The $20,000,000.00 College Street Bridge Project - Part II

 

As we stated in Part I, since 2013, there have been three semi-official plans involving College Street and the proposed College Street Bridge. The first plan, made in conjunction with the state and later abandoned, is not available online. The City of Florence may not have paid anything toward the plan rejected by the state highway department except for salaries of staff who worked on the project.

The second plan was contracted to a Huntsville company, Morgan Farmer. We used the date 2018 in Part I; however, the MF website uses the date 2020. This may be the completion date of its study, but it's interesting to note since, according to Florence City Council president Dick Jordan, plans were already in the works to sell the former home of ECM Hospital to Joel Anderson Jr. and two of his business partners during this time frame.

What exactly is Morgan Farmer? From its website:

We work with regional councils and development districts in pursuing economic development strategies for municipal clients. We provide planning, design and construction management expertise. In addition, we’ve entered the renewable energy market through development of photovoltaic projects which include finance development, design and construction management for municipal entities.

Taxpayers should be asking why the city was paying for a study related to "economic development" when the center of said study was to be sold to a private investing group? Here's the final plan, indicating "future bridge construction" at proposed location of College Street bridge:

We also have to ask why, according to business owners, the 2013 project involved no public meetings concerning the widening of College Street? This project would have affected blocks of property owners. Yet the city held a neighborhood meeting of McFarland Heights residents to discuss a supposed current residential project that covers only two or so blocks?

If you think it may involve a football stadium, you could be right, but probably not in the way it's been previously discussed.

Part III: UNA's Highway 20 Connection...

The $20,000,000.00 College Street Bridge Project - Part I

 

Some interesting facts concerning the defunct old and proposed new College Street bridges:

1. The last bridge connecting the end of College Street in West Florence was razed in the early 1950s. In other words, there has been no bridge at this location for almost 70 years.

2. In 2013, the City of Florence applied for a state/federal grant to widen College Street and build a new bridge. The estimated cost at that time was 20 million.

3. We personally spoke with two College Street merchants who would have lost their parking lots in this project. Neither one had been contacted by the city or any other government entity. Hold on to that thought...

4. In 2016/17, the state rejected the city's request for the grant as written. Instead, much more meager funding was awarded to do some minor street widening.

5. In 2018, the City of Florence paid for a new College Street study that focused on the former ECM Hospital property and an extended street ending at a bridge to County Road 2/State Highway 20.

6. In 2019, the University of North Alabama took a cursory look at the ECM property in connection with a new football stadium. Hold on to this thought also...

7. In 2020, the city proposed to sell the ECM property to a three-man LLC to turn into a residential development. The city lost money on the deal.

8. In 2021, Florence City Council president Dick Jordan, who initiated the ECM sale, announced a new College Street bridge is the most "critical" project on the city's infrastructure list.

9. The city initiated an $88,000.00 study on the proposed bridge. This is in addition to the state study from 2013 and the city study from 2018.

10. We'll throw in just for comic relief that Mayor Andy Betterton stated the bridge would likely help open up the Savannah Highway to West Florence. Really, Andy? Did you need an engineering degree to make that observation?

Next: ECM property, a football stadium, and new hope for a 50 year-old land investment.

If Andy Designs the Bridge...

             

They're Building WHAT in Florence?

 

Neighbors want to know what's being built at the old Sweetwater Mill site, but so far no one at Florence City Hall will tell them. Doesn't Bill Griffin know?

Residents of West College Street want to know what rumors are true and what are just speculation? We doubt that more than a handful of individuals can tell you that. We will say, be prepared to fight any eminent domain appraisals. It's your property; you deserve to be paid a fair market price and not what some shyster UNA attorney offers you.

Remember, if the university considered stealing the city schools' football stadium and attached prime real estate, it won't think twice about stealing your small parcel of land "for the public good."

Now one of the proposed new owners of the old ECM property (with a small amount of College Street fronting) has been placed on the UNA Board of Trustees. Do we have incredible coincidences in this town or what?

West Florence Project/What If?

From an astute reader:

In 2017 the largest private development deal in more than 50 years occurred in the area of West Florence. A new housing, gated, community was constructed for students attending the University of North Alabama. 

Two years later the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the City of Florence a $200,000 Assessment Grant and a $100,000 Community-wide Hazardous Substances Grant to study the nearby ECM property. 

In 2020 the City of Florence purchased a site redevelopment plan for the former Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital. The plan was based on recreation, housing, and retail needs of the area.  

The $300,000 grant projection period was October 2019 until September 2022. The City of Florence agreed to sale the property to Mr. Jr. Anderson at the beginning of 2021. 

The amount of the sale splits between the city and county. The county has yet to agree to this deal.

Much uncertainty remains concerning the future of property in the western side of Florence. Also, many would like to know exactly where is the funding for this project to be found?

Most of us play "What If" from time to time. You know...what if I had married a millionaire or what if Tony Stark is alive in another universe? So let's play What If with UNA.

What if the university's intention isn't to build its Division 1 stadium north of Cox Creek Parkway, but near the terminus of College Street?

A New Take on the College Street Corridor

 

We've recently speculated that, if opened up to the Savannah Highway (Coffee Road), College Street could perhaps become the next Florence Boulevard. A faithful reader has pointed out that the topography of the area around Cypress Creek is not suited to building a modern bridge. The cost would be prohibitive - perhaps one reason ALDOT has refused funding for widening College Street.

Second, it seems the 12.2 acres involved in the proposed ECM land sale does not involve any College Street frontage; the Riverbend Center will continue at its current location. Perhaps West College Street is to remain the poor stepchild of the city for a few more years to come?

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We've recently made some jokes about the city selling off assets to the public, but it seems there's an actual rumor about a possible sale. Is UNA interested in purchasing the Pope's Tavern museum? We can hardly wait to see the protests then...

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Many of you remember a former blogger here, J.J. Ray. We're sending congratulations out to J.J. and his lovely wife who yesterday became great-grandparents for the second time!

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