Council OKs purchase of land along Cahaba River

The Hoover City Council authorized Mayor Frank Brocato to enter a contract to pay $375,000 to buy 2.63 acres along lower Lorna Road next to the Cahaba River during its April 4 meeting.

The property was formerly used by Bama Concrete but has been vacant for years, and Hoover officials say the land has great potential for redevelopment for recreational, restaurant or retail use, or some combination of those uses.

Hoover Council President John Lyda said he doesn’t foresee the city hanging onto the property, but rather selling it to a private investor who can make better use of it, perhaps as a restaurant and/or retail space with a view of the Cahaba.

Greg Knighton, the city’s economic development manager, said the property also would be well suited for recreational use, such as a canoe outfitter. It could be a good spot for river enthusiasts to get in or get out of the Cahaba, he said.

Planners in the metro area have been looking for ways to develop ecotourism along the Cahaba, and this could be a great piece of such a network, Knighton said.

It may be a stop along the way for people canoeing down the river, where they can get out and grab a bite to eat before continuing on down to the Cahaba River Park in Shelby County, he said.

“Like stringing a necklace of pearls together, this could be one of the pearls along the Cahaba, to really encourage quality use of that river and really make the most of it for citizens and visitors alike,” Knighton said.

But city officials don’t intend to be the end user of the property, he said.

“Our goal is to try and acquire it,” he said. “Commercial property along the Cahaba River in Hoover, much less anywhere else, is not very frequently on the market. When we saw that as an opportunity, we felt like it was worth pursuing.”

Lyda noted that this piece of property, which is in unincorporated Jefferson County, is one of the gateways into Riverchase, and right now it’s not a pretty sight.

“From a visual perspective, we have an opportunity to steer the future development of that and take advantage of additional land along the Cahaba River,” Lyda said. “Quite frankly, we feared having another industrial type use there. Because it is a major gateway to Riverchase, we want it to be more appealing to the community and have a greater use for those who travel that area.”

Once the mayor signs the purchase contract, there will be a 90-day period of due diligence during which the city will do an environmental study and get an appraisal to make sure the purchase price is reasonable, Knighton said.

If the end result of those studies is favorable, the city will close on the contract and market the property to investors who have an interest in capitalizing on the river and the traffic count for that busy road, Lyda said.

The land currently has a metal storage building and trailer on it, but further analysis of the property is needed, Knighton said.

Next to the property is Riverchase Collision Repair, and the across Lorna Road are Gardner Landscaping and Cottage Supply Co.

Just across the Cahaba River is a small city park with a half-mile walking trail that city officials envision being a trailhead for longer greenway trails along the Cahaba.

If the sale on the old Bama Concrete property goes through, the plan is to annex the land into Hoover, Knighton said.