BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE AUTAUGA NEWS
Work on the Millbrook Publix and Grandview Plaza is nearing completion, and officials are already talking about a possible Grand Opening to be in July.
The big question on most everyone’s mind is what businesses are coming along with the grocery store? There has been a lot of speculation on that subject, but officially, there is nothing official to report.
Millbrook Economic Development Director Ann Harper said the businesses involved are not quite ready to make an announcement, but it should be coming in the near future. The EAN will share that information when it is available.
What is known is that by July, Publix in Millbrook will be a reality, open for business, and generating sales tax for the City of Millbrook. Located just to the right of the Walmart shopping center along Hwy. 14, much of the construction has been hard to view from the street. Thanks to this drone video provided by Millbrook Project Manager Stuart Peters, you can get an eagle’s eye view of the progress.
This is just one of the many new developments coming to Millbrook. All are probably familiar with the popular 17 Springs project. The incredible success of Phase I is already being enjoyed in the form of multiple athletic fields and Pickle Ball courts. With Phase II under construction, softball fields, a giant Field House and quality football stadium will come into use perhaps next year. This project is a collaborative one, including the City of Millbrook, Elmore County Commission, Elmore County Public Schools, Elmore County Economic Development Authority and the Greater Montgomery YMCA.
Learn more about the Fields at 17 Springs at the website 17springs.org
(See photos of construction below. Photos courtesy of Michael Gay)
The beams of the field house are going vertical and now seen from Hwy. 14.
As part of that, the City of Millbrook also has the Marketplace at 17 Springs which is under development now. It will offer hotels, restaurants and other individual retail businesses. Many of those lots are already spoken for, but again, not officially announced.
“We are very busy,” Stuart Peters said in a recent council meeting.
That is an understatement, as officials are eyeing all the developments and the growth it will bring to Millbrook. That growth will bring new sales tax revenue, on which the city relies to fund services, pay salaries, quality of life projects and much more.
Included in questions around the rapid growth from officials and residents is the traffic flow along the already congested Hwy. 14. City officials are working with the Alabama Department of Transportation on the construction of new traffic signals to keep traffic moving and the number of accidents down.
Millbrook does not control traffic signalization along Hwy. 14, which is overseen by ALDOT. As one resident recently said, “the work is moving at the racing speed of a snail.” But, it is progressing, we are told.
Big changes are coming to Millbrook. Those changes will have a big impact on infrastructure and city services, such as the Millbrook Fire and Police Departments. With growth comes much more responsibility, and all of that will have to figure in to future operational budgets for all departments.
There is already a need for more personnel in almost every department, and with a tremendous amount of growth looming, there are a myriad of questions about how the infrastructure and public safety will fall into the mix.
As officials have said, “We want people to come.” But sometimes when they come, it can mean more accidents, medical calls and calls for service from the fire and police departments.
On a positive note, the coming sales tax will have a big impact on the available budget for the city. New shops, hotels and businesses will certainly add to the choices of visitors and residents.
