Tuscaloosa’s Scaled-Down Sports Illustrated Resort Moves Towards Final Approval

A scaled-down, six-story Sports Illustrated Resort is moving towards final approval from the Tuscaloosa City Council after a Tuesday public hearing, though it may come weeks later than expected.

As the Thread has previously reported, SI is partnering with Travel & Leisure Co. to create a portfolio of resorts in college towns where athletics really matter.

The Tuscaloosa location is meant to be the first of its kind and a proof of concept for others to come, and is planned for vacant property on Rice Mine Road near where it runs under the Woolsey Finnell Bridge between the for-sale Cypress Inn restaurant and the city's Northern Riverwalk.

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Advancement of the plans slowed down when the resort drew criticism from local residents who balked at its original scope - a nine-story hotel plus five additional multi-story buildings filled with timeshare units and condos supplemented by extensive restaurant and retail space.

Concerns over the project size, its "ugly" design, and the prospect of timeshare units for sale in Tuscaloosa eventually saw Travel & Leisure scrap their first plans for the Tuscaloosa resort and come back with a much smaller footprint.

Four multi-story buildings were removed from the plans entirely, and the remaining two were reduced to six stories from nine.

During a Tuesday public hearing, the Tuscaloosa City Council directed city attorney Scott Holmes to draw up an ordinance for them to vote on next Tuesday officially OKing the resort.

This was widely reported to be the last vote for the resort, but Ashley Crites, the city's executive director for Urban Planning, told the council that a new ordinance will have to be drafted to comply with complicated zoning codes - that's what they'll vote on next week "as a formality."

"Tonight is not the final vote, but we will know what is happening tonight," Crites told the council Tuesday.

The vote passed 5-2, and perhaps the surprise of the night was the "No" vote cast by Norman Crow, who represents District 3, where the resort is proposed. District 2 Councilwoman Raevan Howard also voted against the measure.

"In three community meetings, the public's concerns were presented to the developer, and I believe the development today is better because of public input from constituents and the cooperation of the developer," Crow said before the vote. "Although there have been several changes to the proposed development, I still have several concerns on this and am unable to support this as presented. I believe a better plan can be developed with more time and input on this important property."

The matter now goes to another council vote on June 10th, where it will have to pass unanimously, which is not expected. In that case, it would go to a simple majority vote at the council's next meeting, meaning the actual final vote could come sometime in late June.

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The version headed to a council vote next week features six-story buildings that contain 76 timeshare units and 75 "hotel-managed condominium units," as well as 12,000 square feet of retail space in two single-story buildings. The site will also feature six new pickleball courts and several outdoor amenities.

The city is also stipulating that the developers finance and build a connector between the Northern Riverwalk at The Randall Family Park and Trailhead and the western right-of-way of McFarland Boulevard past the bridge.

The idea is that when ALDOT expands the Woolsey Finnell Bridge to eight lanes, the state will then connect the city's original Riverwalk on the southern bank of the Black Warrior to the ever-expanding Northern Riverwalk, making a single premier walking trail that could be more than 10 miles long.

For more coverage of the next vote or votes as they take place and for other news coming from City Hall, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.