Future of Liberty Park discussed at Chamber meeting
Plans are being made for the future development and transformation of Liberty Park, as far out as 10-12 years in the future.
Doug Neil, VP of economic development and consultancy at Daniel Communities, spoke at a Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce virtual luncheon on Nov. 10 and said the 700-acre development called The Bray is continuing to be developed. Part of that development, The Marketplace at The Bray, has been under development for a while and has seen several businesses open.
“How do we write the final chapter?” Neil said.
The Bray Town Center is the new focal point of the development, with plans for a luxury hotel, great lawn, restaurants, specialty retail, general business, medical offices, as well as several different options for housing, including cottages, luxury multi-family housing and active adult/senior citizen housing, Neil said.
Adding in park amenities, green space and trails along with needed businesses helps meet the needs of Liberty Park residents, Neil said.
There are design guidelines for different aspects of the development, including commercial, free-standing commercial, hotel, multifamily, stacked flats, cottage and landscape, Neil said.
The plan for The Bray, and for Liberty Park as a whole, has been to make it a true “Live, Work, Play Community” that offers a variety of amenities, Neil said.
In addition to all of the offerings that Liberty Park Joint Venture and Daniel Communities wish to provide, Neil said they hope to recruit a future Class A office, the highest-class office in the market.
Some of the benefits of a town center, Neil said, is that it maximizes the potential for retail, hospitality, restaurants, medical and office development interest; provides new residential offerings to compliment what is already available in Liberty Park; introduces residential offerings to current residents to move into as their lifestyle needs change; consolidates development densities into a town center core; creates public parks; minimizes the impact on schools; provides for future growth; and maximizes the revenue for schools and public services.
The commercial development and the town center should be complete within 24 to 36 months, Neil said, with the rest of the community, including residential and recreational areas being built in the next 10 to 12 years.
Anticipating revenues from the Bray Town Center, the future Class A office and residential sales of homes throughout Liberty Park over the years, Neil estimated that over the next 25 years, there would be about $230.2 million in new net tax revenues raised, with about $118 million of those revenues going to Vestavia Hills City Schools. That money could go toward future facility needs and other needs created by the impact of the area’s development, Neil said.
Neil also said there would be more than adequate parking at the development.
Executive Director of the Chamber, Karen Odle, said the Dec. 8 luncheon may be held in person at the Vestavia Hills Country Club, with the Birmingham Boys Choir set to perform.