Photo by Jon Anderson.
The Vestavia Hills Elementary Central school has been mostly unused since 2019. The Vestavia Hills Board of Education voted Nov. 2 to sell it to a private entity called Wellspring Holdings, that plans to make it a hub for educational nonprofits.
The Vestavia Hills Elementary Central campus has been mostly vacant since 2019, after 30 years of use as a school for students in grades 4-5 in the Vestavia Hills Elementary East and Elementary West school zones, but now there are new plans for the building.
Ammie Akin, a longtime educator, and her husband, Will Akin, a commercial real estate veteran, have agreed through a company called Wellspring Holdings to purchase the Central school for $1.25 million and turn it into a hub for educational nonprofits that will support needs in the community.
The Vestavia Hills Board of Education gave its approval for the sale on Nov. 2. The school system is selling the 8.15 acres that includes the school and the two-story, 7,398-square-foot office building in front of the school, but it will hold onto the 12.15 acres that contain a track and soccer field because the system and Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation Department still use those, Superintendent Todd Freeman said.
The property was acquired from Vestavia Alliance Church in 1987.
When the school system acquired Gresham Elementary School from Jefferson County and renamed it Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, all of Vestavia’s elementary schools became K-5 schools, and the Central campus was vacated. It has been used for some meetings, and the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation Department has used the gym, but the rest of the school has gone unused, Freeman said.
He believes the Akins’ plans for the building, which now will be called Hub in the Hills, will be good for the community.
Ammie Akin has 20 years of experience in education. Her background spans from elementary to high school and college, and she has served in administrative roles, most recently as interim superintendent for Briarwood Christian School.
Akin completed her undergraduate training in the College of Education at the University of Alabama and continued her education by earning a master’s degree, educational specialist degree and a doctorate in educational leadership at Samford University.
In 2020, she joined the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Technology Studies at the University of Alabama as a clinical assistant professor of educational leadership.
She has been a member of the university’s Leadership for Character Team, which is part of the Center for the Study of Ethical Development. She also assists with the Superintendents’ Academy through the university and has been a leadership facilitator and developed programs for aspiring and current principals and superintendents.
But Akin’s passion for education extends beyond her professional endeavors. She has actively contributed to the launch of nonprofit organizations, including as the board chairwoman for Unless U, a nonprofit that supports adults with developmental disabilities.
She also is a member of the board of advisors for the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics, an organization that sponsors competitive college sports in men's and women's wheelchair basketball and tennis.
Akin’s experiences have given her a keen understanding of the distinctive needs of children and families, according to a statement from Hub in the Hills.
“Dr. Akin’s awareness of these unique needs fuels her commitment to creating meaningful and impactful initiatives that cater to the well-being and development of children and families,” the statement said.
Akin described the Central elementary campus as an iconic landmark.
“We feel privileged to have the opportunity to revitalize this space, ensuring that generations to come will continue to benefit from the rich legacy that Central Elementary represents,” she said.
Will Akin, an active real estate developer and investor who himself attended the Central elementary school, has had a focus on redeveloping distressed properties in Alabama and surrounding states.
He also is a past chairman of the board for Sav-A-Life Vestavia and has partnered with numerous local charities.
Ammie Akin said in early November they had not yet identified nonprofits to be part of the Hub in the Hills. Over the next several months, she and her husband will be working with architects, engineers and contractors to further inspect the property and develop renderings of how they want to redesign the space, she said.
The purchase of the building is a personal investment for them, but not the kind of investment that many people think about, she said. “It’s an investment in the lives of people — our most important asset.”
