Eden project signals new era of development
Story and photos by Carol Pappas
For years, even decades, the Eden interchange of Interstate 20 has been like a blank canvas – a perfect place for commercial development but lacking in the infrastructure to make the picture complete.
There were many suitors over the years, but without sewer service, they turned away. But three years ago, Quik Trip, a Georgia-based travel center, eyed the property and secured an option.
There was still the hurdle of sewer service, but eventually a partnership among QT, City of Pell City and St. Clair County swung a deal that not only paved the way for the travel center but future development in that entire area.
The city joined with the county to leverage the investment by QT that would be scalable to other properties near the interchange – close to 200 acres. They built a lift station and made infrastructure improvements worth $1 million.
The investment should be well worth it, according to Pell City Manager Brian Muenger and St. Clair Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Smith.
“The Eden exit has always been an area of potential, but it lacked sewer service at that interstate interchange,” Smith said. “The executives at QT understood this and were willing to partner with the city and county to extend a sewer line over 1,000 feet and large enough to handle fully developing the interchange for the future.”
So, what does that investment and partnership mean? “This opens up hundreds of acres for development in the future. QT’s motto, ‘More than a gas station,’ is exactly what this project means to that interchange.”
Muenger agreed. The entire area around it – 200 acres – is now ripe for development in both commercial and residential. As an example, Muenger called nearby Roberts Mill Pond Road area “ideal for higher density residential subdivision. It’s commutable. You can get to any company headquarters in Birmingham in 30 minutes. We continue to get looks as an exurb,” an area beyond suburbs where people can live and work.
“When you plant the seeds of future growth in infrastructure investments,” Muenger continued, short and long term goals of the city are all within reach. With the $10 million total investment already made, which includes QT, Eden is quickly moving up on the priority list for future development projects. Case in point: This is only the third or fourth QT venture into Alabama for this national brand travel center. And business tends to breed business.
While the U.S. 231 interchange is a major thoroughfare with massive development, having an appropriate travel stop at the Eden exit is “value added” for Pell city, Muenger said. “It’s consistent, it’s immaculate. They have great food and great coffee.” In addition to the hefty return from gasoline tax for a center that size that caters to trucks and passenger vehicles, “we’ll be capturing our share of that revenue.”
While it has been a few years in the making, Muenger said, “we are proud to have QT in Pell City. We knew it was a great fit for us.”
