Enthusiasm for the potential of the area along Highway 31 helped spur larger discussions.By Ana Good
The southernmost gateway into the city of Vestavia Hills is on its way to receiving a major facelift.
Vestavia Hills residents, elected officials and prospective developers gathered at the Civic Center last Thursday for a recap of a multi-day planning session centered on the redevelopment of the former Days Inn property at 1485 Montgomery Highway.
For now, official redevelopment plans include only about 3.5 acres of city-owned land. Enthusiasm for the potential of the area along U.S. 31, however, helped spur larger discussions. What began as discussions about proposed changes to the Days Inn property grew over the course of the week to encompass a much larger area, Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said.
Property owners of sites adjacent to the former hotel said they, too, are open to working with potential developers to redevelop the area, McCulley said, meaning as many as 10 acres along U.S. 31 may eventually be redeveloped. The expanded scope spans from the current gateway near the Issis and Sons property north to the site of the former Motor Lodge property now owned by Ward Neely. Neely bought the site last year and is working with local developer John Michael Bodnar to redevelop it, McCulley said.
Thursday’s session capped two days of community talks and private stakeholder meetings. Hydrologists, traffic consultants, commercial property developers and government agencies also were involved.
The multi-day event to consult with as many stakeholders as possible, called a charrette, followed a March 13 City Council vote to approve a bid by Complete Demolition Services LLC for environmental remediation and demolition on the property.
“As we enter an agreement with a contractor to demolish the old Days Inn property, the city of Vestavia Hills does not just want to remove this blemish from our largest business corridor, but we also want to engage our residents, property owners and prospective development community to determine the most appropriate redevelopment use that will serve as a catalyst for refreshing the entire south end of Highway 31,” City Manager Jeff Downes said in a statement provided to Over the Mountain Journal.
The kick-off session, held March 14, invited the public to comment on the project area, which McCulley described as a “historic opportunity for improvement.”
Williams Blackstock Architects provided site plan renderings envisioning potential changes to the area. Residents were shown a series of area plans and pictures and asked to indicate what they wished to see created at the location, as well as what they disliked.
Community members also took part in a visual preference survey, in which they were presented with a series of mocked-up images and asked to vote for the ideal gateway element, beautification plan, retail use and design, among other elements.
According to the results of the survey, residents who took part indicated a preference for the site to incorporate a village-like combined retail and hospitality space. Participants also said they would like to see community gathering areas and greenspaces incorporated, as well as pedestrian and vehicle connections between mixed-use concepts.
Downes said the meeting served “as a turning of the next chapter of Vestavia Hill’s commercial renaissance.”
The city purchased the Days Inn property in August 2022 for $3.6 million from RAM Hospitality following a unanimous vote by the City Council.
The property sits at the southernmost gateway to the city, near the intersection of Interstate 65 and U.S. 31. It initially opened as a Howard Johnson’s in 1974 before being rebranded several times over the years.
“We are excited to share the illustrations and development principles that will result from the charrette,” Downs said. “This will serve as a launchpad to identifying a private sector partner who shares our vision of community betterment.”
Funds for the project, including for the purchase and demolition of the property, come from money the city received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. McCulley said demolition of the Days Inn property could begin by the end of March and is the first step in the redevelopment process. The city, according to the March 16 presentation, then plans to solicit further public comment about the work-in-progress plan before making a final decision.
Full implementation is projected to take between 24 months and 36 months.
All presentations, as well as video recordings of the public meetings, will be available on the city website vhal.org/economy/private-development-projects. Those who were unable to attend the charrette are invited to comment via the Vestavia Hills Listens Portal.
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