Atmore Mayor Jim Staff says that it is very likely Taco Bell will soon be coming to Atmore.

Staff said that the fast-food company is interested in purchasing the land where the Rivercane sign currently sits, on State Route 21 about 4.5 miles north of Atmore and near Exit 57 of Interstate 65. In late August, the Atmore Industrial Development Board voted unanimously to remove the sign in order to make the land more marketable.

Although the sign is still presently up, Staff said utilities have been moved and other preparations have been completed for its demolition. The sign will likely be taken down sometime next week, he said.

Staff said Taco Bell is interested in purchasing the land, but will be required to follow the same “set back” rules as other restaurants in the Rivercane subdivision. For example, a restaurant cannot have its parking lot go right up against the highway, but must instead be located a certain distance further back from the highway’s edge.

Staff said the setback rule might require Taco Bell to purchase a little more land than it had originally planned. However, he said he did not think the extra land purchase would be a deal breaker.

“We hope that we could have an official announcement sometime next week,” he said.