Council discusses U.S. 31 development, other ongoing projects
During Monday's city council meeting, VHHS graduate Brad Blount gave the invocation. Blount recently spoke at a Help the Hills town hall forum presented by Leadership Vestavia Hills about his struggle with drug addiction. Councilman George Pierce announced that the council hopes to continue to ask people who make a difference in the community to give the invocation at the council meetings.
Additionally during the meeting, City Manager Jeff Downes gave updates on several projects happening across Vestavia Hills.
Openings on Parks and Recreation and Library Board
The mayor and council members announced that beginning Tuesday, Oct. 28 applications for openings on the Park and Recreation Board and Library Board will be available through the city clerk's office. The position on the Parks and Recreation Board is a five-year term and the position on the Library Board is a four-year term. The application deadline for both openings is Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.
U.S. 31 development
Downes announced that on Oct. 23, America's First Federal Credit Union closed on the purchase of the former library property located at 1112 Montgomery Highway. The council authorized the sale of the property to the bank this past May. The site is approximately 22,000 square feet and located on an estimated 1.66 acres of property.
Proceeds will be used for a development incentive agreement with GBT Reatly Corporation for the property across the street at 1099 Montgomery Highway. GBT is one of the largest commercial retail developers in the nation and has plans to bring multiple retail tenants to the approximately 3.4 acres located on the site. Downes said the city looks forward to publicly announcing this retail development by the start of 2015.
Patchwork Farms
Downes announced that the city is nearing the finish line of closing on the purchase of all property at Patchwork Farms. Patchwork Farms is located between Cahaba River and Caldwell Mill Roads off U.S. 280. In December, Vestavia Hills held a three-day planning charrette, a type of collaborative session to design a solution, for the 87-acre site purchased by the City in 2007 for $11 million.
Daniel Corporation is set to purchase 14 acres of undeveloped Patchwork Farms property. They will assume responsibility for furthering the mixed-use village development plan. A resolution was passed during the meeting that amended the timing of the presented budget for infrastructure work, which is not yet ready.
"We always knew there would be substantial development, we just did not know it would move so quickly," said Downes, emphasizing that the Daniel Corporation has been a strong partner in this endeavor.
For more on Patchwork Farms, click here
The next city council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 10 at 5 p.m at city hall.