GOOD HOPE, Ala. – The City of Good Hope on Wednesday, Feb. 8, broke ground on a Love’s Travel Stop off Interstate 65 and County Road 222 (Exit 305).On Friday, Feb. 23, Gov. Kay Ivey announced the City was awarded a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to provide necessary infrastructure for the development.
“Cullman County continues to be a magnet for businesses and industries of every description and for good reason. It has a good business climate and wonderful people,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to support this project. I congratulate the City of Good Hope on this business, and I expect other development in this area will follow.”
The CDBG funds will help the City replace existing sewer lines with larger lines and install a sewer pump station. The improvements should also handle future businesses that move to that area.
The Love’s Travel Stop will include a convenience store and an attached fast food restaurant. It will be open 24 hours, seven days a week, and will employ “at least 35 people,” according to Ivey’s office. At the Feb. 8 groundbreaking, Love’s Real Estate Senior Project Manager Bill Gleason said, “…these 50-55 jobs that Love’s is going to create, plus the 50 or so jobs that McDonald’s is going to create are going to be here.”
City officials said the improvements will likely lead to other development at the intersection.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in this project that will bring new commerce to the city of Good Hope,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
Ivey’s office said the governor notified Good Hope Mayor Jerry Bartlett that the grant was approved.
The City has pledged $187,108 in local funding for the project.
Copyright 2023 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
