Live/dine concept proposed for vacant lot next to Patriot Park

Only one proposal was submitted in a new city request for proposals to develop the lot at 165 Oxmoor Road, next to Patriot Park.

Submitted by Hunter Lake of West Homewood Development Group, the proposal includes a group of condos and row houses anchored by a new location of the Avondale and Tuscaloosa restaurant Post Office Pies.

According to the proposal documents, provided by Greg Cobb in the city's department of engineering, planning and zoning, the development would be constructed in two phases. The first phase would be a three-story building with Post Office Pies on the ground floor and four live/work condos filling the upper floors.The second phase would build four to five row or townhouses overlooking Patriot Park.

The proposal offers $35,000 for the lot, which is less than the city's $150,000 purchase of the property. However, Lake says in the proposal that the development group is interested in negotiating with the city about the agreement.

Estimated construction costs will be $2.3 million over the two phases of the development.

West Homewood Development Group is projecting $40,000 per year in sales tax revenue to the city from the development, as well as property value appreciation and possible encouragement of other retail and dining developments.

The development group has been working with Appleseed Workshop, whose founder Mike Gibson and director of architecture Kyle D'Agostino are both Homewood residents, to ensure compliance with Homewood's form-based code, the documents said. West Homewood Development Group is interested in continuing the idea of mixed-use development to other parcels in the area if the current property owners are interested in negotiations.

The proposal states that, if the idea is chosen and all permits and leasing occur smoothly, the development group would like to close on the property and on the financing for construction within 180 days of acceptance. HAL Construction would be responsible for the development's construction.

Prior to the RFP's closing date of Feb. 22, Sonya DiCarlo and Paula Harris stated that they would not be resubmitting their Grove proposal for consideration. Tom Walker, one of the developers interested in building a food truck park and beer garden, had said his development group would be resubmitting a modified proposal. However, the city did not receive a food truck park proposal by the due date. Walker has not responded yet to a request for comment.

The city has set a March 7 work session to discuss the proposal at 6:45 p.m. in the council work chambers.