Council approves incentive agreement for new development on lower 31

A tax incentive plan to help a local developer bring Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, Big Bad Breakfast and other future tenants to the south end of U.S. 31 was approved by the Vestavia Hills City Council on April 10.

The project, which sits on about two acres, is being led by Ward Neely and John Michael Bodnar of Vestavia 31 RE. The plan is to bring a multi-tenant shopping center to the site of the former Motor Lodge, 1467 Montgomery Highway. The two restaurants will be added to the site, with the permitting process taking about six weeks from the April 10 meeting, Neely said. More tenants will be added to the site, said Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley.

Neely asked the city to help with a feasibility gap, incurred due to the need to raise the site’s elevation to make it less susceptible to flooding and stormwater damage. The cost to alleviate those issues is north of $1 million. The total cost of the project is estimated to be about $6.3 million, according to documents submitted by the developers. City Manager Jeff Downes said it is “critical” to have that site active, as it has not seen regular activity in many years.

The city will give a 50% annual rebate on city sales taxes collected from the site, not including those marked for Vestavia Hills City Schools, up to $1.5 million or for 18 years, whichever comes first. The development is anticipated to generate about $100,000 per year in sales taxes.

The council also accepted a bid for the final sidewalk component of the Community Spaces Plan. Sidewalks will connect Rocky Ridge Road to the existing sidewalks on Morgan Drive, and will eventually connect to Dolly Ridge Road. The low bid was submitted by Avery Landscaping in the amount of roughly $418,000. With contingency added in, the total budgeted amount for the project is $460,000.

Downes said work on Crosshaven Drive is essentially complete, with only final striping to be done. Work also continues on the final phase of Wald Park renovations, which includes the addition of six tennis courts, six pickleball courts, more than 100 parking spaces, a dog park and a walking trail. That work is expected to finish by the middle of this summer, Downes said.

In other news, the council also approved the 2021-22 audit for the city, along with newly-revised contracts for those who rent facilities at the Civic Center and wish to provide alcohol.