Major commercial and residential development planned for Liberty Park

An $860 million development has been proposed for Liberty Park, with 1,876 residential units and a commercial development named The Bray Town Center proposed by Daniel Communities.

This development will be separate from the Marketplace at The Bray, which already has added commercial development that includes a new Publix in that area, said Doug Neil, vice president of development and consulting for Daniel Communities, which created the proposal for Liberty Park Joint Venture. Neil said this is part of the “final chapter” of Liberty Park.

The development would add 1,306 single-family homes, as well as 570 multifamily units. Three hundred of the multifamily units are proposed to be market-rate apartments, while 270 of them would be active adult and senior housing, Neil said.

Liberty Park Joint Venture already is entitled to build the multifamily units, as well as 662 single-family homes, Neil said. The company now is requesting 644 more single-family homes on the remaining 300 acres of the 700-acre development known as The Bray. However, while LPJV has the entitlements to build the homes, any changes to the existing planned unit development (PUD) of Liberty Park must be approved by both the City Council and the Board of Education, which, as of mid-December, had not received a formal proposal for the development.

Residents have expressed concern via public meetings about the addition of multifamily housing, with most of the comments centered around the impact to the Vestavia Hills school system.

“It’s a great plan, but it’s not right for the schools,” one resident said.

Another resident informed Daniel President John Gunderson at a Nov. 30 meeting of a poll conducted by a homeowners association that showed, at the time, that zero residents expressed approval for the project and 196 opposed it. Four residents requested more information, she said.

Neil said there are already about 1,000 students being added with current entitlements. The request for more single-family homes will only add about 88 students on top of what is already allowed, he said, using numbers provided by the school system. He also said about 100 homes per year would be built for the next 10 to 12 years.

Daniel is trying to provide a commercial base with the town center and senior living that will help pay for that influx of students into the school system, and the company plans to work together with the school system and the city to ensure that growth is positive for every entity involved, Neil said.

The apartments would be geared toward empty nesters looking to downsize, young professionals and couples without children, Neil said. While there will undoubtedly be children added to the school system through the apartments, Neil said he’s hopeful the commercial impact will pay for their addition to the school system.

The projected revenues from the development are about $230 million over 25 years, with about $118 million being earmarked for the school system to use as it sees fit, Neil said. That number does not include the increase in state funding that would come with the increase of teacher units as the student population rises, Neil said.

Analysis began more than a year ago, Neil said. Daniel Communities, which has experience in planning large, mixed use communities, wanted to continue the existing strong sense of community and honor the original plans for Liberty Park by Drummond Co., he said.

While Neil said the idea of a successful mixed-use community is being continued in this development, it comes decades after a proposed supermall fell through because of the impracticality of building an interchange in Liberty Park, as well as the development of the nearby Summit shopping center.

Liberty Park has continued to develop organically, Neil said, with 50 to 60 homes being built each year, and commercial development coming with it over the years. Still, a true town center, like the ones in Mountain Brook, would be a major boost for the existing commercial businesses and residents, he said.

The Bray Town Center, which is projected to be complete in 24 to 36 months, is set to include a variety of businesses, including a luxury hotel, restaurants, boutiques and other retail stores, Neil said. There are also plans for office space, hopefully including a Class A office building, along with some type of health care entity and a great lawn, he said.

Some residents at the Nov. 30 meeting expressed doubts that a luxury hotel would locate in Liberty Park, but Gunderson, who did not offer additional comment on the project to the Vestavia Voice, told them he believes it would be successful if other commercial businesses came to the area.

The hotel would potentially offer a ballroom, a rooftop bar, a spa and a full-service restaurant, Neil said.

If the development comes as planned, Neil said he hopes he can look back in the future and say that the final chapter of The Bray was everything they hoped it would be, and that it is prepared to serve the community for the next 50 to 100 years. The tight-knit community can see people live there for each stage of their life with the proposed residences, while also having all they need in the town center and surrounding areas, Neil said.

“You really do have something for all,” Neil said. “Liberty Park really does cherish its neighborhood and its community.”

In an effort to listen to all stakeholders, Daniel Communities will continue to take comments from the public and work with the city and school board, Neil said. After the group has taken all of the feedback and revised any plans as needed, it will approach both the City Council and the Board of Education for approval, he said.

Cinnamon McCulley, the city of Vestavia Hills’ communications director, said most of what the City Council will hear is whether to rezone certain parts of the development as needed, as well as potentially approving variances in setbacks.

A presentation with more detailed information can be found at www.libertypark.com/the-bray/.