Northport Appoints University Beach Developer To Visit Tuscaloosa Board

NORTHPORT, AL — Tuscaloosa Patch confirmed on Friday that the City of Northport has appointed developer John Hughes to one of its three seats on the Visit Tuscaloosa Board of Directors.

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Visit Tuscaloosa President & CEO Kelsey Rush told Patch that the revelation comes after Northport City Administrator Glenda Webb recently submitted a letter to appoint Hughes — one of the developers on the controversial University Beach resort project.

As Patch reported in early 2024, Hughes and Texas developer Kent Donahue sold the Northport City Council on entering a public-private partnership agreement to construct a 77-acre, lagoon-style resort the developers claim will bring in $350 million in outside capital investment.

Officials had discussed the possibility of a city-run water park for years but entered the partnership agreement last winter after the developers approached the city and committed to their own sizable investment.

Sources confirmed to Patch that Donahue gave a presentation on the University Beach project Thursday during Visit Tuscaloosa's board meeting.

Northport City Administrator Glenda Webb, when asked by Patch about the appointment process, said the articles of incorporation for Visit Tuscaloosa do not clearly define how to appoint members of funding agencies outside of the City of Tuscaloosa.

"Given the fact that Mr. Hughes has worked in the tourism industry for a number of years, he seemed to be a natural fit to engage on a growing tourism economy in the local community," Webb told Patch. "I sent the letter as City Administrator and under my understanding of their bylaws. With the questions that have been raised, I am being asked to bring this to council committee for discussion."

Indeed, if the massive project comes to fruition, the incentives package approved by the City Council will see the city provide the developers with up to $61,058,171 or regular payments until the 30-year term established in the agreement is reached, whichever comes first. This is on top of an additional $20 million committed by the city, primarily infrastructure work on the project — an investment city leaders have said is needed for that area regardless of the University Beach development.

The original public notice said the mixed-use facility would be constructed in two or more phases, with a water park that has a lazy river, a water slide tower with at least five slides, a kids zone with interactive water features, and an approximately 10-acre lagoon with a sand beach.

What's more, the proposed lagoon in the area of Harper Road and McFarland Boulevard would feature a beach club with at least 10,000 square feet of indoor restaurant and bar space and an outdoor concert stage and facility with at least 12,000 square feet of outdoor seating, residential lots, hotels, retail space, an event center, parking and other infrastructure.

Northport now has three appointees on the Visit Tuscaloosa board after increasing its annual funding to $105,000. The Visit Tuscaloosa bylaws state that one seat is allocated for every $35,000 provided by a local government partner other than the City of Tuscaloosa, which already provides the single-largest portion of Visit Tuscaloosa's funding.

For example, Tuscaloosa County gives Visit Tuscaloosa $90,000 a year and has not yet crossed the funding threshold to warrant a third seat.

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Conversely, the City of Tuscaloosa has 11 seats and its appointments must include the Tuscaloosa City Council's Finance Committee's chair, along with seven members appointed by the City Council and three by the mayor.

Northport City Engineer Tera Tubbs and University of Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy have also been appointed to full terms on the tourism board representing Northport.

Tubbs was recommended for her seat by the City Council's Administrative Committee in October 2023 and approved by the full Council the next month, while several officials said on background that Murphy volunteered for the board appointment and was the ideal candidate as the city prepares to unveil River Run Park — the city's highly anticipated $27 million youth sports complex that is set to open in August.

Still, the revelation of Hughes as one of Northport's appointed Visit Tuscaloosa board members has raised new questions about the project from those who have been actively opposed to the contentious development ever since the concept was first rolled out.

District 4 Councilwoman Jamie Dykes, who has voted against numerous measures related to the project over the last year, took issue with the latest appointments and said she would like to see people who are more invested in Northport to represent the community in conversations relating to tourism.

"I have nothing against Mr. Hughes or Mr. Murphy," Dykes told Patch. "As a matter of fact, Patrick Murphy is a close friend of my family and I have an enormous amount of respect for him. But neither of these candidates represent the interest of all Northport residents. I am a huge proponent of Tuscaloosa tourism and have encouraged Northport’s involvement since I was elected."

As Patch previously reported, there was substantial community backlash during the process of setting up the two special cooperative tax districts that will oversee the flow of revenue and incentives between the developers and Northport City Hall.

In November, the Northport City Council voted 3-2 to tap Northport group home operator Shaferris Porter to the city's lone appointed seat on the University Beach Capital Improvement Cooperative District Board of Directors, while two other appointees were chosen by the developers — Elite Recruiting CEO Steven Fikes and Allison Rush, who works as the clinic manager at Pickens County Primary Care.

Ahead of this narrow decision, though, the Northport City Council also voted last September to appoint a trio of outside developers and investors to head up the three-member University Beach Improvement District Board of Directors: Donahue, Hughes and investor Katie Le of San Marcos, California. This board will oversee the developer's end of the financial relationship in the partnership agreement, while the other board will manage the city's end.

Those in vocal opposition to these appointments, including elected officials, have primarily focused on the lack of transparency from City Hall in each new development, with others questioning the lack of any public application process for those in the community who might be interested in getting involved with the project or others as a member of one of numerous boards.

"When I heard these appointments [to the Visit Tuscaloosa Board of Directors] had been made, as they have not been through council and our appointments go through committee, then council, I was very disappointed," Dykes said. "Transparency is crucial in our roles."

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