Photo by Kamp Fender
BJCTA/MAX’s U.S. 31 South bus stop is located on the vacant lot on 18th Street in Homewood. This lot is the site of a proposed mixed-use development in 2019.
Signs of the city’s economic development work will be visible throughout downtown Homewood in 2019, Ward 1 City Councilor Britt Thames says.
Two major projects will occur on the northern stretch of 18th Street South. The first is a beautification project on the road, which will realign the lanes and add parking, sidewalks and landscaping. The second is construction of a Curio by Hilton hotel and surrounding retail developments on vacant property on the east side of the road by local developer Mike Mouron.
Thames said work on these two projects will occur almost simultaneously and will not only improve that area for pedestrians and shoppers, but will also encourage investments by other developers in the area.
The City Council approved an incentives package on Dec. 3 for Mouron to build the hotel and 10,000 square feet of new retail, abating 75 percent of new lodging tax revenue from the hotel for up to $10 million or 20 years, whichever comes first.
Mouron said he plans to start construction on the hotel in the spring and wrap it up in fall 2020. He has five years to build out the retail portion of the project, Mouron said.
“I think, really quickly, you’re going to see some really radical changes for the good in that part of town,” Thames said.
Negotiations for the incentives package were part of Homewood’s five-year economic development contract with Daniel Communities, which includes analysis of the city’s business makeup, available properties and opportunities for redevelopment or improvements, Thames said.
Doug Neil of Daniel Communities said on Dec. 3 that the new 18th Street commercial developments are expected to produce $42 million in new fiscal impact for the city over 30 years, through tax revenue, permit fees and other associated costs.
Thames said residents can expect to see other benefits from the city’s economic development contract in 2019, in the form of new businesses and improvements to current ones. Details remain private while negotiations and discussions are underway, but Thames said Brookwood Village mall is one location where the city is trying to stimulate new growth.
The city is continuing work with its new downtown Heart of Homewood master plan, too. Thames said the city is in the process of updating its downtown zoning codes based on public feedback, with an emphasis on mixed-use developments, parking requirements, landscaping, pedestrian flow and tiered density levels moving outward from the downtown core.
“My opinion is outside investors or local investors are going to see what’s happening, at the same time they’re going to see the city investing in that area, and then we’re going to update our zoning to make it easier for people to come in,” Thames said.
“This is really going to clarify everything, so I think that’s really going to encourage that reinvestment in downtown that we’ve been hoping for,” he added.
Homewood is also waiting on the state’s approval for an ownership swap of Green Springs Highway and Lakeshore Parkway, Thames said. The swap would allow Homewood more control over Green Springs, and he said switching the road from state to local ownership would allow projects like bike lanes or landscaping in Green Springs’ right-of-way.
Improving the appearance and traffic flow on that road could encourage additional development and improvements in Green Springs’ commercial areas, Thames said.
“You’ll see it become much more pedestrian-friendly. I think what the city wants to do is sort of get rid of that feeling that it’s a barrier, sort of cutting Homewood in half,” Thames said.
This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.
