Alabama's soon-to-be tourism attraction is catching the attention of outdoorsmen.
The town of Lincoln, Alabama has broken ground on a $6 million, 38-acre fishing park.
The small town off Interstate 20 is known for its Honda plant and proximity to the Talladega Superspeedway, and it's banking on the fishing park becoming a tourism booster and promoter of economical well-being around the local area.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to have crippling effects on the nation's economy, the Alabama city is hoping the new project will help drive in more tourism dollars. Most importantly, it's encouraging meaningful recreation and appreciation of the great outdoors, which can be beneficial in more ways than one.
Officials are eyeing the end of the year as a deadline, depending on cooperative weather and a speedy building process.
"Hopefully by next spring, we'll be fishing out here," Keith Strickland, project manager with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, told AL.com in an interview.
With intentions of eventually hosting large bass fishing tournaments, the 38-acre site off the banks of Logan Martin Lake will be able to accommodate 300 trucks with boat trailers. The spot will also feature 10 boat launches, a 1,400-foot boardwalk and concrete parking areas. Recreational anglers will also have access to the park.
According to the report, plans for the project started as early as 2016. The prime location offered easy highway access for tourists, and increased the potential for hotels and restaurants down the road.
"We wanted this to have as much impact as we could get," Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson said. "Just like Honda was a spark for this area, we hope this is another."
With COVID-19 halting tourism throughout the state, Lincoln's 18,000-acre lake is looking like a gold mine, as well as a much-needed haven for people looking to get out of the house.
"There's been a need for a public launch in Talladega County for years," Watson told ABC3340.com in an interview. "We've met that need now and we hope it's an economic stimulus for our city in this county."
NEXT: LAKE EL SALTO IS EVERY ANGLER'S PARADISE
WATCH
https://rumble.com/embed/u7gve.v3tsdx/
