Florence to receive park ideas

MUSCLE SHOALS - Members of the Shoals Public Park Authority agreed Wednesday that the city of Florence should be the entity to receive ideas for an attraction at Veterans Park.

Authority members, which include two public officials and three former Shoals mayors, said the Retirement Systems of Alabama should have a say in what is developed in the park.

An attraction at Veterans Park was a component of an RSA project that included the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa in Florence and a pair of Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses in rural Colbert County.

Authority Chairman Rex Burleson said the PPA would sign off on the attraction that is determined to be best suited for the site.

"It's the PPA's responsibility to support the city of Florence and the mayor and the RSA in their decisions," said authority member Dick Jordan.

The PPA agreed to provide $2 million to be used for the attraction. Additional funds would have to come from other sources, Burleson said.

Authority members said they are often approached by people who have ideas for the park.

"Three people this week have come to me with ideas," Jordan said.

Florence Councilman Scott Carrier, who attended Wednesday's meeting, said he asked a group who approached him about a white water rafting attraction at the park to share their idea with the city council.

"As an elected official, I welcome the opportunity this presents," Carrier said of the PPA's decision.

Carrier said he didn't know how the city would handle receiving ideas for the park.

Florence Mayor Bobby Irons said the city tries to get as much documentation as it can on every idea it receives, then forwards it to RSA for review.

"We don't have a committee," Irons said. "I don't plan on having a committee at this point.

"We need to have input from RSA because they are the responsible party for the revitalization of Veterans Park," he said. "We are subject to sign off on it as well as the Public Park Authority, but the first one we have to have in tune and (in) some agreement (with) is RSA."

Burleson said the project must be something that would generate overnight stays, return visits and draw people from a 150-200 mile radius of the Shoals.

"It is (RSA's) responsibility to decide contractually if it's a fit for them or not," Irons said. "We can't select the project and hand it to RSA and say here's the project we want."

Irons said any proposal would be welcomed, but, "If you want a project to get attention, let it have some substance to it that fully explains it and show some economic impact on the community. It just has a much better chance of getting attention."

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.

Staff writer Trevor Stokes contributed to this report.