City Harbor Brings Waterfront Entertainment to Small-Town Alabama

The southernmost point of the Tennessee River winds through scenic Guntersville, Alabama, where a dam forms the Guntersville Lake before the river continues its way back to Tennessee. As you crest the southbound Veterans Memorial Bridge your eye can’t help but catch the area’s latest entertainment destination, City Harbor, a 55,000-square-foot on-water venue featuring dining, shopping, live music, and hospitality.

City Harbor?is the vision of Patrick Lawler, a Guntersville native who has lived in Fort Worth, Texas, for most of his career as a residential and commercial developer. Lawler had been spending more time in his hometown, including developing the Reserve at Lake Guntersville residential community, and knew the parcel of land at the tip of Guntersville’s geographic peninsula was a special spot to create a crown jewel for the town.??????

A few years later and the completed City Harbor is a hub of activity for locals and visitors alike. Restaurants with indoor and outdoor eateries include a steakhouse, Mexican fine dining, a brewer’s co-op, and a brunch café. Other businesses include a cigar room, retail, a 6,000-square-foot event space, and a hotel, all with scenic views of Lake Guntersville.

City Harbor stretches linearly out onto the river, with a series of modern-rustic-style buildings connected by elevated walkways and an expansive deck. At the end, an open area offers space for gathering and music, and an attached marina provides easy access for boaters to stop in for a bite to eat.

Durability and Beauty Underfoot

The 50,000 square feet of boardwalk was made with Envision Outdoor Living Products’?Distinction Collection composite decking. At the event center, 3,000 square feet of patios feature the same decking in a different pattern to add differentiation and visual interest while still blending in.

Lawler had planned to use ipe for much of the dock, but ran into supply challenges getting the material from South America. When approached by his local Envision rep about Distinction decking, Lawler saw that the material and the Spiced Teak hue provided the high-end look he wanted, with rich, variegated color like that of exotic wood. And with U.S. manufacturing, he was able to secure the large quantity of material without further delay.

Perhaps most importantly, Distinction decking can withstand the rigors of the new venue. Distinction decking is made with Envision’s proprietary Compress Technology?, which uses tremendous heat and pressure to squeeze out air pockets, physically bonding the cap and EverGrain Core? together, and press its signature non-repeating grain into the cap. The decking offers a full 25-year commercial warranty alongside durability and stain resistance suitable for the setting.

Cable railing along the length of the deck and the elevated walkways adds to the industrial design while maintaining a streamlined look to preserve water views.

In the end, the finished decking helped fulfill Lawler’s aesthetic vision. “I’m really happy with the product and durability, and I’m pleased with the finished result,” Lawler says. “We get tons of compliments on it.”