The Andalusia City Council on Wednesday approved the $80,000 sale of 18 acres off Sixth Avenue for development as an apartment complex.

The property is part of a tract commonly known as the Sneed-Kennedy property that was acquired during Benny Barrow’s tenure as mayor for development as an industrial park. However, efforts to locate industry there have been unsuccessful.

City Clerk John Thompson said that local developer Robert Bishop approached the city recently about purchasing the land for proposed workforce housing.

Mayor Earl Johnson said if the group led by Bishop does not secure approval for the apartments, the property will revert back to the city. The council executed a mortgage, which will be paid in full if the project is funded. 

The development will be similar to a 56-unit complex scheduled for construction on Shreve Road behind Ireland Trailer early this year, Johnson said. 

“We are terribly deficient in housing available here,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “This is very nice housing, and would be appropriate for teachers, police officers and other working families.”

Johnson said the topography of most of the property is rough, and not suitable for development.

“I runs behind PowerSouth, but cannot be accessed from Hwy. 29,” he said. “The only access is on Sixth Avenue.”

“If this deal should work out, we would have two brand-new workforce housing complexes,” Johnson said. “We’ve not had anything built like this in Andalusia in 30 years.”

The Shreve Road development by Invictus Development, LLC, will be a 56-unit family development with 36 two-bedroom units and 24 three-bedroom units.  All units have two bathrooms. The complex will also have a clubhouse and fitness center. A leasing office will be located on-site. Construction on Appaloosa Run is scheduled to start the first quarter of 2019 with completion in approximately 12 months.