District 3 community shares perspective on Sports Illustrated resort

District 3 Councilman Norman Crow held a public meeting to get the community’s input about the highly anticipated, Sports Illustrated development.

The company chose Tuscaloosa to build its first resort, if approved the first phase of the project will cost at least 250 million dollars.

“I think it will be an interesting opportunity; I mean obviously Tuscaloosa is home to a very big sports school,” said Tuscaloosa resident Emma Taylor.

“I believe it can be a good thing; game days are crazy here and it’s gotten to where everything is already year-round with the school. It’ll give some jobs and opportunity and stuff like that,” said Tuscaloosa resident Robert Arnett.

A ten-story hotel, plus timeshares, condos, and retail space all centered around collegiate and professional sports.

“I think it’s a great thing that someone wants to invest 250 million dollars in Tuscaloosa for a new hotel, but if they are investing the money, what are they actually building and how does that impact our district but really impact the city,” said District 3 Councilman Norman Crow.

Developers are looking to build the resort in North Tuscaloosa off Rice Mine Road and 82 east, an area that some worry might be overpopulated.

“It’s obviously already incredibly busy on gamedays like I don’t even try to leave my house as is,” said Taylor.

“I just hope it’s not one of those things that we build it and two years from now its sitting there empty,” said Arnett.

The future of the resort is now in the hands of the city council, a public hearing is scheduled for October 15th at Tuscaloosa city hall.