Gadsden accepts bid of more than $11 million for Noccalula Falls campground renovation

It's full speed ahead on the long-discussed and long-planned renovation to the campground at Noccaula Falls Park.

The Gadsden City Council on Wednesday accepted a bid of $11,376,500 by Lambert Contracting LLC of Jackson County for the project. The goal according to city officials is to have the renovation completed within a year, since the campground will have to close while the makeover is underway.

Council members also heard the first reading of an ordinance that will be considered next week transferring funds for the project from the city's Capital Improvement Fund and Capital Improvement Fund 2.

Mayor Craig Ford said that money had been set aside to keep it separate from a multi-million-dollar bond issue that's being discussed for major improvements throughout the park.

And the plan is to pay it back, with 5% interest, from park revenue, with most of it likely coming from the Christmas at the Falls light show that had its most successful year to date in 2023, pulling in $1.1 million.

“This is a game-changer for Gadsden,” Ford said. “This doesn't just represent District 7 (the mountain district), it represents Districts 1 through 7, and not only that but Etowah County, Northeast Alabama and some areas throughout the Southern United States.”

The renovation includes:

• Realignment and expansion of the internal roadway network, to include decorative roadway lighting;

• New utility services throughout the campground;

• Reconstruction/realignment of the individual RV parking spots with improved space and amenities;

• Renovation of both bath houses;

• Construction of a new zero entry (long, gradual, sloping entry) swimming pool with an adjacent large pavilion;

• Conversion of the existing administrative office to a rentable cabin;

• Construction of a new administrative office;

• Reconstruction/resurfacing of the lower parking lot (between Noccalula Road and the campground entrance);

• Installation of new gateway signage with overall landscaping improvements throughout the area.

At the same time, a new Noccalula Fire Station will be constructed that features a log cabin facade to match the campground aesthetic.

“We're caretakers of a one-of-a-kind piece of property,” Council President Kent Back said. “It's evident from the traffic from out of town and out of state (at the park) that we're moving in the right direction to attract more of that clean money, where they come here, stay three or four days, leave their money and move on. I think this is a smart move.”

Council member Jason Wilson noted that there were visitors from at least 30 states and multiple countries at last year's Smoke at the Falls barbecue competition at the park, which drew national TV coverage from the Food Network.

“On any given weekend, you see tags from literally all over the United States where people have set up shop there for a weekend, a week or two weeks,” he said. “Even though Noccalula Falls is not an official state park, I would put it up against any state park in Alabama, and our continuous investments up there are making it better.”

Wilson said he foresaw a day “when we'll have to fight off the state trying to make it a part of the state park system.”

Noccalula Falls Park Supervisor Christina Richardson, during a series of presentations by city department heads toward the end of Wednesday's meeting, said plans are underway to shift events held at the campground, like Smoke on the Falls, to the main park area.

She said the strong revenues from Christmas at the Falls were aided by the lack of rainouts.

Janet Tarrance, the city's events supervisor, gave an update on the Christmas on the Coosa ice skating event during her presentation. She said the event drew about 8,000 skaters, including 13 school field trip groups, with interest picking up as photos and the like were shared on social media.

Ford said the revenue was about $131,000, with the city possibly coming out slightly in the black on the event, but noted that it “paid for itself” and was a “quality of life” boost for local residents. He said the plan is to have a true ice surface, rather than synthetic, and a larger skating area for 2024.

The council approved the first update in 16 years to its fee structure for building, electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing permits, to bring it into line with neighboring cities of a similar size.

It approved a memorandum of understanding with the Etowah County Commission where it will seek a $78,540 Energy Efficiency and Conservation block grant for the city to update street lights with more energy-efficient ballasts and fixtures. The city doesn't meet the population threshold to apply for that grant, but the county does.

And it authorized an application for an Innovative Alabama Network grant of up to $250,000 to help fund a health care technology recruitment program at The Venue 2.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How an $11 million renovation project will improve Noccalula Falls