West side story

Morgan and Molly Duncan moved to West Homewood in November 2013 because they liked the city’s redevelopment plan for the area: walkable sidewalks, local businesses and a cohesive neighborhood design style. After a year in their new home, they saw no sign of any of these changes.

“We’ve been waiting for someone to do something,” Morgan said. “After waiting for a year, we got tired and said, ‘Let’s do something.’”

The couple, along with Morgan’s brother Tyler, made a plan for a corner store of their own, with a deli, bar and small market. They signed a lease on 703 and 705 Oak Grove Road in mid-April and are just beginning the 

enovation process. At the same time, the city has approved its first steps in the redevelopment plan the Duncans have been waiting for.

Oak and Raleigh

The Duncans are hoping to open their new business, Oak and Raleigh, by the second week of June. It sits right across from Patriot Park, and Morgan said he’s betting on foot traffic from neighbors and families enjoying the park.

“We’re going to be counting on the neighborhood, really,” Morgan said.

Oak and Raleigh will have a deli serving toasted and steamed sandwiches and salads. There will be 10 beers on tap, all from Birmingham breweries, and the Duncans are planning a full selection of 40 beers and several types of wine. The market will sell fresh cuts of meat and other essentials such as cheeses and breads. 

“It’s not going to be huge,” Morgan said. “If you want to come in and get a couple steaks for your family, we’ll have what you need.”

The renovation process will be extensive, as they will be knocking down several walls, redoing ductwork and making larger bathrooms. The end result will be a 1,900-square-foot store with an open kitchen, a bar, large windows facing the park, dining tables and a lounge area for customers.

The Duncan trio is well suited to the task. Morgan is a lawyer who has worked with many new small businesses, Tyler works in construction, and Molly is an interior designer. They plan to complete the construction in four weeks.

Once it opens for business, Oak and Raleigh will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and as late “as people will let us” on weekends. 

They will be hiring other people to handle most of the day-to-day operations, but both Morgan and Tyler plan to be there serving food on weekends.

“It’s always fun to serve people beer and have good conversations,” Morgan said.

In addition to indoor seating, the Duncans are hoping the city will follow through on some of its redevelopment proposals, which include outdoor seating and landscaping at the corner of the current parking lot. Their business will be dependent on weather and residents’ willingness to walk, but they believe Oak and Raleigh will fill a neighborhood need.

“We are really going to be hoping that the 800 houses around here like us,” Tyler said.

Road renewal

Just before Oak and Raleigh gets ready to open its doors, the city of Homewood will begin phase one of the redevelopment plan it outlined in 2012.

In April, the Homewood City Council approved a project to redesign the section of Oak Grove Road between Oxmoor Road and Hall Avenue. The project will include a repaved street, brick sidewalk pavers, crosswalks and 21 new acorn-shaped streetlights. The city made a deal with Alabama Power to maintain the lights for around $1,200 per month.

Ward 2 Place 1 Representative Fred Hawkins has been heavily involved in the project’s design and said construction is planned to begin sometime after school lets out on May 21. It will be a tight deadline, but he’s hoping the project will be finished before the new school year begins in August so there won’t be disruption of school traffic.

“This is supposed to be a catalyst,” Hawkins said, noting that this first step would encourage more retail interest in the area and lead to the remaining three phases of the redevelopment plan.

The plan was originally presented to the public in 2012 after studies were performed by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. Mikhail Alert, a senior planner at the RPCGB, said the plan is intended to make West Homewood more walkable, slow traffic, attract local retail and give the area a distinctive look much like downtown Edgewood.

As proposed by the RPCGB, the rest of phase one includes redesigning the front facade of Oak and Raleigh’s building and adding pedestrian amenities such as landscaping and outdoor seating. Phase two of the plan would create a plaza on the southwest side of the Oak Grove Road-Oxmoor Road intersection, including a two-story building to house businesses, a cafe and possibly residential lofts. 

The third phase would improve the southeast side of the same intersection, with a new parcel being made into retail space and a paved sidewalk or fire access road connecting Gillon Drive to the intersection. The final phase proposes moving Homewood Fire Department Station 3 to the Scott Street area.

None of these projects has been approved or funded by the council yet, but Hawkins said the paving project itself has already drawn attention. He wants to see it become a “destination spot” in the city.

“We’ve already got three different people that heard about this that are interested in restaurants, retail and maybe housing,” Hawkins said. “I’m really hoping it will spark some growth that will clean up this area and make it a more attractive place to walk to for the neighborhood.”