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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The city of Clanton has purchased eight acres for $1.2 million to market for retail development.

Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims said the property is located on Highway 31 near County Road 7.

Although the property did not come up for a specific vote by the Clanton City Council, authorization for the purchase was given as a part of a resolution passed last year approving funding for future property purchases through authorizing a $5 million line of credit.

Mims said funding for this purchase came out of the special projects fund.

Marketing of the property for retail development has begun. Mims said the city will likely get $400,000 to $500,000 per acre when the property is sold.

The property was purchased from trucking company Top Shelf Logistics LLC, which is owned by Allen Williams, and the purchase agreement gives the company eight months to vacate the property.

Mims said the city has paid $700,000 and $5,000 is in escrow. If Top Shelf Logistics has not removed all of its equipment from the property within eight months, then $25,000 per month will be subtracted from the remaining amount the city owes.

This is just one of the land transactions the city has been working on.

“We are going to purchase the county’s portion of that 527 acres, and probably close on that next week,” Mims said. “… What we are doing is just buying them out so we will have the authority to do with (it) what we want to. What we are going to put there is going to be good for the city.”

Dirt work should start in about two weeks on the Highway 31 property the city owns next to Popeye’s across from Walmart. Mims said the city is waiting on the results of geotechnical studies.

A casual dining restaurant is being recruited for the site.