Illustration courtesy of Creekside Homewood
Samford University has proposed a new development as part of Samford Horizons, the university's master plan for future growth. Changes to this depiction of Creekside East have been proposed, but no new map has been shared.
Samford University, Landmark Development and Johnson Controls announced today that they are withdrawing the rezoning applications and development plans pending before the Homewood City Council for the Creekside West and East projects and will focus their efforts on current and planned construction on Samford’s campus.
The project was set to appear before the council next Monday night for a public hearing, but will now be tabled as developers shift focus to on-campus developments like a new parking deck and the Bulldog District, which would include two new residential "villages" on the southwestern portion of campus.
The villages would together contain three student residential halls designed to address the university's enrollment growth. The project is on the agenda for Thursday's Board of Zoning Adjustments meeting at 6 p.m.
“Samford will continue to focus on its multi-phase master development plan for campus improvements to enhance campus lifestyle and promote an environment for academic and personal success which are essential to keeping Samford mission-focused and competitive,” Samford President Beck Taylor said in a press release. “The work we do to keep Samford on its positive trajectory benefits all of Homewood, and we are proud of our relationship with the Homewood community.”
As proposed, developers say Creekside represented a significant private investment in Homewood’s future and strengthened education, created new public spaces and amenities, promoted environmental stewardship for the next generation and built a stronger financial future for Homewood and its schools.
“City leaders we spoke with encouraged us to bring them a comprehensive mixed-use plan that included retail, entertainment and dining, office space, a boutique hotel and community gathering spaces,” Landmark Development President Bob Dunn said in a press release. “By providing a broader, long-term vision – which is a best practice in land use planning today – it is possible to achieve outcomes that can’t be realized on a typical, building-by-building incremental approach to real estate development.”
The Creekside proposal leveraged private investment to support four factors that were identified by developers as strengthening quality of life:
- Generating significant new tax revenues to fund needed capital improvements for Homewood City Schools and positioning Samford University to compete in the rapidly changing world of higher education.
- Building civic assets through private investment that could benefit the entire community and strengthen home values for all Homewood residents.
- Creating new benchmarks for environmental stewardship, education and improved access to the Shades Creek Greenway – including innovations in storm water management and supporting water quality, going far beyond current local regulatory requirements for development.
- Leveraging nearly $1 billion of private investment to support Homewood’s tax base, generating new tax revenues for additional city services and other public improvements.
“The only way a project like this moves forward is through a true public-private partnership to realize benefits for the broader community, its residents and schools, as well as other civic anchors,” Dunn said in the press release. “There is no timetable for revisiting Creekside, and our team’s focus right now is on the current and planned projects on Samford’s campus.”
