By By Adam Prestridge
The Rivercane project at Interstate 65 near Atmore is receiving an appealing makeover following months of infrastructure work.
Crews have been displaying their green thumbs, while planting shrubs and trees for the past couple of weeks at the 643-acre commercial development project. The newly planted landscaping complements the recently installed decorative streetlights that line the roadways.
With infrastructure work nearing completion at Rivercane, real estate brokers for the development have been seeing some increased activity, but no additional announcements have been made. For now, Vision Hospitality southeastern regional director John Tampa, who will be constructing an 80-unit Comfort Suites hotel, is the only developer to ink a contract in the new development. According to Webb, several negotiations with other developers are being made, but none have been announced.
Atmore Mayor Howard Shell said he is optimistic about the growing interest in the project.
Saad and Vallas Realty Group of Mobile and John Stanley &Associates of Montgomery are the listing brokers responsible for the sale of all non-industrial property within Rivercane.
The city recently announced its intentions to buy an additional 97 acres adjacent to Rivercane with a price tag of $1.7 million. Horne Properties, Inc. has had an option to purchase agreement on the land since the project was announced in May 2006. Officials with Horne Properties recently contacted Atmore representatives informing them that the full-service real estate development and management company based in Knoxville, Tenn. would not be buying the land to build a retail shopping center anchored by a “big box” retailer like originally planned.
Fortunately for the city, negotiations with Horne properties and the original landowners also gave the City of Atmore the option to buy the property should Horne back out.
As for construction plans, Tampa is anticipating crews to be on site in the coming weeks preparing his company's parcel of land for construction of the Comfort Suites. Officials are hoping that activity will draw more developers to Rivercane.