GOOD HOPE, Ala. – The Good Hope City Council on Monday night voted 5-1 to approve the City’s purchase of The Cotton Gin restaurant property, including the 5.98 acres, building and restaurant equipment. The property, owned by Elliott Morgan, was offered to the City for $500,000, the appraised value. The property is located at 123 Lindsey Road off Alabama Highway 69.
The council, along with City Attorney Rita Nicholas and City Planner Corey Harbison, went into an executive session to discuss the purchase of the property. They returned after about 15 minutes and Mayor Jerry Bartlett announced the proposed purchase. Councilwoman Susan Eller immediately made a motion to table the matter until the next council meeting but failed to receive a second.
Councilman Greg Brown made motion to proceed with the purchase and was seconded by Councilman Eric Phillips seconded the motion resulting in a full vote. Eller’s was the only no vote.
Harbison said of the property, “We’ve got several people that we hope to work with and hopefully get a restaurant. We have the 3.3 acres that connect to the Cotton Gin property that separates it from Highway 69.”
He said the City would be open to selling or leasing that property and that owning the restaurant property and the connecting property will hopefully make negotiating easier.
With all the restaurant equipment included in the purchase, Harbison said, “The building is ready to go as a restaurant.”
Added Bartlett, “We aren’t here to make money. We would love to see people in Good Hope and that’s a beautiful building with a lot of potential.”
The council said the venue could potentially be used as an event space in the short term.
“We could rent it possibly as an event space to make up for the (closure of the Cullman) civic center,” said Harbison.
In other business, the council passed a resolution to renew the City’s AirMedCare Agreement through Jan. 26, 2022. It also voted to participate in the last weekend of February’s Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday. The council verified the FY2019 audit financial statement.
The Good Hope City Council will meet next on Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Good Hope City Hall.
Copyright 2021 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
