Photo by Erin Nelson.
Village Creek Development has secured letters of intent for a new hotel and restaurant on this former Days Inn site along U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills, Alabama., near Interstate 65. The proposed development also would involve the Citgo gasoline station adjacent to this site.
The private developer working with the city of Vestavia Hills to redevelop the former Days Inn site and adjacent property along U.S. 31 near Interstate 65 has secured letters of intent for a 120-room hotel and restaurant on the site, the developer told the City Council Monday.
Tom Walker, president of Village Creek Development, said he can’t disclose the hotel brand or restaurant but said the hotel brand would be new to the Alabama market. His company has interviewed two potential hotel management groups, and “they’re very eager,” but no decision about the hotel management company has been made, he said.
The proposed restaurant would be 8,000 square feet, but it has not yet been determined if it would be right next to the hotel or closer along U.S. 31, he said.
Currently, the city of Vestavia Hills owns the former Days Inn site, but the plan is for the city to sell that property to Village Creek Development, and Village Creek Development also plans to incorporate the Citgo gasoline station property into the development as well, Walker said.
Initially, there was talk about using the former Issis & Sons furniture store property as part of the new hotel site, but after further site studies were done, it has been determined that it would be difficult if not impossible to put the hotel on the Issis property, Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes said.
The new investment planned for that area falls in the $30 million to $40 million range, and “we have not seen a $30 million to $40 million investment in lower 31 in a long time,” Downes said.
Walker said there’s still a long way to go to complete the deal, but “we feel good about where we are.”
The city concurrently is working with engineers and designers to redesign the “south gateway” into Vestavia Hills along U.S. 31, which includes a new sign identifying the area as the entrance into the city and new landscaping to beautify the area.
The proposed south gateway would include a 15-foot-tall, 130-foot-long wall with “Vestavia Hills” written on it running parallel with U.S. 31. Also being proposed is another sign bearing the city’s name across the street by the Chevron gasoline station that would be visible to people exiting Interstate 65 North.
The plan also includes additional landscaping by the Chevron station and in a new median strip on U.S. 31 and drainage improvements, members of the design team told the City Council during the first day of its annual strategic planning session.
About 100 feet of the chain link fence behind the current temple sign structure at the intersection is proposed to be removed and replaced with a black vinyl fence.
The civil and landscaping design work is complete, and the next step is to get the landscape plans approved by the Vestavia Hills Design Review Board and the Alabama Department of Transportation (for work within the state right of way). The design team hopes to put the project out for bid this summer, and the lowest responsible bidder would be brought to the City Council for approval of the contract.
Downes said this project would be funded completely by money received from the sale of the former Days Inn site.
