(This story had been updated to say the Shell station was already in Good Hope and not a part of the annexation and The Allens do not own the station)

GOOD HOPE —Van’s Sporting Goods is now in Good Hope. City officials announced the annexation at Monday evening’s council meeting.

With the city looking to extend its sewer lines to accommodate an existing Shell gas station, Van’s owners Van and Julie Allen and city leaders saw an opportunity to bring the sporting goods store into Good Hope.

“We have known that the west side of 65 needed sewer, so we’ve been weighing our options on the best way to do that. When we approached them (Allens) we told them what we were wanting to do, and with every meeting that followed we gained trust and just began developing a relationship,” Mayor Jerry Bartlett told The Times.

With the annexation, officials have procured what will be the city’s second highest revenue producing business and secured a plan to extend the sewer system to the west.

By annexing a 18.4 acre parcel of land adjacent to the Good Hope border followed by the .99 acre lot where Van’s is located, the city will see what officials estimate to be a $60,000-$70,000 annual revenue increase through a .5 cent sales tax.

Good Hope City Planner Corey Harbison said that while Good Hope will see added revenue, the Cullman County Commission would not see a relative decrease in funds.

“The annexation of Van’s Sporting Goods in no way takes any revenue from the county. Any funds that will go into the City of Good Hope will be directly from the city’s sales tax,” Harbison told The Times.

This extra revenue stream will offset costs associated with extending the sewer system past I-65 — which officials say is necessary due to future pump stations currently in development — with minimal financial impact to taxpayers.

Bartlett said that he was “tickled to death” with the inclusion of Van’s into the city’s growing network of businesses.

“We are a very ‘pro-business’ progressive minded council and I think our growth is attributed to that. We are trying to build a reputation. I want any business that we work with to think ‘Oh man, working with Good Hope has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”