Work on 18th Street, townhomes continues

Construction on eight townhomes on 18th Street South in Homewood is continuing, along with work to improve the street, which serves as a gateway coming into the city from Birmingham.

John Abernathy is the developer of the townhomes, which are located on 18th Street approaching Valley Avenue. He said the townhomes are all three levels, with a first-floor garage and storage, second-floor living space and third-floor bedrooms.

The goal is for the project to be completed by the end of May. Ingram Homes will be renting the townhomes, which will vary in price, but all will be above $3,000, Abernathy said.

Several of the townhomes also have chargers for electric vehicles. The location offers convenience to Birmingham and other nearby areas, and Abernathy’s team is also replacing sidewalks to link the homes to the rest of downtown Homewood.

Aesthetically, the townhomes will not be “cookie cutter” and will each have different square footages and layouts and most of them have second-floor patios in the back, Abernathy said.

Although there was some initial opposition to the townhomes, Abernathy said he has not heard any complaints since work began.

“We’re pretty excited about them,” he said.

As Abernathy and his team continue constructing the townhomes, the city of Homewood continues efforts to beautify and improve 18th Street, said City Engineer Cale Smith.

The contractor, Bulls Construction Group, is currently adding a right-turn lane onto the street from Valley Avenue. The rest of the work includes restriping and cleaning up from previous work. The city will also install a pedestrian signal crossing between the post office and Rob’E Mans, Smith said.

The finished work features sidewalks constructed on the east side of the street to match sidewalks previously installed on the west side, along with the addition of 26 angled parking spaces. The third lane on 18th Street was lost, however, with the far right lane becoming a right-turn only lane at 28th Avenue. Previous plans to remove a left-turn lane were scrapped, with the left lane now allowing drivers to turn left or continue straight.

The city also made aesthetic improvements to the street. 

“The work is part of the city’s efforts to have ‘complete streets,’ suitable for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists,” Smith said. 

The total cost of the project was $1.7 million, with the city responsible for 20%, or around $340,000. The rest was covered by a Transportation Alternatives Program grant, and the work should be finished by the end of June.