Samford requests $250,000 in incentives from Homewood for football stadium

Samford University will soon begin the first phase of an $11 million renovation project on its football stadium, and it has asked the city of Homewood for $250,000 in incentives.

At the April 15 Homewood City Council finance committee meeting, Samford Deputy Director of Athletics Bo Kerr presented the request to committee members. Kerr said the university is in the fundraising process and has divided the project into three phases that will be completed as funding goals are reached.

“Our facility quite honestly is just not up to par within the Southern Conference,” Kerr said.

The first phase should start this spring and wrap up in the fall, he said, and the overall project has a goal of completion in fall 2022. Kerr said the largest part of the project is the second phase, which focuses on "fan experience" through work on the restrooms, concession stands and audio/visual equipment.

Samford is asking Homewood to provide $250,000 in incentives for the project, paid out over five years. Kerr said a number of other donors are also making commitments over that same time frame.

“A successful football program is critical to the success of the university,” Kerr said, adding that Homewood benefits from Samford's success and has used the football stadium as a high school sports venue before.

Ward 5 Councilor Peter Wright said the stadium's impact on the high school makes this a worthwhile investment.

The committee decided to carry over the item to look in more detail at Samford's request.

The finance committee also heard three budget requests from the Homewood Police Department. Chief Tim Ross said he wanted to spend about $5,000, which was already budgeted this fiscal year, for a software from Tyler Technologies to write electronic parking tickets.

The police department also wants to renew its contract with PredPol predictive policing software and a set of six bids for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the new police headquarters under construction on Bagby Drive. Those bids total $616,000.

Also on April 15, the special issues committee heard two requests from the Jack's on 19th Street South. The company is planning to tear down and rebuild its building in a new style.

The representatives of Jack's have requested the ability to work in the alley between the restaurant and Demetri's BBQ in order to plant trees, as the building would not be able to meet city tree ordinances without either hindering vehicle sight lines at its driveways or taking up parking.

The new building will remove 10 parking spaces, according to plans presented to the special issues committee, and removing more for trees would cause the property to be out of compliance with parking ordinances.

Ward 1 Councilor Andy Gwaltney said he considered it a "self-imposed hardship" since the building's plans caused the parking loss. He later voted "no" when the issue was sent to the full City Council for discussion next Monday.

Jack's is also requesting sign variances. The restaurant's presented plans include removing the pole sign and adding attached signs, one of which doesn't meet the city's size limits, on the front and both sides of the new building. There would also be a mural of the Jack's sign on the two sides, which the city considers a sign.

Though the removal of the pole sign was a positive, committee members were concerned about the overall number of signs. They asked Jack's representatives to consider reducing their request before it is considered by the council next Monday.