Future Growth in Birmingham Metropolitan Area (school, barbers, teach) - Alabama (AL) - Page 7 - City-Data Forum

bhamguy · 11-14-2013, 04:38 PM

Has there been any recent announcements for Lane Parke? I just wonder about the style center it will be...The Summit, Patton Creek, SOHO, or a mixture?

I was at Patton Creek today, and it is looking kinda sad, as well as, Lee Branch. These large centers are in great locations, and yet because of so much competition, they both have several vacancies. I just had to wonder if Lane Parke would be in a similar position when it opens in a few years.

Some areas seem to praise the idea of being overbuilt (via sprawl), while there are existing centers that could be filled before building new centers. This makes infill ever more important. I'd rather have infill than building new shopping centers, in an effort to get a Cheesecake Factory, a Macy's, a West Elm, A Nordstrom, etc, e.g. Huntsville.

raj kapoor · 11-14-2013, 10:21 PM

Google Lane Parke, there are a lot of photos. Of course, it is being built in the style of Mountain Brook Village. It is not a large commercial area.
It is laid out with streets and both on street and hidden garage parking.

It's tenant mix will not reflect any thing going on in the area. It will be full.

Google Kessler's Grand Bohemian Hotel to get a good sense of the style. (it will be located across the street from the botanical gardens.

The first apts. will be open late next Spring and the first commercial construction should be underway then and finished about a year later, so it is basically a two year time table at this point.

raj

Tourian · 11-16-2013, 08:55 AM

An article on AL reports that Birmingham is at about 95 percent occupancy on commercial development and 93 percent occupancy on apartment occupancy the latter of which is higher then Atlanta or Nashville.

Those both seem to be fantastic stats for Birmingham to hang their hat on especially with so many proposed projects being tossed around that may or may not come together. Any of a number of new projects could be around the corner.

With so much focus on rentals I cant help but think of how the Hoover effort to squelch bussing is perceived by some as an effort to remove undesirable low income minorities from Hoover schools. It would seem that downtown could easily add the castaways from Hoover in a readymadr system designed for parents who work and students who dont have access to cars. Or would they just move to Alabaster or Pelham?

jakabedy · 11-16-2013, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourian

With so much focus on rentals I cant help but think of how the Hoover effort to squelch bussing is perceived by some as an effort to remove undesirable low income minorities from Hoover schools. It would seem that downtown could easily add the castaways from Hoover in a readymadr system designed for parents who work and students who dont have access to cars. Or would they just move to Alabaster or Pelham?

Those families went to Hoover for the schools, first and foremost. Schools will remain a priority for them, and they'll go where they need to go to make it work for them. Birmingham could build the most attractive family rentals ever, but that doesn't fix the general lack of appeal of the schools. I think you'll see some move to Pelham and Alabaster, and others a bit further south to Shelby County and go to Calera and Montevallo schools.

Just out of curiosity, where are the apartment owners in this conversation? They always seem to be incredibly silent when any of this goes on. Whether it was Homewood's retaking of the Valley Avenue properties to build a school, or the sale/demolition of the primarily Hispanic Lorna Road complex, there never seems to be much public comment as long as the money is right.

But in this case, Hoover isn't talking about buying them out. Hoover is talking about freezing them out. You'd think there would be some pushback, and maybe there is behind the scenes. But I wonder, if Hoover schools make good on the threat, if there might be some consideration that the property owners/managers provide some sort of contracted school transport. It could be built into the rent. That would leave out those in single family homes, but it would go a long way toward helping the kids who are most in need.

Tourian · 11-16-2013, 11:51 AM

I know they went for the schools but like it or not buses are a necessity and so is affordable rent. If some other areas dont provide the right conditions - like say Pelham building high dollar rentals off exit 242. I would also like to think pelham and alabaster have the tiny kingdom mentality in that they dont want to be the next hoover either.