The Readmon
luxury community to give new life
to old name, lakefront site

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos submitted

Its name may have historic roots, but The Readmon condominium development coming to Riverside is a brand-new concept for lake living on Logan Martin.

This cutting-edge development of luxury condominiums featuring the latest in amenities sets a new standard for the lake, similar to communities usually found along the Gulf Coast.

It derives its name from the original Riverside, Readmon, which was established in 1882. In 1886, it was renamed and incorporated as Riverside and was St. Clair County’s largest industrial center at the time.

Jones Development, owned by Jeff Jones, hopes to reinvigorate the once thriving area with a development that will attract residents and investors to the Logan Martin shoreline.

Located on the property once occupied by Riverside Marina, The Readmon is a 52-unit community with three complexes of two and three-bedroom luxury condominiums, offering varying designs with standard to wraparound balconies overlooking the water. Ten-foot ceilings and eight-foot doors complement the look and feel of these condominiums, ranging from 1,400 square feet to 1,750 square feet.

The six-acre site includes an outdoor pool, 55 aluminum floating boat slips, electric vehicle charging stations and lakefront gazebo.

The vision for it has been years in the making thanks in part to a vision his father, Chip Jones, developed – Paradise Isle condominiums – located next door to The Readmon. “I’ve always admired my father,” Jones said. He was a building science major at Auburn University, and he moved ahead with his vision despite people telling him “it wouldn’t work.”

“I always thought this site was spectacular,” the younger Jones said of his own vision for the family-owned property. “It’s the best place on the lake. My goal was to find as good a project as I could for the site.”

Describing it as a “massive puzzle,” Jones fine-tuned the vision over the years, making it over legal, business and permitting hurdles en route to moving The Readmon from drawing board to reality. Pre-sales have started, and building is expected to begin in August or September by one of the largest general contractors in the state with extensive experience in multi-family developments. Completion is planned for the summer of 2024.

When developing the concept, Jones noted that habits and trends were changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. People wanted to live in a safe environment with a good quality of life. “I can’t think of anything much better than sitting at the lake and looking at the lake,” he said.

Couple enhanced quality of life offerings with the shortage of housing units for sale on the lake, and The Readmon answers the call, in essence creating 52 new waterfront homes.

Jones noted that it is situated on property that was once used for something else – a marina – and could be repurposed to meet the needs of today – kind of like its namesake.

There are certain properties along the lake that are ideal for transforming into new concepts to satisfy new trends and growing demands. “And this is one of them,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

Its proximity within a few hundred yards of  I-20 and U.S. 78 and situated between major metropolitan areas like Birmingham and Atlanta add to its allure. And it offers an opportunity for people to downsize and still live on the lake.

“St. Clair County continues to be one of the fastest-growing communities in the state where young families, retirees and professionals are choosing to call home,” said Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council. “For multiple reasons, homebuilders are struggling to keep up with this desire to live in our communities. This is seen increasing in the City of Riverside and our other lake communities. These areas have great schools, great leadership and so many quality-of-life offerings for the residents to enjoy.”

Jones is no stranger to developing communities in the area. Easonville, Hayden’s Reserve and Images townhomes at Logan Martin are among his company’s projects.

Nicole Anderson of Lake Homes Realty is exclusive agent for The Readmon, and Jones’ son, Coleman Jones, is development coordinator.

From Prohibition to Pandemic,
Still Going Strong

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submittted photos

If you’re not from around here, the sign wouldn’t draw you in, and the name wouldn’t make sense. The building is not an imposing brown boat, nor is it floating in water. The Coosa River is an important part of the story, though. The history is as fascinating as the food is good.

It’s a story that began in 1930 when E.O. “Red” Thompson decided to play a game of cat and mouse with the local authorities. After a decade of Prohibition, he hatched a plan to open a bar and restaurant.

His first step was to buy and refurbish an old dredging barge and park it 30 feet off the banks of the Coosa River. He outfitted it with a kitchen and tables and chairs and called it “The Ark.” He sold beer for 15 cents a can. Sixty cents would get you all the catfish and hushpuppies you could eat.

Customers to this floating speakeasy could either walk in on the gangplank or tie off by boat. Since the Coosa divided the counties of St. Clair and Talladega, The Ark was not in the jurisdiction of either county.

Local legend tells that if the Talladega authorities were on the way, he’d move to the St. Clair side of the water. If the authorities from St. Clair were on the way, he’d move to the Talladega side.

It was a dance that lasted for the next three years until the 21^st Amendment ended Prohibition. The barge eventually burned and sank, and Thompson built a log building on land and reopened the restaurant and bar. When that location also burned, he built the current building in Riverside just south of the Coosa River bridge on U.S. 78.

Bought in the late 70s by retired newspaper editor and publisher Bob and Sylvia Cornett, the new owners operated the restaurant with more emphasis on developing recipes and relationships than on evading the law. They kept catfish as their primary draw but gave the place a more family-friendly feel.

The opening of the Talladega Super Speedway in 1969 gave them a whole new clientele and they began to see NASCAR drivers like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt on a regular basis. Autographed pictures of famous drivers and politicians grace the walls, giving a nod to the global appeal of a great plate of catfish. Recently, comedian Darren Knight was a guest.

Current owner Shirley Abts says they still get some business around race weekends, but it’s not what it used to be a decade ago. “Most of the drivers have their food catered now,” she said. “They just stay in their trailers and have the food come to them.”

Shirley and her (now deceased) husband, Richard, bought The Ark in 2013. They already had the Cropwell restaurant Even Odds when they were approached by Sylvia Cornett. “Sylvia came to me and asked me to buy it. They were struggling, and she said she was going to lose it if I didn’t buy it, so I did,” said Abts. “I had been coming here to The Ark for 30 years, and I didn’t want to see it close.”

Diverse chapters comprise Ark story

The restaurant was used as a movie set in 2019. The producers of the Netflix original, The Devil All the Time, starring Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard and Sebastian Stan transformed The Ark into a 1960s diner, even replacing the sign with one calling it White Cow Diner, undoubtedly confusing passersby.

Antique cars lined the parking lot. “They came in and put up the sign and took out the air conditioners, fans and light fixtures,” Abts explained. “Then they put up curtains and a lot of 60s décor. Before they left, they put it ‘mostly’ back together,” she adds, with a chuckle. They did pay well enough, according to Abts, to pay the entire staff for several days they were not able to work due to the closure for filming.

2019 was a tough year for Abts, though, with the death of her husband early in the year, followed by a triple bypass surgery for her before the year ended. Then, just weeks after getting out of the hospital, she was told she had to close the restaurant when the pandemic halted in-person dining.

She acknowledges the community as being the blessing that came from that experience. “People supported us through that. People lined up outside for takeout orders seven days a week. And they tipped well to take care of our wait staff,” said Abts. “That was before delivery services like Door Dash and Jack Rabbit. It was so busy that we had to have a waitress go car to car taking orders because our phone was too busy that people couldn’t get through.”

The ’regulars’ and an icon

They have many loyal customers, including some who come every single day. Don’t ask for table six at 11:00; it’s reserved for Joey. He and his wife come in every day, from their jobs at a local auction house.

It’s the loyal customers that keep Sheerie Smith working there. She’s been a waitress at The Ark for over 20 years, starting when she was just 15. Her mom, aunt and grandmother also worked there, so the job has truly been a family affair. “We have a lot of the same customers that we’ve had for so many years,” says Smith. “These people have watched me grow up here. They ask about my kids. They’re family.”

As soon as she bought it, Abts found people who knew the original recipes that the previous owners had gotten away from. Then she rehired people who knew how to make those recipes.

She only buys U.S. farm-raised catfish and slices her produce fresh each day. “The former owners had been using frozen onions and when we went back to fresh cut, we could barely keep up with all the onion rings people wanted,” said Abts proudly. “Fresh makes a big difference in the taste.”

The difference is clearly a good one, as their catfish is listed on the Alabama Tourism Department’s 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die. They were also a finalist in Bama’s Best Catfish Restaurant competition by the Alabama Catfish Producers and the Catfish Institute’s Top Ten Restaurants in America to Eat Catfish.

They’ve recently added a new “Remix” sandwich that features catfish and shrimp with a rémoulade sauce, topped with lettuce and tomato. While catfish is their signature dish, the fish and shrimp combo is what they sell most. “We don’t play when it comes to shrimp,” adds Abts. “We have really big shrimp!” They’ve also added desserts to the menu, currently featuring a homemade cheesecake by local baker Barbara Miller. On occasion, they also have buttermilk pie.

As with any business operating post pandemic, she struggles to keep fully staffed. There are signs at each booth asking people to be patient regarding wait times. It’s worth the wait, adds Abts. “We use fresh food. We don’t precook anything. It’s made to order. That’s why it takes a little while to get your food.”

The tiny sign outside says, “The Ark Family Restaurant.” It’s a family restaurant with a small sign, an unremarkable building, a storied past, but touting a big flavor, seasoned with staff dedicated to keeping it firmly in place in the landscape of their community.

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted photos | Archived photos

The saying goes, ‘Build it, and they will come.’ In Lincoln these days, they have already arrived.

Since opening less than a year ago, Lincoln’s Landing is now on the map as a destination point. Thousands of boats have already launched from this cutting-edge fishing park, and tournaments are already scheduled two years out.

Les Robinson, director of Lincoln’s Landing, has been “a real plus to this project and to our city,” Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson said. “He puts his heart into it, which is what you need if you’re going to have a successful project.”

Success? Just take a look at the numbers. Lincoln’s Landing has launched 50 tournaments since July, Robinson said. With tournaments and everyday use, it already has reached the 4,500 to 5,000 boats launched mark, “and we haven’t been open a year,” he added.

The prestigious Bassmasters College Series is coming to Lincoln’s Landing in June for a two-day tournament and in the next 18 to 24 months, Robinson predicts, a Bassmasters Elite or Bassmasters Open, which are major attractions in the fishing world, are in its future. But it doesn’t stop there. The tourist dollars it lures along with the notoriety for Lincoln will have a huge economic impact, not only for Lincoln but the surrounding areas.

In the next budget period, a pavilion, bridge and swimming beach will be on the agenda for the city and this 40-acre site. “Then we’ll catch our breath a little bit,” Robinson said.

The park already includes a 165-foot long by 60-foot wide, stacked stone grand pavilion with fireplace and 4,000 square feet of open space for other events, fishing piers and slips and a boat ramp that can launch 10 boats at a time. The first wedding at the park is already booked.

Parking also will be a consideration. While 250 parking spaces seemed like plenty when the park was on the drawing board. The Alabama Bass Trail event had every spot filled plus parking on the grass, Mayor Watson said.

Two other pavilions – both 30 x 30 feet – will be built near the shoreline and be rentable for events as well as everyday use. A pad is planned for a food truck area to serve tournaments.

“It’s more than just a fishing park,” Robinson said. “We have a lot to offer.”

In July, when construction was at its height, Watson could already see what was taking shape and its potential. He noted its accessibility – near Interstate 20 and U.S. 78. “It is right off the main channel on the lake, with year-round water,” Watson said at the time. “It is the perfect place for the park. It’s like, ‘If we build it, they will come.’”

Take a look around on any given day. They’re already here.

Heading to downtown Pell City June 4

Story by Linda Long
Submitted photos

What began as a class project of Leadership Pell City over 20 years ago has transformed into one of the biggest events of the year – Hometown Block Party.

Now presented by the Greater Pell City Chamber of Commerce, the block party has grown into an event that annually draws thousands to downtown Pell City to a free, outdoor festival featuring live music – all genres – food, games, vendors of all types and a whole lot of fun.

Held the first Saturday in June, this year’s event is set for June 4 from 3 to 9 p.m. and will stretch all around the courthouse square plus side streets in a party atmosphere that gets better every year.

The mission and vision of the block party has never wavered from its beginnings. It’s only gotten better. Its aim is to draw people downtown for all kinds of festivities with neighbors meeting neighbors, reminiscent of neighborhood block parties of years gone by.

Though the entertainment schedule is still being finalized, Chamber Director Urainah Glidewell says a crowd favorite, the WingNuts, are a go. “People love them,” she says. They play oldies from the 60s and 70s.

 Another favorite, Kudzu, is also on tap. “We’ll be showcasing a lot of local talent,” says Glidewell. “This is a typical neighborhood together. It’s just a great time for people to come out and have a good time. Kick back and listen to some good music.”

Three stages for live music will be set up at various street corners, so if you have one type of music you like better than the other, just keep strolling. You’ll hear it.

Folks also will have a choice from a wide variety of vendors, offering everything from food, clothing and jewelry to turtles and lizards.

“It wouldn’t be the block party without the turtle man,” laughed Glidewell. “He comes every year.” She says he sells his critters in a variety of sizes.

Just walking down the street during the festival is an experience unto itself. “The aroma from all the food cooking is wonderful — cheesecake, cookies, barbecue, sausage,” she says, naming a few on the menu.

An annual feature of the Pell City block party is the car show. Entry fee is $10 a car. Part of the proceeds will go this year to Mileena Painter, a local girl who is battling leukemia. Entrants can sign up as late as the day of event.

Vendor space is available at $50 per spot.