BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL GAY, STUART PETERS
Ground has been broken on a new Popeye’s Restaurant in Millbrook, which will be located between Jack’s and Taco Bell on Hwy. 14 close to I-65.
Nearby, infrastructure construction can be seen at the new Eliano’s coffee Shop which will be located next to Zaxby’s in front of Walmart. Prattville has an Eliano’s, and officials said the building will be very similar to that location once completed. It will offer drive-thru service only one in operation.
This comes just days after the grand opening of Taco Bell, which has seen long lines in the drive-thru this past week.
Amidst all of this construction, city officials have been in ongoing talks with the Alabama Department of Transportation over serious concerns for implementing traffic signals to the entrance of Taco Bell, Jacks, Urgent Care and where Popeye’s will be located.
Millbrook officials met with ALDOT representatives again this week to discuss the urgent need and their concerns for traffic flow on Hwy. 14 in that area. The city does not have the power to put in traffic signals along Hwy. 14, as that is a state and not a city or county roadway. We will have an update on the outcome of those meetings in a future article. Discussions began on the traffic signals in that area almost two years ago.
We also have learned that the City Council plans to move forward on creating an entrance to a planned development that will be in the same area as Taco Bell. It will give access to whatever developments come from the more than 80 acres that was annexed into Millbrook last year. The land is now in control of a developer and it is being advertised lease.
Exactly what will be there has not been specifically revealed, and is still in the planning stages. We do know it will involve residential areas as well as new businesses, according to Millbrook officials.
Meanwhile, the Neighborhood Grille is moving forward with its plans to occupy the space once held by the Chinese Buffet in the Foot Outlet parking lot. “The Rex” Food Truck Park and Bar is under construction on Edgewood Road near the intersection of Main Street, and scheduled to open in October.
Hibachi Express in the old Huddle House Building behind CVS has been open for several weeks and doing a brisk business.
“We have several projects that we will announce in the coming months that relate to economic development,” Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said. “We are in a tremendous growth pattern for economic development here and in surrounding cities. I haven’t seen this type of interest in new projects since the early to mid 2000’s. It is a very exciting time for our city.”
