Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
The Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority, HPRA met last Friday afternoon for their first meeting since the Prattville City Councill re-appointed Edward Rouze, and appointed Bradley Neave, Jonathan Brown and Jeremy Day to the HPRA last month.
Chairman Matt Holtzscher, Michael Thompson and Eddy Rouze were not present during the HPRA meeting. However, the board voted unanimously to sell the Picker House, which HPRA owns, for $275,000 plus closing costs.
The projected use of the Picker House at this time is to become a higher end restaurant, to match the status of The Mill, across Autauga Creek.
The HPRA will finance the purchase at 6% interest over five years with payments commencing June 1, 2025. Neave confirmed there are claw backs within the revision and language within the contract to uphold the buyers and future owners within the confines of the intended purpose of the Picker House as a restaurant.
Once the purchase price is paid in full, the Picker House LLC will remit 1% of growth of monthly sales to HPRA. If HPRA is no longer in existence in the future, that 1% can be reassigned, Neave confirms.
“The HPRA acquired the Picker House from Pratt Mill Properties, and our task was to find somebody to redevelop it. We believed from day one that it is one of the best restaurant pad sites in America. We were fortunate enough to find a local resident that has the financial resources and the desire to do it right,” Neave said.
The HPRA also voted unanimously to sell the old grocery store at the corner of Tichnor and Chestnut to the City of Prattville for community development purposes, for $270,000 plus closing costs.
While the board has future plans for a grocery store near downtown Prattville, this site will be a part of the new $3.4 million outdoor venue the city is building, Neave confirmed.
“The grocery store is beyond repair and as much as we would like to save it, we really can’t. The city bought the bank and ultimately we felt that it would be better for the grocery store to be demolished and repositioned as we are going to look to put in other grocery stores elsewhere,” Neave said.
The board also unanimously approved the transfer of property at the spillway adjacent to the levy, just above the dam spillway, at the green space where the levy ends. This sliver of property is in the floodway and nothing can be built there vertically on that land, Neave confirmed.
“I believe that the city has needs for this piece of property, but we believe that since nothing can be constructed vertically on this, that there is a desire based on conversations that have been had, there has been some discussion about doing something on this property that beautifies it, maybe make it more of a manicured park,” Neave said.
In new business, the board nominated Tom Newton as Chairman emeritus. As emeritus, Newton does not have any voting rights on the board and does not have mandatory attendance to any meetings, Neave stated.
“He’s an individual that has a wealth of information regarding certain properties, and specifically the historic district. Whether in an executive session or just an open meeting, he can provide advice,” Neave said.
