Developers look to grow their hometown community

Taylor Burton and Blake Pittman both grew up in Vestavia Hills. Now, as business partners at Taylor Burton Company, a real estate development company that serves the Birmingham and Over the Mountain areas, they said they are excited to begin work on a development in their hometown.

The development — a 16-acre plot at the southernmost part of Vestavia at Little Shades Creek Bend — will feature 42 residential homes, each custom built. The South Bend neighborhood will not be gated, but private with only one entrance and exit. 

Pittman said the neighborhood will have a look similar to the Miller Hill neighborhood, the main difference being that South Bend will offer more homes with basements.

Utilities will be finished by the end of the year. The project will take six months to develop with the first homes opening in spring 2017. 

Housing prices will start in the mid-$500,000s and may go into the $700,000s, but the company is targeting to keep prices in the $500,000 and $600,000 range.

Residents will have access to a greenway along the creek that connects McCallum Park to a Hoover city park.

“The neighborhood is well planned out in terms of layout, sidewalk, landscaping,” Pittman said.

He said that the area was a prime location because of its easy access to schools, interstate and shopping. However, the topography requires a great deal of leveling, which Pittman said is why it took 14 years to sell.

“It’s in what I would consider Vestavia proper,” he said. “We felt like we could build a nice neighborhood ... that will have a nice community feel.”

Construction is not expected to negatively affect traffic or Little Shades Creek water flow.

“In my mind, the value of Vestavia is community,” Pittman said. “Construction done properly should help sales tax, permanent fees, home values in surrounding areas ... we want to positively impact the community, not burden it.”