The Atmore City Council made it official today, approving a project agreement and tax abatement with Coastal Growers LLC during a special-called meeting at city hall.

The meeting was held to make a final approval of a peanut shelling facility to be located in Atmore.

The city council approved the following at the meeting:

• a project agreement by and between the city of Atmore and Coastal Growers LLC (Project Nautilus);

• an option to purchase and right of first refusal agreement by and between the city of Atmore and Coastal Growers LLC;

• a tax abatement agreement with Coastal Growers LLC;

• an option to purchase agreement with Swift Lumber Ltd. for the rail spur route; and,

• adopted a resolution (2020-20) declaring the expenditure of public funds, granting a tax abatement and sale and donation of land pursuant to the project agreement that serves a valid and sufficient public purpose, according to the meeting’s agenda.

The purpose of the project is to construct a state-of-the-art peanut shelling and processing facility as well as a rail spur line to service the facility and a future planned rail transfer yard to be owned and operated by the city of Atmore, according to a public notice that was published in the Sept. 30 edition of The Atmore Advance.

Coastal Growers is expected to make a total capital investment in the project of more than $82 million, to employ at least 100 new fulltime employees earning an average hourly wage of at least $17, benefits and to offer employment to residents of the city of Atmore, according to the notice.