Domino effect: Patchwork Farms’ ‘explosive growth’ boosts city, schools

Construction crews are busy at work in the Patchwork Farms area of Vestavia Hills, and the scope of change is only expected to increase in the coming months. Since the opening of both Lifetime Fitness and most recently, Grandview Medical Center, the area has experienced what has been referred to as “explosive growth.” Along with a new shopping plaza, anchored by a 45,600-square-foot Publix supermarket, a new office complex just down the road from Lifetime Fitness is set to continue to expand the development in the area.

In April, Birmingham-based Stidco Construction announced it had been awarded the contract to build a 12,000-square-foot office complex on Blue Lake Drive. The complex will be split among two 6,000-square-foot buildings. The $2 million project will house the new offices of Slate Bargainer Building Inc., local law firm Fortune & Beard, as well as Prime Surgical LLC.  Once complete, some 6,600 square feet of space will also be available for additional tenants.

Tim Garner, vice president of business development at Stidco, said two buildings will be built on what once were two residential properties at 3121 and 3117 Blue Lake Drive. The twin buildings will share a parking lot and will be primarily accessible through Cahaba River Road. To date, crews continue to do grading and site work on the property, he said, as well as put in drainage systems. Soon, the building’s footings will be put in place, which will allow for construction on the buildings to be more noticeable to the untrained eye. Current plans are to have the construction complete by November, said Garner, and so far, everything is running according to schedule. 

The project was designed by Dan Fritts of Fifth Dimension Architecture and Interiors. The building’s designs, Garner said, will feature a combination of brick and siding. 

“The look will follow the current trends in building,” he said, “a more natural look with wood structures and beams that combines darker trim with light bases.”

Cameron Easton, principal partner of Slate Barganier Holdings said the complex’s location, close to Interstate 459 and U.S. Highway 280, was just what they were looking for.

“Slate Barganier Building, the law offices of Fortune & Beard, and Chris Donnelly with Prime Surgical LLC are very excited to be breaking ground on their respective corporate headquarters in the ‘hot’ Patchwork Farms area of Vestavia,” said Eaton in a statement. “We love the architecture and pedestrian feel of the whole area and are honored to be a part of it.”  

Just down the road, construction continues on Blackwater Resources’ latest development project, the Patchwork Farms Shopping Center. The shopping center is being built between Caldwell Mill Road and Cahaba River Road. Along with the 45,600-square-foot Publix, the property will feature more than 36,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space. The additional retail and restaurant locations will be housed inside shop buildings surrounding Publix as well as four free-standing outparcel sites that will be available for sale or lease. 

Miller Terry, senior leasing representative with Blackwater Resources, said crews have commenced site work and are finishing up the shopping center’s storm sewer installation. Since the groundbreaking ceremony in February, crews have poured the slab for Publix and expect to start pouring slabs for the other, smaller shops in the next few months.  

During the site’s groundbreaking ceremony in February, Terry said the Vestavia Hills market is one leasing agents want to be part of due to its population, median household income and combination of office space and residential areas.

Within one mile of the Patchwork Farms Shopping Center, according to Blackwater Resources, there is over 2 million square feet of office space that is 99 percent leased and more than 3,500 apartment units. Within a three-mile radius of the center, Blackwater estimates there are over 45,000 residents with an average household income of more than $115,000. 

Construction of the entire project, Terry said, is expected to be complete in January 2017, though various aspects of the build-out will have different start dates.

Although Terry said he could not disclose details on other tenants yet as deals are still in the works, he said he expects to be able to release more information in the coming months. 

All of this new construction, said City Manager Jeff Downes, will have both tangible and intangible benefits for the city, each on a massive scale. 

“As a city we have been very conscious in our efforts to incentivize and stimulate development opportunities with the private sector throughout the city,” said Downes.  

The summer months, he said, will see some of the most active construction projects throughout the city, especially in the Patchwork Farms and surrounding Blue Lake area. 

The construction in the Patchwork Farms and surrounding areas, said Downes, will represent a portion of what he said will be another record year for the city in terms of commercial new construction. In turn, that new construction means tangible benefits for the city and the school system in the form of money earned from building permits, sales taxes on construction, property taxes and sales taxes on goods sold.  

“There are also intangible benefits that come from all this construction,” said Downes, “such as taking property that was underutilized and getting the highest and best use possible from the property. In turn, the new businesses will help provide goods and services to people in the community.”

Money the city and schools will receive will help increase budgets. In the past, said Downes, the city has seen budget growth of only about 2 percent. This new construction and eventual completion of projects is estimated to help the budgets grow by approximately 10 percent. 

“This all bodes well for the future of Vestavia Hills,” said Downes.

In time, the growth will mean the city can deliver the services expected and wanted from its residents, he said.

“We talk of ‘living a life above’ here in Vestavia Hills,” said Downes, “but in order to sincerely ‘live the life above,’ we need to be able to afford the services that our residents need and deserve. That means an expanded tax base that will help keep us in a financial position to both keep good reserves for the city and grow a general fund revenue at the same time.”

Thanks to Grandview and Lifetime, he said, Vestavia has been able to and will continue to enjoy the growth of the Patchwork Farms area. Blue Lake, in turn, he said, has been a possibility because of the growth of Patchwork Farms. 

“It’s always good to see a plan come to action,” said Downes. “I’m excited to see the ideas that were once shared at a community charrette in 2013 become a reality.”