Multiple Bham businesses team up for $28M tourism project
Article written by A.J. O’Leary of the Birmingham Business Journal
Alabama is slated to gain a major new tourism amenity next year, and multiple local businesses are a part of the building team.
Chambless King Architects, Stick Architecture, Murray Construction, KPFF, Macknally Land Design, BBG&S, Garner & Associates Engineering, Building & Earth and Katalyst Restaurant Concepts are partnering to renovate Cheaha State Park Lodge in Delta.
The project is expected to cost roughly $28 million. It is being funded through an $85 million bond measure approved in 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The lodge sits atop Mount Cheaha.
"As Alabama’s highest peak, Cheaha has long been a site of incredible natural beauty, and we are proud to contribute to its legacy with this landmark project,” said Murray Construction Director of Construction Bill Lampkin.
Most of the existing structure, the Cheaha Park Hotel, will be demolished and a new lodge will be built in its place. The Vista Event Center and restaurant will be renovated with an addition that will serve as a lobby and connect it to the lodge. An existing building will also be repurposed as a unified office space for park administration and law enforcement.
The lodge will have 32 guest units with private balconies. Chambless King Architects said it will be the state’s largest cross-laminate timber construction project.
Cheaha State Park was Alabama’s first state park. It also was one of several in Alabama at risk of closing roughly a decade ago.
“Our state parks system has made massive strides in recent years on its way to being one of the best in the nation,” Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship said. “With this project, we are adding another world-class facility to our growing list of exceptional overnight accommodations and amenities.”
See renderings and learn more about the Cheaha State Park Lodge