Hollywood pedestrian bridge could be funded this fall

The city's plans for a pedestrian bridge on Hollywood Boulevard could be funded this fall, Ward 5 Representative Jennifer Andress said.

The pedestrian bridge over U.S. 280 has been a longtime priority of the City Council but has moved forward significantly since Andress came into office, as this was one of her major campaign platforms.

The council's finance committee will hear a project update on June 18 from Mike Kaczorowski of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. Kaczorowski last updated the committee in January with information on vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the bridge and three options for pedestrian accessibility, ranging in cost from $1.4 million to $3.87 million.

Andress said the June 18 meeting will include updates to the proposed plan and budget for the project, which she expects to be in the range of $830,000. The project will likely be a co-op between Homewood, Mountain Brook and Birmingham since the bridge is in multiple jurisdictions.

The city of Mountain Brook has committed $200,000 to the project in its 2019 preliminary budget, Andress said, and she wants Homewood to do the same during its budget process for the upcoming fiscal year.

Homewood is seeking additional state funding as well as financial commitments from Jefferson County's state representatives. If those commitments are given, Andress said they will become available on Aug. 1 and must be spent by the end of September.

"I mean, we are moving," Andress said of the project's pace.

Andress said Homewood's status as a "running mecca" have prompted the Birmingham Track Club and Trak Shak to organize a fundraiser for the pedestrian bridge sometime this fall. The Hollywood Garden Club is also planning to fundraise for the project.

"The Hollywood Garden Club has been behind us 1,000 percent," she said.

The agenda and time for the finance committee meeting will be published on the city website, homewoodal.net.