Some moments are symbolic. Others are structural. And in 2026, Homewood will see both. From a 100th birthday to long-awaited plans and projects finally taking shape, these five storylines offer a snapshot of a city trying to honor its roots while building with intention.
Homewood’s 100th anniversary: A century mark is more than a party. Expect a year of looking forward as much as back — how we celebrate, yes, but also what we codify in policy, preservation and public space. The symbolism will matter; the follow-through will matter more.
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Piggly Wiggly on Montgomery Highway in Homewood.
The new and improved Pigg: Council approved a revised $3 million incentive package in August; the plan shifts to an on-site rebuild with a safer pickup zone for Shades Cahaba students, more parking (from approximately 85 to 137 spaces) and a better front-door presence. Closing will sting, but the target is a bigger, better grocery open before school starts in 2026.
Photo by Madoline Markham.
Brookwood Village Front Exterior
The facade of Brookwood Village will soon change to make room for a new movie theater.
Brookwood Village, phase one and beyond: Andrews Sports Medicine’s impending move into the former Belk (roughly 135,000 square feet) is the spark. The rest of the 57-acre puzzle — split across Homewood, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County — will play out over multiple bites. Both cities adopted an intergovernmental framework. Watch for site plan phasing, traffic and trail connections, and how much true mixed-use — not just office — makes the cut.
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Homewood Police Vehicle
Homewood Police vehicle during a traffic stop in West Homewood on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.
Downtown safety: Police substation and policy shift: The City Hall substation restores a visible, routine presence in SoHo using an existing ground-floor space and reserved patrol parking — low-cost, high-signal. Paired with the October homelessness ordinance, it’s a bet on clarity and presence. The key in 2026: measure outcomes and adjust language or deployment without drama.
Homewood’s long-range plan finally begins: Homewood hasn’t had a ratified long-range plan in more than two decades. That changes early 2026 with a facilitated process (RPCGB cost-share) that should land on real maps: land use, corridors, drainage, housing and a capital schedule you can actually read. Done right, it becomes the North Star for budgets and boards for the next 20-30 years.
