Judge Rules in Favor of University Beach Bond Issue

"The court does hereby validate and confirm the proposed Series 2025 Bonds...," that is the ruling today of Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet in the suit brought by developers of the controversial University Beach LLC against the taxpayers and citizens of the City of Northport.

The ruling follows a lengthy hearing last Thursday, during which project developers and city leaders met in court for a procedural bond validation.

Developers said the project was approved properly and legally, including their ability to issue $59 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure installation there, but opponents disagreed.

Get our free mobile app

Judge Pruet's courtroom was packed during last week's hearing by citizens who had mounted efforts to stop the $350 million dollar project that will include beach homes, a beach club, a water park, retail shops and upscale hotel.

Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb along with several others spoke for the taxpayers of Northport as defendants in the hearing. They claimed the process has been flawed and the communication inadequate from the beginning.

Opponents of the project have claimed approval was rushed through the Northport City Council on the same night its massively expanded scope was revealed, and neither the incumbent city leaders nor the Texas developers with whom they partnered have been particularly transparent about the past, present, and future of conversations about the resort.

Opponents have raised concerns that the project developer Kent Donahue, was involved in a similar controversial upscale development in Rowlett, TX called Sapphire Bay. It has made little progress in a decade, prompting a lawsuit by the city declaring the developer in default of its development agreement with the City of Rowlett.

Donahue reportedly cut ties with the project, but his name continues to be associated with it.

Currently University Beach is nothing more than a pile of dirt just off U.S. 82 West in Northport, however developers claim the positive ruling on the bonds will clear the way for progress.

There has been no word if opponents will file an appeal of the ruling.