The city of Good Hope continued to grow its reputation as “progressive, pro-business community” while expanding the list of amenities available to its residents.

In April, Good Hope Medical became the city’s first healthcare provider. In addition to outpatient care, medical director Adam Harrison said the facility would be partnering with local businesses to provide periodical and pre-employment exams for their employees. He said he hoped these services would become a selling point to draw in future residents and businesses.

Following the approval of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Law, Good Hope laid the groundwork to potentially grow its medicinal offerings by approving an ordinance allowing for the operation of a medical cannabis dispensary within the city limits. Only four dispensary licenses will be awarded by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission and the ordinance does not guarantee the city will become home to one of these locations. It does however, provide one of the four license holders the option to operate within the city limits, bringing what is expected to be a steep increase in sales tax revenue.

The city continued focusing its efforts to develop a new wastewater treatment facility. In June, Mayor Jerry Bartlett approved a contract with Canyon Engineering to design the facility that would nearly double the capacity of the city’s existing plant.

This added capacity would be needed to accommodate the city’s planned municipal sewer system expansion. Plans had already been in place to extend the system’s sewer lines to provide service for an existing Shell gas station on County Road 222. By extending them a few miles farther to the west, Good Hope was able to reach an agreement with Van’s Sporting Good owners Van and Julie Allen to annex the property and bring what was expected to be the city’s second highest revenue producing business and offset the costs of the expansion.

Good Hope continued developing its northern border by focusing on the improvements needed at the interchange of I-65 and County Road 222.

A portion of the $13.5 million Congressman Robert Aderholt was able to secure from the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill was allotted to install adequate lighting to the exit.

With better lighting enticing travelers to stop at the 305 exit and construction beginning on a Love’s Travel Stop location beginning, the area is poised to become a destination location along the I-65 corridor.

Bartlett said the Love’s location will feature amenities such as a country store, dog wash, tire shop and truck wash. Love’s Senior Real Estate Project Manager Bill Gleason predicted the location will attract upwards of 1,000 trucks per day and create more than 100 new jobs.

Construction at the site is scheduled to begin on June 1 with a projected opening date in the spring 2024.