A $1 million grant has been secured to construct a road to lead into the site of Conecuh Ridge Distillery.

The Troy City Council unanimously approved the funding agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation Tuesday to have the road built. The project is fully funded by the state – the city will not be matching any funds.

CDG engineer T.J. Kelley informed the council that the city had previously applied for a $2 million grant to have the road built directly across the dam on the site, but ALDOT declined and the application was changed to have the road come in behind the dam instead.

Mayor Jason Reeves said there is now a one-year timeline for the road to be built, although that could be extended if the company needs more time.

“This is a big step forward in completing this project,” said Marcus Paramore, council president.

Reeves said Conecuh Ridge has until April 10, 2019 to get designs to the city and he expects them to begin the construction phase by the fall of 2019, although he said the company could move much earlier if they are ready.

The council first announced their recruitment of the distillery, producer of Clyde May’s Alabama-style whiskey, in September 2017. The city offered over $3 million in incentives over the next 10 years to persuade the company to locate in Troy, in return for a commitment from the company to invest over $13.5 million into the economy and employ 50 people.

The city has already borrowed $1.7 million to purchase the property and a portion that was outside the city limits has already been annexed.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the nutrition center services contract to continue the administration of a grant by the South Central Alabama Development Commission to provide meals. “This has been a great program through the years; we always enjoy participating with them,” Reeves said.

• Approved the purchase of software for Troy Utilities, which Utilities Manager Brian Chandler said is better designed to monitor water and sewer than the current software for the city.

• Approved a project to replace multiple galvanized water pipes around the city that Chandler said have caused the department the most trouble over recent years. Chandler said all affected residents will be notified ahead of time of any temporary road closures and any times that the water will be cut off as the pipes are replaced.

• Approved an off-premises beer and wine license for Advantage Grocery.