The City of Greenville is seeking a $500,000 grant for roadway improvements near the intersection exit 130 and Hwy. 185.

At Monday’s regular meeting, the Greenville City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development (CDBG-ED) through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

The grant will help fund a project that will restructure traffic at the Hwy. 185/Walmart intersection. The project will also include the widening and straightening of Interstate Drive to create a larger lot for Wintzell’s Oyster House.

Should the grant be approved, the city’s match will be $1,123,115 to complete the project or the equivalent of costs exceeding the grant amount, according to the resolution adopted by the council Monday night.

The city has also pledged that the project will create 200 full-time jobs within two years.

“This will create 200 jobs easy,” Greenville Mayor McLendon said. “I believe we’ll be closer to 300 jobs by the time all is said and done.”

McLendon said the work will pave the way for more restaurants to locate in the area.

“We have some other restaurants looking at the area, but I can’t say any more about that right now,” he said.

Should the project fail to create 200 jobs, the city would have to refund the grant money.

In other business:

• The council approved a change in the Front Street Pub’s liquor license.

The Front Street Pub had held a Lounge Retail Liquor License – Class II. It applied for and was granted a Lounge Retail Liquor License – Class I.

According to City Clerk Sue Arnold, the primary difference is that the Front Street Pub will now no longer be able to sell alcohol on Sunday.

• The council approved a resolution to approve issuance of an off premises only retail beer license to Myrick Boys BP located at 2621 Pineapple Hwy.
• The council approved a resolution to authorize the city to enter into an agreement with Cavanaugh MacDonald Consulting, LLC to perform an actuarial study of the city’s “other post employment benefits to comply with Governmental Accounting Standards Board statement No. 45.