Rowlette's Resort Problems Echo In Northport's Community Concerns

A Thursday press release from the upscale city of Rowlette, TX is getting a lot of attention today in Northport, Alabama. The city of some 68,000 residents, an eastern suburb of the metroplex of Dallas, has issued a "Notice of Default" for a $1 billion resort project called Sapphire Bay. What makes the release so interesting to residents of a city almost 600 miles away from Rowlette is the identity of one of the original developers of the project, the same one involved with University Beach Resort in West Northport, Kent Donohue.

First announced a decade ago, the project originally known as Bayside was split into two parts following a lawsuit from the city in 2019. The suit was based on unfulfilled promises made by the original developers. Some progress has been made in one of the split sections, but no progress has been recorded in the other. The proposed site in Northport is currently a large pile of dirt just off Harper Road.

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Rowlette noted in their press release that, "After deliberations and receiving legal counsel, the Rowlett City Council unanimously voted to provide notice to the developer, Sapphire Bay Land Holdings I, declaring the developer in default of its development agreement with the City of Rowlett."

“After weighing all options, consulting with our legal team, and having serious conversations about the future implications of this development for our community, the Council has determined that this is the right step forward,” Mayor Jeff Winget was quoted as saying in the city's press release. “This project has remained stagnant for far too long, and we owe it to our residents to take action that will help spur progress on the peninsula.”

Donohue has reportedly cut ties with the project in Texas, but his name is still listed on the project's website as the contact person.

The problems plaguing the Rowlette project mirror concerns voiced by numerous Northport residents ever since University Beach was first announced publicly. The biggest comparisons being the lack of transparency and developers wanting complete control for both.

Rowlette filed a lawsuit against the original developer in 2019 after the project stalled and key features were canceled. That prompted residents opposed to the project to call it a case of "bait and switch" saying it is not the same project that was originally announced. This matches complaints from many Northport residents who describe University Beach as a "bait-and-switch" because the project went from being a water park to a full-blown resort.

A hearing to consider the validation of almost $60 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure at University Beach lagoon resort has been delayed at the request of Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb. No new date has been announced but opponents to the project are expected to turn out it large numbers.

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Sapphire Bay Default Raises Questions For University Beach’s Future