NORTHPORT, Ala. (WIAT) — A group of Northport residents is taking a stand against the city’s plan to tear down a 70-year-old community center and sell the property to a development company.

Sandra Barnidge says she’s one of the residents who started a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise $100,000 dollars to pay for the Parsons Law Firm to represent them in the fight to the save park.

“If the city council insists on pushing this sale of the community center forward, we want to empower the Parsons firm to do everything possible to stop this sale,” Barnidge said.

City Council President Jeff Hogg says the city wants to sell the property to developer Beeker Property Group for $1.1 million to build a retail and residential development that may include a Starbucks and a restaurant. Hogg says the project will be good for tourism and the economy.

“I think most people want to see sit-down restaurants somewhere they can go and take their children and have a nice meal and maybe an alcoholic beverage and go outside in a green space where the kids can play Jenga or something like that to keep people outside,” Hogg said.

Barnidge says the center means a lot to the community because it’s a place where family weddings and church services have taken place. It also serves as a recreational facility for children.

“I just don’t understand why we have to lose what we have and use on some sort of promise that we will get something in the future,” Barnidge said. “I don’t understand why their needs outweigh the Northport community.”

Beeker Property Group has 180 days due diligence period to complete their survey and property research, which should be finished by the end of November.