Construction on a $350 million lagoon resort in Northport could begin as soon as this month and development of an adventure park there has been indefinitely delayed, mayor John Hinton said Tuesday.

His updates came during the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's annual State of the Community panel, where he shared a stage with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Probate Judge Rob Robertson as they briefed a sellout crowd on matters affecting their governments.

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Asked by moderator Carl Jamison when parents can expect their kids to begin playing on the tournament fields coming soon to Northport's River Run Park, Hinton took the opportunity to address all of the recreational projects the city is working towards, including some new amenities already available, some which are expected to open soon, and others which have seen their timelines delayed.

"Northport has invested heavily in projects. While some have made the news, many investments have not been highly publicized," Hinton said. "Take for instance the four community centers located in Northport - all of them are in the design phase for improvements."

That includes the once-doomed Northport Community Center, which now serves as a popular center for area seniors to gather, eat and fellowship.

Hinton touted a new fitness park now finished on the Northport Levee Trail, talked about the three pickleball courts now open in the same area and reminded attendees of an in-progress partnership with DCH to bring a new fitness park to Northport.

When people think about recreation in Northport, though, they're usually talking about the three signature projects once touted by former council president Jeff Hogg before he abruptly resigned in February - the Northport Shore sports complex on the banks of the Black Warrior River, the much-maligned University Beach lagoon resort, and an outdoor adventure park that has apparently been put on the back burner.

River Run Park to Open Next Fall

"River Run Park is currently under construction and you can now see the nine diamond fields taking shape," Hinton said. "Completion of River Run Park is anticipated in Fall 2025, with expectations to bring in tournaments beginning in Spring 2026."

Hinton said one study estimated the sports complex would draw more than a million visitors annually.

"River Run Park is a portion of a 300-acre development named Northport Shore," Hinton said. "In working with a competitively selected private development partner, there will be an indoor sports facility built along with a hotel of at least 100 keys on site. This facility and this part of the park will be open in Fall 2025 as well."

University Beach in the Developer's Hands Now

Hinton moved on to discuss University Beach - the $350 million lagoon resort that Hogg originally pitched as a small, community water park expected to be open in 2024.

All that changed when the city council suspended normal rules to partner with Texas Developers on University Beach on the same night they revealed its vastly expanded scope.

Now, if all three proposed phases of the 77-acre project are completed, it will include a water park and a 10-acre manmade lagoon, 64 single-family residences with a starting price point of $800,000, two separate multi-story hotels and a slew of new-to-market boardwalk-style restaurant and retail options.

Hinton said the project is largely out of the city's hands now, but work on it could begin imminently.

"This project will proceed on the developer's timeline," Hinton said during the panel. "Staff has met with the developer for pre-design meetings and currently, the belief is the initial phase of University Beach will open in 2026. In talking with the developer recently, he said he hoped to have construction started either this month or next."

Although Hinton and the city council have been blasted for the way the "water park" grew overnight into something far different, he said the terms of the partnership are favorable for Northport.

"The city's participation with University Beach has two main components - first a reimbursement of costs for infrastructure that will be dedicated to the city for road, water, sewer and that type of thing at 75 cents on the dollar expended by the developer," Hinton said. "The second part basically equates to revenue sharing, 50/50, of sales and lodging tax for a certain number of years or until a cap is reached somewhere around 61 million. The overwhelming majority of the risk is placed upon the developer."

Adventure Park Delayed for Funding

Lastly, Hinton told the leaders gathered at the State of the Community Event that the adventure park has been indefinitely delayed.

Little has been said about the park since Hogg first announced it would come to 151 acres of land off Rose Boulevard where it was originally expected the water park might go and a master plan was approved in December 2022.

"The last park is the adventure park, which is a smaller park with bike trails, zip lines and other amenities and it will be developed as funds become available," Hinton said. "So it will be a little longer in its development."

For more coverage of all these projects as they develop in Northport and more from the State of the Community, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.