Graduation, summer and more in the Hills

With the end of the school year coming, I’m sure our seniors are excited about upcoming graduation, and moving onto their college careers. I hope they have a great summer and enjoy wonderful memories as they conclude their time in grade school and prepare for their next adventures.

In city news, I’d like to update you on the status of Highway 31 repaving. Presently we have work taking place on the shoulders of the roads. Residents have likely also noticed the start of milling some of the turn lanes and crossovers. While some of these areas, particularly as they tear up traffic loops, will be inconvenient for a little while, please bear with us as we work through these improvements. I do anticipate this work being completed by the end of May. For updated project information, please see our website. 

City Hall construction is right on schedule, with a completion date expected in September and an Open House in October.

Work at Patchwork Farms with the Daniel Corporation continues. By the end of May, residents should see construction underway for both the Aspire Rehab Facility and Resort Lifestyle Independent Living for Seniors. We’ve also got three office buildings that will be going in that same area, and we expect construction for those to begin this summer. We continue to work on retail across from Lifetime Fitness, and will hopefully have a grocery and a couple of restaurants there. The multi-family units are still scheduled for the site behind the fire station on Cahaba River Road.

Related to our parks and rec services, the City of Vestavia Hills is undertaking an initiative to develop a master plan – both for the current sites and the future needs of the community. The study will be conducted by Brailsford & Dunlavey. 

From a financial standpoint, the City continues to show progress in our top five areas of financial revenue: ad valorem real, ad valorem personal, sales tax, utility franchise fees, and new building construction and renovation.

Have a great summer!

Your Mayor,

Alberto C. “Butch” Zaragoza