By June Mathews
A groundbreaking ceremony on June 27 officially marked the beginning of a $2.7 million project to make improvements to Jemison Trail.
The cost will be shared by the city of Mountain Brook, the Friends of Jemison Park and other donors.
City leaders have allocated $1.4 million over the next three years to the project. The Friends of Jemison Park recently presented a check for $1 million to the Mountain Brook City Council toward the group’s goal of matching the city’s contribution.
“I want to thank the City Council for stepping up and doing a public/private partnership with the Friends of Jemison Park,” Mayor Stewart Welch said in his introductory remarks. “Thank you for your dedication to Jemison Park. It is Birmingham’s signature park.”
Sally Worthen, president of the Friends of Jemison Park, said, “I’m so happy today has come. It’s going to be so great for the city of Mountain Brook, as well as for Birmingham.”
Worthen, who also expressed appreciation to everyone involved in the funding efforts, has lived across the street from the park since 1986 and became president of the Friends group about four years later. Organized in 1973, the Friends group seeks to continue the vision of Mountain Brook founder and developer Robert Jemison Jr., for whom the park is named.
The trail closed June 26 and will remain closed for approximately six months while the work is being done. Renovations include replacing the concrete walkways with asphalt for a more runner-friendly surface, widening paths and rerouting sections of the walkway along Shades Creek that are prone to flooding.
When completed, the 1-mile Jemison Trail will be 1.5 miles long and ADA compliant.
“What we’re doing now is helping the park go through the next few years,” said Joel Eliason of Nimrod, Long & Associates. “As more people discover the park, it gets more use, and we’re seeing more effects of that. So we’re trying now to mitigate some of those effects and make sure that this park is still a viable part of the community for many, many years to come.”
About Jemison Park
The 54-acre linear Jemison Park is a greenway following the streambanks of Watkins Brook and Shades Creek in Mountain Brook. Used for walking, jogging, reading, bird watching and picnicking, the area is inhabited by owls, hawks, raccoons and foxes. An abundance of native plant species is also found there.
The land was reserved by Robert Jemison Jr. during the development of Mountain Brook to not only showcase the natural beauty of the area, but to provide a buffer zone in case of flooding. After Mountain Brook was incorporated in 1942, the land was turned over to the city. The public dedication of the entire 54-acre area as Robert Jemison Jr. Park was approved by the Mountain Brook City Council on Oct. 6, 1952.
Where to Walk in the Meantime
For those in the habit of using the Jemison Trail and wondering where to get those steps in while it’s closed, here are some nearby options:
• The Chief’s Woodland Trail can be accessed from Park Brook Road until early August. This new crushed stone walkway offers a different view of Shades Creek and the native woods around it. Though the Woodland Trail is currently a dead-end trail, plans call for a bridge to be added that will connect it back to the Jemison Trail.
• The Watkins Trace Trail is a crushed stone trail that runs parallel to Cahaba Road and connects Jemison Trail to the city sidewalk system near Mountain Brook Elementary School. The Watkins Trail is four-tenths of a mile long.
• The Nature Trail, a crushed stone trail attached to the east end of Jemison Trail, runs between Overbrook Road and Shades Creek. Attached to the east end of Jemison Trail, the six-tenths of a mile long trail is surrounded by greenery and affords beautiful views of the creek.
• The Irondale Furnace Trail leads to the former site of the Irondale blast furnace, a Civil War-era facility that once occupied more than 2,000 acres. The trail runs six-tenths of a mile from Stone River Road, where parking is available, to the city’s sidewalks on Old Leeds Road. Dog stations are available onsite.
For more information on Jemison Park and how you can support it, visit friendsofjemisonpark.org
English (US)