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The Greenville City Council held a rescheduled meeting at Beeland Park on June 20 at 6 p.m. to discuss some big changes coming soon to the city. A few concerned citizens, as well as elected officials were in attendance to hear the statuses of Resolutions 2023-20 and 2023-21.

A public hearing was held prior to the meeting at 5:25 p.m. to review a request for economic development and tax incentives, for Retail Specialists. Retail Specialists is a full service commercial real estate agency located in Birmingham, which owns the shopping center where Super Foods is located on the Greenville Bypass.

After a review, the council unanimously approved the tax incentives under Section 94-A, authorizing Resolution 2023-21. The mayor informed  attendees that Beall’s Outlet, and Rack Room Shoes would soon be taking up residency in the Super Foods shopping center. 

“Beall’s will be in the old Goody’s building, and Rack Room in another vacant building. We hope to have them open at least by Christmas,” said Mayor McClendon.

Resolution 2023-20 concerned the old Boss building. The building is located on Commerce Street, along Alabama Highway 10 east, and has been vacant for many years. The city has been awarded a Brownfield Cleanup Grant of $500,000 through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin phase 1 for soil excavation and demolition which will start next week. Phase 2 will be the negotiation on debris removal, and clean up of the area. 

According to Councilman Thigpen, “The start of this project is a long time coming. With this grant, the location has to be repurposed and redeveloped for city use only, nothing commercial.” No one knows yet what will replace Boss, but city clerk Dee Blackmon said, “there have been talks of a senior facility.”

 In other business, the council approved expenditures for heating, cooling, and plumbing issues at the Ritz Theatre, body armor vests for the police department, repairs to Dunbar gym floor, and improvements at Wintzell’s. According to Blackmon, any expense over $3,000.00 has to be approved by the council.

The next regularly scheduled city council meeting will be held July 10, at 5:30.