Photo by Kamp Fender
Construction shown on U.S. 31. Workers move dirt as preparations and improvements are made at Wald Park in Vestavia Hills.
Most projects that are part of the Community Spaces Plan in Vestavia Hills should see completion of the design stage in the spring of 2019, with some projects beginning the construction phase, City Manager Jeff Downes said.
Road resurfacing and paving has already begun and is slated for $2.2 million worth of work, Downes said, though the winter months could affect how quickly it is done.
“You are relying on weather,” Downes said. “The cold can delay how quickly you can pave 20 miles.”
Crosshaven Drive is set to receive improvements to become a three-lane road from The Summit to Overton Road with a shared turn lane. Intersection improvements will also be made, along with the installation of sidewalks.
The city has engaged with Gonzalez-Strength & Associates to survey the work and perform preliminary designs in late 2018, with rights-of-way acquisition to begin in the first quarter of 2019, Downes said.
Design efforts continue on many drainage projects, in which deteriorating pipes are being replaced. While the work should help cut down on the number of sinkholes and road damage, there’s unfortunately no way to stop flooding completely.
“The areas of regular flooding will continue to have periodic flooding,” Downes said. “Mother Nature is undefeated with water coming downhill.”
Wald Park along U.S. 31 is already taking on a different look as a mass grading exercise has taken place. Wald Park will become level with U.S. 31, with the current pool, pool house and exchange field being demolished and rebuilt. The public works facility and tennis courts will also be demolished, with the former making way for the new Baumhower’s restaurant set to open in 2019.
Design development for Wald Park is ongoing and the project should be bid in spring 2019, with construction hopefully starting in mid-2019, Downes said.
Rendering courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
Wald Park has major planned renovations, which include a competition pool and a great lawn.
“It will be transformational in 2019 as we see Wald Park transformed from a dated and aged asset to something everyone can be proud of,” Downes said.
The future community building is also being designed after the council approved schematics for the space, located at the former Gold’s Gym building near City Hall. The building will have three gyms and will have space for civic and banquet activities, as well as the potential to host the Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame.
At the Cahaba Heights ballfields, the existing fields will be replaced with upgrades, and more amenities will be added, Downes said. That project is also in the design stage and should be bid out to contractors in the spring of 2019, Downes said.
“We hope not to disrupt [the early part] of baseball season,” Downes said. “There’s going to be some inconvenience. But for most [of the season], it will be preserved.”
The city will also utilize a $750,000 grant to improve the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex. The grant was given as a part of the Mine Reclamation Program, and the money will be used to continue the city’s master plan for the complex, including improved access, parking, play areas, an outdoor play surface, an amphitheater and trail systems, Downes said. Construction should begin in 2019.
Of note to Vestavia residents, especially parents: The city will not operate its own pool in summer 2019, but leaders are working to potentially collaborate with other pool operators to see what can be done.
Lastly, sidewalk improvements are slated for East Street, Mountainview Drive, the Rocky Ridge Road area and Cahaba Heights Road, while discussions are ongoing about the possibility of sidewalks on Poe Drive, Downes said. All of those projects are in the early design stage, and the $2.5 million effort will continue throughout 2019.
So far, Downes said he is pleased with the project and praised the work of TCU Consulting, which is overseeing the project for the city. The plan will increase the quality of life assets available to city residents, Downessaid.
“We need assets that, from a quality of life perspective, are top notch,” Downes said.
Having those features within the city, Downes said, will help attract residents and businesses and allow the city to become “economically sustainable.”
“When people have an opportunity to choose to live in Vestavia Hills or somewhere else, we hope they choose Vestavia,” Downes said.
This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.