Tuesday when most of the room said they did not support the resort without more information about it.
Their concerns included how the resort would affect traffic on the already busy Rice Mine Road, how the timeshares would be sold and managed, the potential negative impact on property values and more.
Crow noted that most of those concerns were valid. He did, however, put to rest a rumor that some alleged Native American investment in the resort might eventually lead to a casino being developed there.
"Number one, casinos are not legal in the state of Alabama," Crow said. "Number two, the Indians who were supposedly investing in part of this were Cherokee Indians, not Poarch Creek Indians, and this is not federal land, so there is no way currently that there could be a casino in this spot. In the event the state decides to go the gambling route, this property is in our riverfront zone, where there is no allowed usage for any type of gambling or casino."
Crow also said those Cherokee investors are no longer involved in the project.
As people voiced worries, Crow also said the seven-member city council is willing to take their time before voting to approve plans.
"I look forward to hearing more details about this but the council is not in a rush to vote about this guys," Crow said. "That's why we're here tonight, because I represent you. I want to hear what you say and want to help figure out what's best for our community and represents us, but you know, also represent Tuscaloosa. I want to make sure that we're addressing as many of these concerns as we can."
Some residents were also pretty harsh about the renderings of the resort so far, with one woman calling the brick buildings - which developers said is an homage to the University of Alabama's signature style - "about the ugliest building I've ever seen."
One local though, Bob Woodman, spoke up in defense of the proposed resort.
"I find it uncompromising that somebody would say it's ugly when some of us think it's attractive," he said. "I like it. I like the concept and the way it's set up."
Woodman said some concerns - like increased traffic - are valid, but noted that almost any major development in Tuscaloosa County is met with opposition from locals who want to see the status quo unchanged.
"The seven words that probably destroy a thing fastest are, 'We never did it that way before,' and I've heard that so many times," Woodman said.
Crow said he hosted the meeting because the city council will host a public hearing about the resort next Tuesday. He also pledged to not hold a vote next week - just hear comments and get more answers from the development team.
For coverage of that hearing and more details about the resort as the project unfolds, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.
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