By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— While exploring the state of Shelby County at the Greater Shelby County Chamber luncheon Oct. 28, county manager Alex Dudchock announced that the Oak Mountain State Park Hotel and Conference Center project has been suspended for now.

In 2015, Shelby County began the methodical evaluation of that project.  Shelby County does not have a conference center of its own, and Dudchock said there were many economic reasons to evaluate the addition.

He explained that when they, along with the city of Pelham, began looking at the financing options, they were approved the funds to move forward with the project. The stipulation was that Shelby County would have to pledge to secure other projects and funding options.

“We had always made it clear, we wanted it self-sustaining,” Dudchock said. “If it wasn’t self-sustaining, we wanted it at a level that would not potentially impact other projects at University of Montevallo, at American Village, at a large number of other funded entities out of the lodging tax.”

Dudchock said to continue onto the next phases of the project, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources needed to be able to put something toward it.

Because Shelby County did not want to adversely affect its other projects, they suspended the OMSP project. Dudchock did say that the project would be back up sometime in the future.

Dudchock mentioned other projects at Oak Mountain State Park, such as the newly build playground and archery park, as well as completed projects at the University of Montevallo.

They opened a new NCAA softball stadium and track complex with a lacrosse field.

“The University of Montevallo is a very important economic industry for the county,” Dudchock said. “We are getting in there. We are helping them. We had a great year this year.”

Design is also underway for a new university Hotel and Suites and an additional 60-person dorm.

Dudchock also announced the completion of a new airplane hangar for 16 planes, a new U.S. 280 North Sheriff’s Office, two new senior community centers and new piers and boat launches at Beeswax Creek Park on Lay Lake.

He touched on highway and bridge projects, Shelby County’s community health systems, the county’s growing budget, community centers and more in his hour-long report.

“Our county has grown because it has been a place that people have wanted to live and raise their families,” Dudchock said. “We have an excellent environment for faith based communities, infrastructures… schools, police and fire, (and) parks.”