Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, along with several other state government officials, attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Heritage Landing development in Walker County on Aug. 24. The project is being constructed on land that was once the site of a mine decades ago.

Alabama Political Reporter noted that Ivey was joined at the event by Alabama Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, and Alabama Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington.

The Heritage Landing development site encompasses approximately 50 acres of un-reclaimed land near the town of Dora in southern Walker County, just off Interstate 22 northbound via Exit 78.

The site also is close to a Class 1 rail line.

An ultramodern development is slated to be built at the site, one that will be customized for retail, commercial and industrial companies.

A tenant for the site is yet to be chosen, with the first phase of development meant to lay the groundwork for future designs and plans that the eventual tenant occupant will select. Partners, including Alabama Power, will supply electric, water, sewage and high-speed broadband internet access to the property, according to the ADOL.

Heritage Landing Utilizing Re-Claimed Land

The project was facilitated by Drummond Company, the Birmingham-based coal producer, and supported by a $3 million federal grant administered by the ADOL's Abandoned Mine Land Revitalization Program, a program using federal funding approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. The federal money is to be used for the land reclamation on the site.

Alabama Political Reporter reported Aug. 25 that the property, while now owned by Drummond, was extensively mined in the early- to mid-20th Century by companies that no longer exist. Drummond, however, never had any mining operations at the site, per a release from the company.

In his own press statement, ADOL Secretary Washington explained, "The work our Abandoned Mine Land Program does is essential in ensuring that old, dangerous mines are properly reclaimed, which eliminates safety hazards and allows the land to be re-developed. In addition to cleaning up this site and making it safer, this project has the potential to create positive economic progress for residents in the area."

The first phase of development at the Heritage Landing site is expected to be complete in 2024.

"I was proud to join the Walker County Development Authority and Drummond Company to break ground on the new Heritage Park," Ivey said in a statement from her office. "No doubt, this visionary project is the result of teamwork and innovative thinking, both of which are necessary for Alabama to continue achieving success.

"As someone who is the proud daughter of rural Alabama, I will continue to champion growth for every corner of our state, and it begins with projects like Heritage Landing. Yet again, Walker County and Alabama are taking a major step forward."

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