City Manager talks about Community Spaces at chamber luncheon

The Community Spaces and Infrastructure Plan is well underway, City Manager Jeff Downes told a gathered crowd at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon on March 12.

The $58 million spent on the capital improvements project is a “once-in-a-lifetime investment,” Downes said.

In preparing for the plan, Downes said the city held 27 public input meetings and came up with a list of projects the city has always wanted, such as a new pool, sidewalks and community meeting space.

The plan will raise property values and invite investment, Downes said, before launching into a description of each of the plan’s components. Parts of U.S. 31 and other parts of Vestavia Hills are in need of “polishing up,” Downes said.

Downes said he wanted to raise public knowledge of the plan, as 41 percent of people who took a survey earlier this year said they did not know what the Community Spaces Plan was.

Downes praised the city council, Vestavia Hills City Schools and investors, as well as TCU Consulting and Williams Blackstock Architects, who are helping lead the project for the city.

At Wald Park, perhaps the most visible component of the Community Spaces Plan, Downes said residents will soon have a “world-class” swimming facility, as well as a new main entrance from U.S. 31 as construction crews have made the grade of Wald Park level with U.S. 31. Sidewalks will connect new businesses Baumhower’s and Dunkin’ Donuts to the park, as well as connecting the park to the new community center and, by extension, Vestavia Hills City Hall.

A dog park will also be added to Wald Park, Downes said, replacing what is now a maintenance area.

“This is going to be a go-to place,” Downes said.

At the community center, to be located at the former Gold’s Gym building, the city will add gym space, and the first floor will be divided between civic space and recreational space, Downes said.

On the second floor, visitors can find a connection to City Hall. The new center will double the city’s indoor community space, Downes said.

In Cahaba Heights, the New Merkel House will have a new location, while the current ball field will be razed and rebuilt to better suit the needs of the community, Downes said.

The fields will be for the entire community, not just baseball, and the new fields should address the drainage and facility issues which exist at the current fields.

The city will also have two ball fields to be used at the new Pizitz Middle School (the old Berry High School campus).

“We don’t win unless we collaborate,” Downes said.

Downes also updated the crowd about different sidewalk projects, including those at Mountainview Drive, Cahaba Heights Road and at both Poe and Fairhaven Drive.

Other internal projects are also included in the Community Spaces Plan, including the “largest residential street paving” program in the city’s history, Downes said. The city is also working to replace old drainage pipes to hopefully alleviate drainage issues throughout the city.

The plan is expected to be completed by mid-2020, Downes said.

At the April 9 luncheon, Dr. Jack Hawkins, chancellor of Troy University, will speak.

For more information about the Community Spaces Plan, visit vhal.org/community/city-projects/#community-spaces or click here.