Rendering courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills.
Rendering of proposed addition at Fire Station No. 4.
With the vast majority of Vestavia Hills’ growth taking place on the east side of U.S. 280, city officials have identified more than $54 million worth of capital projects they believe are needed in that part of town.
The challenge is figuring out how to pay for them and how quickly they can be accomplished, City Manager Jeff Downes said.
Several of the projects are proposed for 25 acres next to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex, including a $16.4 million police substation and training facility, a $9.2 million library branch, a $1.3 million park maintenance and public works facility, a $1 million playground, and a $1.4 million road to access those amenities.
City leaders also are considering an $11.3 million project to convert the Liberty Park baseball and softball fields directly across from the complex to artificial turf. The Vestavia Hills Fire Department is proposing a $6 million addition to Fire Station No. 4 in Liberty Park and, further down the road, a sixth fire station that could cost $7.5 million.
None of these projects have officially been approved, but all were discussed in depth at the Vestavia Hills City Council’s strategic planning session in February. Council members indicated all are important.
Maps courtesy of Caprine and CMH Architects.
A conceptual master plan for new city amenities next to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex shows a new access road leading to a proposed $16.4 million police substation (tangerine), $9.2 million library branch (orange), $1 million playground and $1.3 million park maintenance and public works facility (yellow). The area outlined in blue is open space to be left as is or for potential future development, but it has a rock ridge line through the middle of it. To the left, across Sicard Hollow Road, are the Liberty park baseball and softball fields, proposed to have artificial turf installed at a cost of $11.3 million.
Now, they just have to determine how to fund them and set the preferred timeline, Downes said.
“Some things we might be a little bit behind the eight ball on, and some things we have plenty of time to react,” he said.
The challenge is addressing the needs in the east while sustaining the western part of the city, he said. The $54 million total does not include increased operating costs that would come with the proposed projects.
Yes, the dollar amounts are big and may cause stress, but “don’t let money get in the way of vision,” Downes said. “Just let it get in the way of the timing of accomplishing the vision.”
When council members ranked priorities, the highest scores collectively went to the police substation, library, Fire Department expansion, and parks and public works facility.
Maps courtesy of Caprine and CMH Architects.
An alternate site being considered for the proposed library branch, closer to Sicard Hollow Road.
Next came paving, drainage and other infrastructure improvements, followed by conversion of the Liberty Park fields to artificial turf.
There are numerous options for funding, Downes said. The city could use general fund revenues, borrow long term, take out short-term loans, seek grants or look for other partners.
The city has accomplished a lot in recent years through its Community Spaces Plan and, with commercial growth, has strengthened its financial position, with revenues outpacing expenses.
“We’re very healthy,” Downes said. “But do we want to spend it all?”
The city has financial policies that limit how much it can borrow and the types of debt it can incur, but “there are so many different ways to accomplish the vision,” he said.
Staff will develop a proposal in the coming months for the council to consider.
Here’s a closer look at the projects on the table:
Police Substation
The proposal is for a 25,000-square-foot police substation and training facility with 75 parking spaces (20 secured) on the back side of the SHAC. The current police headquarters at City Hall is about 10 years old, Police Chief Shane Ware said.
The department has grown from 81 to 110 sworn officers and 114 total employees, and “we have exceeded the capacity of that building,” which includes the jail and courtroom, Ware said.
The department is currently renovating a substation in Cahaba Heights that serves as a hub for the eastern side of town, but it’s only a cosmetic upgrade due to lack of space, he said. The department has no physical presence in Liberty Park, which is nearly the size of Homewood, he added.
Putting a substation in Liberty Park would allow the relocation of non-patrol officers and serve as a force multiplier when situations call for additional response, Ware said. He also said a dedicated training facility and an emergency operations center are needed on the city’s eastern side.
Library Branch
The proposal also includes a 12,000-square-foot library branch next to the SHAC, with modern shelving, popular books and materials, space for storytimes and children’s programs, a teen hangout, technology hub, study rooms, conference room, programming space, an outdoor covered area, grassy play area and playground.
A conceptual master plan puts the library and playground behind the SHAC near the proposed substation, but Library Director Taneisha Tucker said she prefers an alternate site between the splash pad and Sicard Hollow Road.
The library has served Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights with digital materials, book lockers and drop boxes since 2007 and has offered summer storytimes, adult book clubs and family events. But residents want more, Tucker said.
A group of residents called ROCK (Reading Opportunities Challenging Kids) raised funds for a part-time summer employee and secured space at Sicard Hollow and Liberty Park Middle School before disbanding in 2010 after the economic downturn and the opening of the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest.
Now, surveys show most residents in Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights use other libraries, but they deserve service from their own city, Tucker said.
Park Maintenance and Public Works
The existing park maintenance facility near the baseball and softball fields along Sicard Hollow Road is an eyesore and safety hazard, Councilwoman Kimberly Cook said.
Officials want to move it to a less visible location next to the SHAC, offering more space for equipment and materials, said Public Works Director Lori Beath Kearley.
The plan calls for a metal building with five bays, a bathroom, office space, break room, two 30-yard roll-off dumpsters and 7,000 square feet of storage space, she said.
Fire Department
Fire Chief Marvin Green said the department could lose its Class 1 ISO rating without expanded service in Liberty Park. Response times are slower than recommended, and several major developments are underway, including 545,000 square feet of apartments, a 100-room hotel, 108,000 square feet of cross-laminated timber offices, 100,000 square feet of retail and more than 1,300 homes.
His immediate recommendation is to add 4,000 square feet to Fire Station No. 4, expand the kitchen, add a quick-response unit and hire four additional personnel in fiscal 2026. He proposes adding four more personnel in fiscal 2027 and four more in 2028 to allow full-time staffing of an engine, ladder truck and rescue unit.
In the long term, the city will need a sixth station east of Station No. 4 — although there may be a greater need for another station to serve the Patchwork Farms area, Green said.
Recreation Fields
The Liberty Park fields — four baseball and five softball — are in high demand but drain poorly, said Parks and Recreation Director Jamie Lee. “When they get wet, they stay wet,” forcing cancellations and delays.
A drainage system and artificial turf would improve usability. While a new multi-use field at the SHAC would cost about $7 million, resurfacing the nine ballfields for $11.3 million offers greater benefit, officials said.
This may be a phased project, depending on the council’s direction, Downes said.
Proposed Capital Projects
- Police substation: $16.4 million
- Library branch: $9.2 million
- Parks and public works facility: $1.3 million
- Playground: $1 million
- SHAC access road: $1.4 million
- Artificial turf for Liberty Park fields: $11.3 million
- Fire Station No. 4 expansion: $6 million
- Fire Station No. 6 addition: $7.5 million
