Greater Valley, Alabama and Georgia

November 2026 · Preliminary, October 31

A powertrain plant, a new school, and a road Valley is waiting on.

The short version

The largest new item is at the Kia end of West Point. Hyundai Transys plans nearly $560 million and 320 jobs to upgrade its two plants on Kia Parkway and build a third (Office of the Governor, Oct. 8). West Point's council has a memorandum of understanding with the company on its November agenda (Valley Times-News, Oct. 29).

Troup County Schools is hiring a construction manager to replace West Point Elementary on its current site: about 102,400 square feet of new space and a $40 million construction budget, with work planned from July 2027 to June 2029 (district RFP, Sept. 29). Our September research had left the lead unverified; the district RFP now establishes it.

In Valley, a large housing tract depends on a new road. The city wants to connect 30th Street in Shawmut to 40th Street in Langdale, which officials say opens land for several hundred homes. The council awarded the first phase on Sept. 14, then rescinded the award on Oct. 26 after the apparent low bidder questioned it. The job will be bid again and is on hold until then (Valley Times-News, Oct. 28).

One loss: West Fraser will idle its oriented strand board mill at Huguley in Lanett in the fourth quarter, affecting up to 123 jobs (Valley Times-News, Oct. 30).

Valley: land the city has been assembling

Valley has been buying and selling land near I-85 and U.S. 29 for years. The mayor told the Lions Club in January that the city has bought more than 2,000 acres near the interstate over the past decade (Valley Times-News, Jan. 30). Several of those tracts moved this year:

• Project Bear. In June the council approved the sale of 14.1 acres at 3800 20th Avenue to a commercial developer for $3.9 million, pending the city attorney. The development authority worked it under a code name; we have not identified the buyer or end use in the sources reviewed (Valley Times-News, June 24).
• Project Ironclad. In August the council approved an agreement to sell 8.1 acres off Four Star Drive, behind Four Star Freightliner and visible from I-85, at $40,000 an acre, subject to 90 days of due diligence (Valley Times-News, Aug. 26). That window closes around late November.
• Fob James Drive. The former Burney property is the city's commercial site off Fob James. Grading began in June for a Beef 'O' Brady's and a Scooter's Coffee (The City Menus, June 29). The mayor has described offices for two contractors on the back of the site and a subdivision planned across a new lake (Valley Times-News, Jan. 30). The western portion was annexed Sept. 14 (Valley minutes).
• I-85 across from the Alabama Welcome Center. The city bought 32 acres there in July for $75,000 and annexed them Sept. 14. No use is announced (Valley Times-News, July 15).

Homes

30th Street. About 40 homes have gone up along 30th Street, built by Kobeck Properties at River's Bend and by Newmor Construction at Waterford II (Valley Times-News, Mar. 27). The mayor describes the land beyond, between the Shawmut airport site and EAMC-Lanier, as 420 acres with 374 lots and new sewer and water lines. In June the city approved the sale of about 8 acres nearby for 18 more homes (Valley Times-News, June 11). We report these counts as the city's, not as platted lots.

Camellia Crossing. The mayor says Phase 1 is complete with 32 homes on the 380-acre tract off Combs Road, with a similar number planned next (Valley Times-News, Jan. 30).

King's Way. The Alabama Housing Finance Authority announced completion of the 56-unit senior project at King Road and 55th Street on Oct. 7 (AHFA).

West Point Hills. Our September report described "hundreds of homes." The developer, Buzzy Development, presented about 100 townhomes in two phases of 24 and 76 on West 13th Street, 3rd Avenue and Roper Avenue, priced from about $300,000 (Valley Times-News, Nov. 12, 2025). A spring 2026 start was expected; we have not confirmed one.

West Point

Hotel. The former Coca-Cola site at 1700 East 10th Street is reported as a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott on about 4.5 acres (Valley Times-News, Nov. 1, 2025). The groundbreaking first reported for spring 2026 is now expected early in 2027, the mayor said in September (Valley Times-News, Sept. 26).

Pool. The city and Troup County showed a concept in July for a pool and recreation space behind the former West Point High School. The city has set aside $1.5 million in sales-tax money and expects a county match. Funding, design and schedule are not settled (Valley Times-News, July 28; Sept. 26).

Kia suppliers. Harris County's economic developer told council in July that Northwest Harris Business Park, on Progress Boulevard inside West Point, holds hundreds of development-ready acres (work-session minutes). The state awarded $54,400 to prepare its largest remaining tract for certification (Harris County Development Authority, July 29).

Lanett

The airport moved from Approved to Started. Council members reported crews moving dirt for hangars in August and a ramp project under way in September (Lanett minutes, Sept. 8). A second flight school was approved in August. The city is also replacing gas lines; contractors were reported laying pipe in the August 17 minutes.

Smaller projects

ALDI plans a store in Village Square on 20th Avenue in Valley: $3 million, about 75 jobs, opening summer 2027 (East Alabama News, Oct. 16). Hester Tag & Label in Lanett is adding about 8,000 square feet (Lanett minutes, June 15). MR6 Tech Services announced a 20,000-square-foot shop in Huguley Industrial Park (WTVM). Kroger in Lanett has plans for a 3,714-square-foot remodel (The City Menus).

Other captured work includes The Porch Coffee Co. fitout and porch on 41st Street, El Mirador's reuse of the former Steak n Shake on Fob James Drive, and EAMC-Lanier campus improvements. The hospital's $750,000 fund also covers equipment and furniture; its construction portion is unknown. A July contractor notice reports the Lanett Junior High auxiliary gym renovation complete.

Still checking

• Who bought Project Bear and Project Ironclad, and whether Ironclad clears due diligence.
• Project Hawkeye. West Point's October minutes thank the economic development director for it without describing it (minutes, Oct. 12). It may be the Hyundai Transys project.
• A Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama tax abatement was on the Chambers County Commission's Oct. 19 agenda. The site is not stated (agenda).
• Newmor's Cleveland Road tract. Officials describe 110 annexed acres for homes; we have not located a plat (Valley Times-News, Mar. 27).
• Lanett waterfront park. The city commissioned a riverside park concept from GMC, according to December 2024 reporting. Current funding, implementation and overlap with the old mill site remain unchecked.
• Fob James ammunition-company lead. The mayor said in January that a new ammunition company was still in the works for the area behind the Burney property (Valley Times-News, Jan. 30); identity and commitment remain unconfirmed.
• West Point capital work. The city's proposed 2026 budget presentation lists water-plant, intake and water-line work, a soccer field and a Long Cane Creek bridge. We have not confirmed which are under way (2026 budget presentation).
• West Point Dam spillway gates. A federal solicitation for repairs and painting appears in trade listings; award and work are unconfirmed.
• King's Way. The mayor mentioned two 56-unit buildings. State records support 56 units in one funded project; a second phase remains unverified.
• Kia. West Point's city manager says construction at Kia raised permit revenue this year (Valley Times-News, Oct. 29). Which projects is not yet known.

How we built this

Research cutoff. October 30, 2026. Discovery searches and a separate omission search on October 31 started from the cities, corridors and public bodies rather than from our September list, then compared what they found against it.

Sources. Council and work-session minutes in Valley, Lanett and West Point; Chambers County Commission agendas; Troup and Harris county agendas; the school district's procurement page; state and agency announcements; and local reporting, which we cite by name. Counts quoted from mayors and council members are labeled as theirs.

What we could not see. We did not locate a usable public permit or inspection feed for Valley, Lanett or West Point, so this report cannot yet list every project under construction. We did not locate online agendas for Valley's planning commission or West Point's development authority. Valley's Oct. 26 minutes and Lanett's October minutes were not yet posted.

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