After three years of trying to reel in the $20 million tourism project, it seems the International Bass Fishing Hall of Fame will be the one that got away. But, it’s not for lack of trying.

Hall of fame officials confirmed this week that fundraising has stalled and they will not be able to raise the necessary capital to build the hall of fame complex. The International Bass Fishing Hall of Fame selected Cullman in 2013 as the host site for a new, approximately $20 million facility that would have been built on the city-owned Burrow property on County Road 222. With no viable path to move forward, the city and hall of fame have agreed to amicably walk away from the project.

“We always believed the Bass project had great potential in Cullman and were excited about a partnership with the International Bass Fishing Hall of Fame that had an emphasis on youth education,” Cullman Mayor Max Townson said in an interview with The Times. “A true tourist destination like the hall of fame would have helped Cullman construct the convention center/civic center that is needed in our community. We are disappointed this venue did not work for the hall of fame.”

Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Vice-President Donald A. Howell confirmed the organization has been “unable to secure the necessary capital for the proposed project.”

“Although our board has been working on this project for several years and meeting with prospective donors, we cannot secure the $10 million of capital needed to complete this project,” Howell said in a statement. “Cullman is a wonderful community and we are disappointed that we will not be a part of it. Thank you again for all that Cullman has done for our organization.”

The ambitious hall of fame project would have been built on the 110-acre piece of Burrow property, which has been set aside specifically for parks and recreation use. The proposed facility would have included a 56,250-square-foot civic center, 30,900-square-foot hall of fame, an aquarium, gift shop and exhibit space. It would’ve also been used as an educational facility, offering outdoors and recreation programs for local students.

The city had committed to spend approximately $8-10 million to construct a shell building for the hall of fame, as well as an education center. But, that was contingent on the hall of fame board raising $8-10 million to complete and equip the facility, plus provide some operating costs. That obviously did not happen.

To date, Townson notes the city has likely spent approximately $150,000 on the project, stemming from architectural drawings and other prep work.

“There are no hard feelings, and as always, we’ve worked on projects that, for whatever reason, just didn’t work out,” Townson said. “It’s a shame, but things just fall through sometimes. We’re obviously disappointed this didn’t come to fruition, but when one door closes another opens.”

What’s next?

Looking to the future, Townson noted the property is arguably more valuable now than it was when the deal was announced in 2013 — largely due to the recent opening of an Interstate 65 interchange on County Road 222. The new exit provides almost immediate interstate access to the property, which Townson noted should be a major benefit for whatever project eventually takes shape there.

“Another opportunity will arise and we will be ready for the next venture. Now we know that the City of Cullman, Cullman County, Chamber of Commerce and City of Good Hope all have a keen interest in development around the interchange,” Townson said. “We had a lot of people who worked hard on that project, and we thank them for that, and we won’t stop working hard to develop this. This will be a great site for parks and recreation in Cullman County.”

Townson floated the possibility of potentially building a multi-use facility, or even a convention center, on the site — but noted any plans are obviously in the conception stage at this point. With the hall of fame project now off the table, Cullman City Parks and Recreation Director Nathan Anderson said his department will turn its attention toward considering what else might be a good fit for the site.

“We’ll be discussing that with the board, and council, as to what our plans are for that area,” he said. “The location is great, to be right of the interstate, and it’s easy to reach. The land is beautiful, and I’m sure we’ll come up with something great.”