Atmore will soon be home to a Waffle House, Mayor Howard Shell announced during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Shell said a deal has been finalized and construction on the restaurant is expected to begin in late summer or early fall at Rivercane lot 3A-.2, just north of the McDonald’s location.

Shell said the growth of the Rivercane project is “not a one-man show” and expressed appreciation to all of the people who have helped develop the property over the years.

“There are a lot of people that put a lot of confidence in the development of Rivercane,” he said. “There are too many to list, and we’re beginning to see the results of all that hard work.”

Shell said with each new addition to Rivercane comes a renewed hope for a bright economic future in Atmore.

“We started Rivercane years ago, and it has grown to where you see it today and I think we’re just scratching the surface,” he said. “I think each time we add something we’re increasing the chances of other businesses coming and joining us at Rivercane.”

A new Hampton Inn at Rivercane will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting Saturday morning. Last year, a new McDonald’s and new Holiday Inn Express also opened.

In other business the city council:

• Approved a resolution authorizing Shell to apply for a paving grant from the State of Alabama. Shell said the available grant money is between $2 million and $3 million and was allocated for use by municipalities to improve utilities and other city services. Shell said Atmore was the first municipality to apply for the grant.

“We were the first to throw our name in the hat,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it certainly can’t hurt.”

• Approved resolution 2012-08 authorizing 235 acres on the north west side of the Rivercane development property to be made subject to the Rivercane Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, which will help prepare the property for industrial development.

• Approved an engineering agreement between the City of Atmore and Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. to grade, drain, base and pave the Wind River Road south extension (behind Hampton Inn) from the Intersection with County Road 14 to Wind River Road.

• Approved the nomination of City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Staff as the voting delegate representing the City of Atmore at the annual convention of the Alabama League of Municipalities to be held May 19-22 in Birmingham.

• Approved City Councilman Chris Walker as the first alternate for voting delegate to the 2012 state convention.

• Approved City Councilman Webb Nall as the second alternate for voting delegate to the 2012 state convention.

• Approved an agreement with the State of Alabama for the state to pave the area of Alabama 21 from Magnolia Street north to Sunset Drive.