By Emily Reed / Special to the Reporter

PELHAM – The city of Pelham will move forward with buying 240 acres of land west of Interstate 65 for $3.25 million after the City Council voted in favor of the purchase on Oct. 2.

The property is located between Interstate 65 and U.S. Highway 31 next to County Road 52, according to Council President Rick Hayes.

While the council is unsure what the land will be used for, Hayes said city officials anticipate a mixed use of development.

“We aren’t sure what we are going to do with the property at this time,” Hayes said. “We are currently exploring different options.”

The property is owned by Ken Adams, who owned the land for roughly seven years before deciding to sell, according to Hayes.

The city is purchasing the property from KRA Real Estate LLC.

Hayes said the city has been discussing plans to purchase the property for several months, and decided to take a chance on the purchase.

“Sometimes you have to take those chances, and we felt like this was a positive move for our city,” Hayes said. “The timing was right, and this is a huge move for us.”

During a special-called council meeting on Sept. 26, council members unanimously voted to approve a first-reading vote of the land purchase.

Council member Ron Scott said during the special-called meeting he thought the move was a positive one for the city.

“I think we will see some really interesting and amazing things,” Scott said. “I am glad to be a part of this body. We don’t do things that are simply laid out to be grandiose. We think through things and we always have.”

The news of the property purchase comes after Alabaster officials recently announced a more than 350,000 square-foot shopping center fronting Interstate 65.

“We knew if we didn’t make a move now, we would lose the opportunity to purchase this property,” Hayes said. “We are excited about the things to come.”