Gardendale council approves City Center plan

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July 17, 2012

Gardendale council approves City Center plan

By Melanie Patterson North Jefferson News The North Jefferson News Tue Jul 17, 2012, 04:21 PM CDT

The city of Gardendale moved forward this week on the proposed new City Center.

On Monday, the city council approved a master development plan for the center, which includes a city hall building, cinema, office building, hotel, retail space and restaurants, including Buffalo Wild Wings.

LBYD Civil and Structural Engineers of Birmingham did the civic engineering on the project. Evan Terry created the master devolopment plan.

Mayor Othell Phillips said the city council’s approval of the plan will allow the city to get a legal description so work can start on Buffalo Wild Wings and the new city hall.

“I believe that the City Center project could be one of the largest economic development projects in the history of our city,” Phillips said. “This development is going to change the fabric of our city not only in the short run, but for the longevity of our city. We plan to set the standard with this development.”

Phillips said the city plans to offset the cost of the new city hall with the sale of outparcels and with sales tax revenue from retail shops that might locate there.

“The city has never had this opportunity before, because we have never owned a piece of property in the heart of the city to promote and lure new types of businesses in areas that we are currently underserved,” he said.

Last year, the city sold the existing city hall building to a company that will build a CVS pharmacy at the site. City offices must be moved out by October. Phillips said the city is looking at several facilities in order to rent space until the new city hall is built.

Crews are renovating the former Food World grocery store off of U.S. Hwy. 31 for a Public Safety Center, which will include the jail, courtroom, police department offices and magistrate offices. Officials said the facility will be complete by the October deadline.

For the Public Safety Center, the city council also on Monday approved a $465,167 draw on a line of credit from Regions Bank.

In other business, the council:

• appointed Bill Thomas to the Parks and Recreation Board

• revised the employment status of civic center employees Tyler Tumlin and Blake Huguley (the employees swapped jobs)

• hired Tina Hunt as an office laborer in the administrative department

• appointed City Clerk Keith Mosley to perform certain duties for the municipal elections on Aug. 28

• authorized a contract with Election Systems and Software Inc. to provide election services for the Aug. 28 elections

The next Gardendale City Council meeting is Aug. 6, 6 p.m., at Gardendale City Hall.

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Gardendale council approves City Center plan

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