Infrastructure improvements, quality of life investment makes Cullman a destination for business, industry.

New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau state that 41 of Alabama’s 67 counties gained population between July 2023 and 2024 as the South continued its dominance as the current fastest-growing region in the nation. While Cullman County may not have landed a place among the Top 10 counties for population growth, its position between two of the state’s major metropolitan areas, Huntsville and Birmingham, as well as its heavy focus on tourism and industry have yielded noticeable effects for many residents that local community leaders have taken advantage of.

The year 2024 came with the announcement of several exciting new retail developments as well as several local favorites expanding to secondary locations. One of the largest announcements was the successful recruitment of Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Academy had been scouting Cullman as potential location since at least 2017, but it was a first-of-its-kind dual tax abatement approved by the city of Cullman and the Cullman County Commission announced in June 2024 that sealed the deal for the Katy, Texas based retailer.

The 55,000-square-foot stand-alone store is currently under construction at the previous location of Walmart on King Edward Street. Academy has predicted that when completed the location will created about 80 new jobs and generate millions of dollars in local revenue.

The year has also seen the opening of the Flying Fifty hotel and Seven Brew Coffee with Outback Steakhouse and Dunkin’ Donuts locations nearing completion.  A number of locally owned business such as Seven Daughters Scoops, Goat Island Brewery and Evolve Fitness were also able to open additional locations.

As significant as the impact from these developments may be for the Cullman County community, they would have likely been impossible without the community-focused foundation and framework in place to make the area a desirable location from investors. In Cullman that has involved a significant amount of heavy lifting from Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism, whose work has transformed the city into a regional hub of community tourism.

“Park and recreation is an important link in the quality of life aspect of economic development. Business and industry require buildings, property,  utilities, roads,  and other physical facilities. But ultimately, they must have workers to be successful. People need jobs and housing but want to live where they have activities after work hours like recreation, exercise, and entertainment. Nathan and his team have excelled at creating a wide variety of organized sports, leisure activities and festivals that make Cullman a more livable community,” Cullman Economic Development Director Dale Greer said.

The department maintains over a dozen community and regional parks, including wooded hiking trails and an outdoor skatepark, which provide numerous recreational green spaces into more densely populated residential areas. CPRST also operates two 18-hole golf courses, an indoor archery range, gymnastics/cheer academy, wellness and aquatic center,  senior center, RV resort and most recently, the Cullman County Museum.

Perhaps the department’s most visible contribution has been its oversight of the city’s seasonal festivals, each of which set new attendance records in 2024.

Both the annual Oktoberfest and Strawberry Festival — which became an official statewide event for the first time in 2024 — attracted nearly 50,000 visitors to the city of Cullman last year. However, it was the monthlong return of the Cullman Christkindlmarkt that topped the events year, drawing in more than 200,000 visitors from across the country during the holiday season.

“It’s been well received and exactly what we expected. Obviously the numbers have been incredible and we appreciate everybody’s efforts in setting up and getting everything going. It’s been a well-oiled machine for sure. The times that I’ve been there so far, probably 75 to 80 percent of the people I don’t recognize. It’s been impressive to see a lot of folks seeing our downtown and their experience in Cullman has been positive. It’s good to see families come to a safe, family-friendly event that everyone can enjoy,” Cullman City council member Clint Hollingsworth said during a meeting in December.

Construction also began on a new 115,000-square-foot multipurpose sports Omniplex and Civic Center which will expand the previous facility’s offerings and capacity with more space, an adaptable configuration designed for mixed use, and a far larger roster of amenities, all aimed at addressing the area’s current and future events and recreational needs.

The department also began investing in the arts with the purchase, and subsequent renovation, of the Clark Street Church of God and Calvary Apostolic First United Pentecostal Church in July 2024 which will become the new home of the Cullman Community Theatre group.

These efforts earned the city of Cullman a third-place ranking on USA Today’s list of Best Small Town Cultural Scenes for the first time in 2024.

“Being ranked third by USA Today is a remarkable accomplishment for our city and a testament to the vibrant cultural scene that thrives within our community,” Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs said in a press release. “Cullman has long been a hidden gem, and this recognition shines a spotlight on our rich heritage, diverse attractions and thriving cultural events.”

To accommodate the growing number of both residents and visitors, local leaders have taken several steps to make the city more comfortable and functional for its residents.

— New safety systems installed at several of the city’s railway crossing led to the establishment of a downtown “quiet zone” through the downtown area, meaning train’s will not be required to sound their horn at each crossing.

— Revisions to the city’s sidewalk ordinance, approved in July, created an opportunity for the city to increase the scope of repairs and new installations throughout the city.

— A new traffic signal at the corner of Main Avenue and Sheraton Road aimed to create safer, more convenient access to Heritage Park.

— The city of Cullman and Cullman County also joined together to begin the process of revitalizing the downtown branch of the Cullman County Public Library which will increase and modernize the library’s interior as well as create additional parking spaces.