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New PARA activity center going up. This is almost out in the boonies - doesn't really make sense.
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I agree. It crosses me that the county commissioner says he wants more "growth" out there in the sticks. Using park facilities to try to subsidize sprawl ?
It also pisses me off that they try to justify this $10.5 million facility by claiming that 24,000 people live within a 5-mile radius, and that it will be convenient for people in Fayette and Pickens Counties. The user fees at PARA activity centers just partially defray the operating costs, but won't dent the construction costs of the facilities. This is Tuscaloosa money, and the convenience of surrounding counties should have had no bearing on the location, unless those counties wanted to bear some of the cost.
Meanwhile, there is no such facility serving the downtown Tuscaloosa/Northport area, where a whole lot more people live within 5 miles . When the city of Tuscaloosa wanted to build a downtown Civic Center for around $20 million, it was deemed "not feasible," even though the City of Tuscaloosa already owns the land where it would've gone,
yet these PARA gyms in outlying areas cost even more than that, are money pits, and provide much less service to the community.
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Infrastructure work going on downtown on Univ. Blvd and 21st Ave.
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I see that as necessary, but wonder if businesses will die on the vine while waiting for this extended "revitalization" construction to finish ?
Spiller Furniture is closing its big location in the old Kress building, and I've noticed some recent closings in Temerson Square (Ken's Pizza, Edelweiss Bakery - though that one supposedly will reopen in a month or two, New Orleans Bar & Grill, etc). On the bright side, it does appear that the new Chicago-style hot dog place downtown is getting ready to open this month.