Northport Commits $500,000 to Improving Community Centers & Parks

Public spaces in Northport are in for upgrades after the city council voted to invest $500,000 in improving their parks and community centers Tuesday night.

As the Thread previously reported, the council signaled the move earlier this month, when councilwoman Christie Bobo said their finance committee had identified $500,000 generated by the "Northport First" sales tax program to commit to the upgrades. 

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Bobo said the half-million dollars will be split between improving the recently "saved" Northport Community Center, the Hasson Center, Civitan Park and the United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama building.

The full council approved the allocation Tuesday night as part of a resolution to allocation more than $7.1 million in Northport First Funds. Other funds went to warrant payments, streetscaping projects and the restoration and paving of Main Avenue.

The commitments to existing facilities come even as the city plans three major recreational projects including a water park, outdoor adventure park and the River Run Park ballfields at the recently named Northport Shore complex on the Black Warrior River. 

The council did not say when they expected the Northport Community Center, which has been shuttered amid plans to sell and demolish it, will re-open after the council scrapped the development plans unexpectedly in December.

"I just want to commend the council for approving funds to upgrade our community parks," Mayor John Hinton said. "I travel by the community center on Park Street most every day and it is looking wonderful and clean, and the renovation planned for the interior of the building will make it beautiful and functional, the best we've seen in many years."

"All four parks will be upgraded and will serve as locations for many of the city's activities," Hinton continued. "I think this will be a great service for our citizens in Northport."

For more coverage from north of the river and other news from west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.