New Orleans-style building may come to West Oxmoor

At its Sept. 8 meeting, the city council approved a resolution to enter a sales contract on the vacant lot located at the intersection of Oak Grove Road and West Oxmoor Road.

Council president Bruce Limbaugh said the potential buyers plan to create a two-story, multi-use building on the property called “The Grove.” The building’s design will be influenced the former home of one of the buyers in New Orleans.

“You literally look at it and think you’re walking down St. Charles [Avenue],” Limbaugh said.

Limbaugh said the council will “do everything they can” to support the project.

Other council business included:

• Approval of a sign ordinance variation for Alabama Outdoors, located at 3054 Independence Drive. The owner of Alabama Outdoors is planning a renovation that includes replacing the current signs and adding a set of aluminum letters on the storefront.
• Carrying over consideration of declaring the property at 708 Carr Ave. as a public nuisance due to excessive growth. The issue will be discussed on Sept. 22.
• Declaration of six police department vehicles as surplus to be sold at auction.
• The finance committee was asked to consider funding additional streetlights on Berry Road.
• The finance committee was also asked to consider funding longevity pay and end-of-year bonuses for fulltime employees from a projected surplus.
• The finance committee was also asked to consider changing funding for the Jefferson County Transit Authority.
• Consideration of a sign ordinance variation for 411 Green Springs Highway was carried over to the next meeting.
• The planning and development committee was asked to consider annexing the property at 1709 Hillbrook Drive.
• The planning and development committee was also asked to consider vacating the section of road between 2501 and 2517 18th St. S.
• Consideration of rezoning the properties at 2501, 2513 and 2517 18th St. S. from Commercial Office District to Institutional District was carried over to the next meeting. This rezoning was recommended by the Homewood Planning Commission at its Sept. 2 meeting to give additional parking space to the Islamic Academy of Alabama.

The next council meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 22.