Various stakeholders are in the process of appointing board members to oversee the new Alabama Farm Center project.
The Alabama Farm Center will be located at Hallmark Farm in north Jefferson County. Legislation establishing a corporation to govern the property and fundraise passed the legislature on the final day of the session in May.
Matthew Durdin, Director of Organization for the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA), told 1819 News on Tuesday some of the farm center's board member slots have already been filled and more are expected to be appointed soon.
"I know four have been appointed and they'll have their first kickoff meeting next month. I think the board is fully incorporated now. I think our attorneys were able to get that done with the Jefferson County Probate Judge last week so we're off and running," Durdin said. "I think once the board is able to have their initial meeting, they'll, of course, elect officers, and I don't know if they will go directly into trying to hire an executive director or somebody that can manage day-to-day operations of that. I think that's probably a little early yet. I think they'll elect officers, probably set up some type of banking mechanism, checking accounts, savings accounts, work on gathering funds from our fundraising efforts. I think that's probably where we'll be until the end of this year. I think the first quarter of next year is when we'd hopefully start to see some contracts signed and maybe a little bit more actual progress at Hallmark Farms."
The final details of site plans for the project are still being ironed out, according to Durdin.
"Our site plan is not finalized yet. I think what we have on paper is 99.9% agreed to. There's still some little nuances there that we're going to have to tweak on the commercial development side of it. It's a great site plan. It's going to be a beautiful piece of buildings laid out on this farm. I think we're probably a year off from dirt moving to be honest with you. We won't see dirt moving in the first quarter. A lot of that's going to be probably once this board is together how committed they are to fundraising. We've still got probably a third or better of the money to raise. There's different trains of thought though. The county would rather to let's start moving dirt now, let's start pushing some roads in, let's start leveling some spots where we can still build. Their thought is and I'm not disagreeing with them is that the sooner we start moving dirt, the easier it's going to be to raise money because these projects pop up all the time and people want to think that it's not going to happen until they actually see it happening. I'm not going to say that's where we are right now, I just think that's where we're headed in the first quarter," Durdin said. "From what our building people have told us and what the site work people have told us is that it's an 18-month project. It's a six-month dirt work project, and it's a 12-month building project. From whenever you see dirt start to being moved, you can just add 18 months to it and that's going to be the open date somewhere around about there."
In addition to livestock competitions, the Alabama Farm Center would host an annual state fair and year-round events while serving as an educational facility for the state's youth, according to ALFA.
"I know 40 years ago that a barn was built in the middle of a peanut field in Perry, Georgia who we've really modeled and worked with on this same project," Durdin said. "Today, they have two interstate exits, eleven hundred acres, and just today 1,000 girls are over there riding in a barrel racing competition that lasts five days. What will happen to North Jefferson County, I don't think we can really believe it. The amount of growth that's going to happen commercially around there is going to be something that I'm not sure we're all prepared for yet but I think we're looking for it. We're nine miles from the closest hotel which would be the Forestdale and Gardendale exits. The commercial people that are looking at our property are wondering where to put the Wal-Mart, where does the Publix go, where's this…I mean they're expecting huge growth. Not only because of the Farm Center. Warrior is growing on its own. It's kind of an organic growth. There's 700 rooftops being built in Warrior today. I only think we come in and probably excel at that. Our partnership with the county commission is very important for that area. We have not had this type of partnership on this project ever and to get unanimous votes every time that we go there from all five county commissioners and the work that we're getting from the county manager and his staff (and) county engineers to me it only signals good things."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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