A city worker clears the site next to the Springdale Estate where city officials hope to create Central Park. Stephanie Nelson/Star-News
The City of Andalusia is working with a Birmingham firm to design a long-term plan for what might become Central Park.
Mayor Earl Johnson reviewed what he called a “broad plan” with council members last week.
The 14.5 acre park will include city hall, the veterans memorial, Springdale and the recently-acquire property between city hall and Springdale.
Dale Fritz and Associates of Birmingham is working with the city on the design. Johnson said that Fritz previously worked with the city on the Gateway and the veterans park.
The recently-acquired office building will be torn down, he said, adding that its current footprint will become a parking area. That parking area will be connected to the parking in the rear of city hall, with a few spaces added closer to city hall. As well, a driveway from the rear of Springdale will connect to existing parking.
“This is designed so that if an event were taking place at Springdale, you could drop people off on the property and then exit to the parking behind city hall instead of trying to get in and out on East Three Notch,” Johnson said.
Similarly, the current walking trail at the veterans park will connect to new walking trails on the Springdale property.
A pavilion is proposed for the Springdale property, and the current garage will be altered to facilitate crowds. The garage portion will become a prep kitchen to be used by caterers; an office will be added; and restroom facilities will be added. The plumbing is already in place, he said.
Johnson said that the slight slope of the front yard lends itself to seating for outdoor performances. Preliminary plans call for a portable stage to be used for such events.
The architects have proposed playing on the lush Japanese plants already in place to give parts of the property the feel of a botanical garden.
“The potential is unlimited,” Johnson said. “Dale works all over the Southeast, and says there is not another park facility like this in a town our size.”
The mayor said the preliminary plan was painted with “broad strokes” and that cost estimates and potential sources of revenue must be identified.
“We won’t do all of this at once,” Johnson said.
He said he expects it will be calendar year 2012 before the facility is available for rent for private events.
“We’ve got to get the restrooms and other facilities in place,” he said. “We don’t want people to use it and it not meet their expectations, because that will hurt us in the long run.”
He said more detailed plans will be presented to the council before work moves forward.
The new APD training facility was named in honor of Chief Wilbur Willams. Williams is shown with wife, Alleta,
Capt. Mike Bowlan, Lt. Paul Dean and Mayor Earl Johnson. | Michele Gerlach/Star-News
Andalusia Police Chief Wilbur Williams is rarely at a loss for words.
But the well-spoken chief swallowed hard before stepping to the microphone after learning that the city’s new police training facility had been named for him.
More than 100 people braved cool weather and constant rain to attend the official opening and dedication of the new training facility Friday morning.
Mayor Earl Johnson praised Williams for his work in Andalusia over the past decade, saying that he challenged the chief to make his department the best-equipped and best trained.
“This is a culmination of that goal,” Johnson said, announcing that the $1.2 million facility was being named the Wilbur W. Williams Law Enforcement Training Facility.
“I can’t tell you what that means to me,” Williams said.
Before becoming chief in Andalusia, Williams’ law enforcement career included work in the Mobile Police Department, running the department’s police academy, and developing and teaching in Bishop State Community College’s criminal justice program.
The 2,500 sq. ft. facility, which is located off of Academy Drive, sits on a 15-acre parcel adjacent to the department’s firing range, where recent renovations have outfitted it with 20 pistol lanes and a rifle area and a “shoot” house used for close-quarters tactical training. Classrooms are outfitted with a television, whiteboard, retractable projector screen and complete computer hookups.
The facility was funded with proceeds from a USDA grant and a USDA low-interest loan and “lots of sweat equity,” Williams said.
Williams recalled that he was attending a state chiefs conference and listening to a program about the availability of USDA funding when he received a phone call from the mayor letting him know that the local facility was being funded.
Members of Williams’ family were on hand for the surprise honor, including his wife, Alleta; his son, Trip; his daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Barry Porter, and their children, Eldon, Ella and Barrett.
Vector Aerospace has signed an agreement with local governments for an expansion to their facility in the South Alabama Regional Airport industrial park that will more than double its current working space, add additional offices, and mean at least 100 new jobs in coming months, Mayor Earl Johnson told council members Tuesday night.
Johnson said the construction is a joint project for Andalusia, Opp, Covington County and the South Alabama Airport Authority.
“We are very excited about this,” Johnson said. “The money will be in place in two or three weeks and we’ll be kicking off with in a month.”
“This will mean at least 100 new jobs here,” Johnson said, adding that Vector’s parent corporation is very pleased with the quality of work done in its Covington County facility.
Vector moved in to its existing facility at South Alabama Regional Airport about two years ago and has already outgrown the space, he said.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city will oversee the construction of the expansion in much the way it did SaeHaeSung’s new facility in the Andalusia Industrial Park.
Vector provides helicopter maintenance and repair to military and domestic companies from its Andalusia location.
Formerly known locally as AcroHelipro, Vector was rebranded in 2008. The company operates state-of-the-art facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Johnson also announced the Airport Authority has leased both of its large twin hangars to Support Systems Andalusia Alabama, a subsidiary of SSAI, which plans to provide maintenance, repairs and overhauls for C130s at the South Alabama Regional Airport. The company expects to hire 50 employees.
The lease agreement puts the Airport Authority in a positive cash flow situation, he said, and means more local jobs.
The Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club will host the Second Annual Three Notch Market arts and crafts fair on Sat., May 7, 2011. The event will be held from 10 am to 4:30 pm at Springdale on East Three Notch Stree, next to City Hall. Tickets are $3 per person, and can be purchased the day of the event.
Other activities include; all day entertainment provided by various groups from and around Andalusia as well as The Rochelle Harper Band performing at 3:00pm. Food and beverages will be available for sale all day.
The AJWC is currently accepting applications from vendors, artists and craftsmen. For more information and to download vendor applications, please visit our website at http://ajwcthreenotchmarket.webs.com, or call 334-222-2030.
The AJWC is a non-profit organization that has been raising money for more than 35 years in this community, providing financial support for schools, charities and other organizations. This event serves as the AJWC’s spring fundraiser.
The City of Andalusia’s River Falls Street improvement project is ahead of schedule, lead engineer Tim Ramsden reported to both the Andalusia City Council and the Rotary Club yesterday.
Ramsden said the contractor, Wire-grass Cons-truction, has used 130 of the 210 working days (64 percent) allowed for the project, and expenditures are at $2.36 million of the $3 million bid (74 percent).
“That shows that we are ahead of schedule,” Ramsden, who works with CDG Engineering, said, adding that good weather is needed for the project.
Basically, the underground utility work is done, he said, adding that CenturyLink and Southeast Alabama Gas District have worked with the city to relocate lines to make the project possible.
When it is completed, the street will be curbed, have 3 feet of grass and 5 feet of sidewalk on the right-of-way. All power poles have been removed from the street, and decorative lighting will be added.
As well, entrances to the Covington Mall will be slightly altered and landscaping will be added.