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Richard Force
The recently sworn in Homewood mayor and City Council.
The recently sworn in Homewood mayor and City Council. From left, Ward 1 Councilman Paul Simmons II, Ward 2 Councilman Nick Sims, Mayor Jennifer Andress, Ward 3 Councilman Chris Lane and Ward 4 Councilman Winslow Armstead.
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Staff
Current Piggly Wiggly in Homewood
Current Piggly Wiggly in Homewood
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Rendering courtesy of Homewood City Council.
Rendering of the new Homewood Piggly Wiggly
The longtime Piggly Wiggly at U.S. 31 and Oxmoor Road is set for a major expansion, growing from about 12,000 to more than 20,000 square feet.
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Staff
Brookwood Village
Brookwood Village is entering a new chapter, with plans approved to renovate part of the mall into medical and office space and add parking for the new Andrews Sports Medicine facility. The project marks the first visible phase of a broader, multi-jurisdictional redevelopment effort involving Homewood, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County.
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Rendering courtesy of Homewood City Council.
Rendering of the new Andrews Sports Medicine facility
Brookwood Village is entering a new chapter, with plans approved to renovate part of the mall into medical and office space and add parking for the new Andrews Sports Medicine facility. The project marks the first visible phase of a broader, multi-jurisdictional redevelopment effort involving Homewood, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County.
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Richard Force
Homewood City Hall
Homewood City Hall is set to become home to a new police substation, planned for the building’s ground floor. The substation is expected to restore a consistent law enforcement presence in downtown SoHo while giving residents a convenient place to handle routine police business.
Homewood enters its centennial year with steady momentum and a clear mandate from the community: communicate early and often, move deliberately and measure results.
For newly elected Mayor Jennifer Andress, those recurring themes will shape the way she approaches the issues.
“It’s pacing, being more intentional, more communicative, more transparent,” Andress said. “I’m the luckiest person ever. All I want to do is just shout out how amazing our community is.”
Here’s what residents can look for in 2026:
The long-range plan finally begins
Homewood leaders haven’t updated a full comprehensive plan since 2007. Andress said this year will be big on public input and practical fixes while long-range planning work finally gets underway.
Public meetings are expected to begin this month, with ward-by-ward sessions and mailed notices for broader participation, ideas and feedback. The format will be hands on.
“There’s going to be a public meeting in each ward,” Andress said. “Even if you don’t use technology, you’re still going to know about these public meetings.”
The approach, she said, is purposeful in meeting residents’ needs and requests.
“They’re called charrettes, where maps [are] up on the wall, and people can come and lay things out and look at things and talk about things and talk to the consultants,” Andress said.
The first-quarter engagement will continue for months: gathering input, drafting and bringing a document back for public view.
For city leaders, the method matters as much as the maps.
Since Homewood’s transition to a councilor-manager form of government from the previous mayor-councilor structure, the city leaders have been focused on “slowing down a little bit, being more intentional and really trying to be really transparent,” Andress said.
There is one change residents who follow city politics will notice quickly, as some new changes slow down to include more communication and community engagement.
“We are not doing unanimous consent right now,” Andress said. “We are waiting till the next meeting, two weeks later, to have a vote.”
That broader window, she said, lets residents who didn’t watch live go back and watch, then communicate with city leaders.
The 2026 communications push is multi-channel, including a new communication plan, a newsletter, more social media and possibly some video content.
“It’s whatever we can do to get your eyeballs,” Andress said. “Communicate, communicate, communicate up front and then work through with the public and make sure you have them on your side.”
Council members did away with legacy standing committees from the old government structure and appointed recently retired Mountain Brook city manager Sam Gaston as a special assistant to interim City Manager Cale Smith — quiet but meaningful moves heading into a heavy planning year.
“My approach as acting city manager is steady, professional management, with each department and leader working under clear roles and expectations,” Smith said. “It’s a role that can only be done well when there is trust and transparency amongst council, city hall, department heads and residents. I believe good local government should be calm, predictable and responsive.”
The new and improved Piggly Wiggly
The Homewood City Council unanimously approved the amended development plan to expand and update the Piggly Wiggly at U.S. 31 and Oxmoor Road. It will expand the neighborhood grocery from approximately 12,000 square feet to more than 20,000 while keeping the loading dock in its current location to address Courtney Drive concerns about potential truck exhaust fumes.
“Piggly Wiggly has been part of this neighborhood for generations, and this redevelopment lets us serve Homewood the way our customers deserve — with more selection, easier shopping and the same personal service,” said Andrew Virciglio, a fourth-generation Piggly Wiggly Homewood owner/operator.
Councilman Winslow Armstead, whose ward includes the store, has called the redevelopment a positive step.
“The redevelopment of the store that’s been in Homewood for so long is a positive thing,” Armstead said. “I really appreciate that they’ve done so much work to try to make it something that everybody was asking for.”
Andress emphasized the civic component of the grocery store expansion.
“The actual business itself is so vitally important to our community, but also the generosity that they give to our schools — to local 5Ks,” Andress said. “They are unsung heroes in our entire community.”
Brookwood Village: phase one and beyond
Council members have approved an amended development plan at Brookwood Village to renovate a portion of the mall as new medical/office shell space, with additional parking for the new adjacent Andrews Sports Medicine. It’s the first visible sign of a multi-jurisdictional effort including Homewood, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County.
Andress stressed coordination, process and patience on the project.
“Any decision that’s made is going to be made together,” Andress said. “There’ll be ample opportunities for public input, for sure. We cannot be the best we can be if this whole region is not the best it can be. We all have to play together.”
As construction prepares to start on the Andrews component later this spring, residents should expect routine updates and chances to weigh in as subsequent phases take shape.
Downtown safety: substation and small fixes
A police substation in the ground floor of City Hall is budgeted and expected in the first quarter of this year, restoring routine presence in SoHo and giving residents a nearby place to handle police business.
“It’s going to be fully operational,” Andress said, adding that two of the temporary 15-minute parking spaces by City Hall are going to become Homewood Police spaces.
Council members have approved a new crosswalk at Shades Road and Westover Drive and a three-way stop at Waverly Drive and Avalon Road — small but tangible access upgrades that complement the substation and support a visible, consistent presence downtown.
On the city’s new homelessness ordinance, passed in October 2025, Andress emphasized protocol, not drama.
“It’s a work in progress — a continuing conversation,” she said. “We will monitor and see if things need to be changed, tweaked, revised or amended in any way we can do that.”
She said the city is communicating regularly with service providers alongside enforcement.
Quality-of-life connectivity is also part of the plan in 2026.
Andress pointed to projects already queued up, including a new trail connecting Spring Park and Rosewood to Central Avenue.
Homewood TURNS 100
A century mark isn’t just a party. The city’s Centennial Committee, chaired by former Councilor Barry Smith, is planning events citywide and throughout the year.
Andress shared the working outline.
“The general plan is we have different events throughout the year, including events associated with We Love Homewood Day, culminating with a big citywide event in the fall, closer to the actual Centennial day, which is November,” Andress said. “We have some wonderful ideas already: art exhibits featuring Homewood artists at City Hall, the library, banners for the poles downtown and other city locations, events for the schools, a 100-year-old house tour and a recognition of all living mayors and councilors who are still local.”
Smith, the interim city manager, said the community has a strong sense of pride in Homewood’s history and identity.
“Reaching a centennial milestone encourages us to reflect on what makes the city special, including its neighborhoods, schools, small businesses and engaged citizens,” Smith said.
Across all areas, the theme is disciplined follow-through, not reinvention.
“2026 will be an exciting year,” Smith said. “It will require focus and attention from our staff and leadership to understand the input we receive from our community and stakeholders. Ultimately, this process should give us the operational clarity we need while also giving residents confidence that city decisions are thoughtful and strategic.
Andress is looking forward to what’s ahead.
“We’re going to be doing big things,” Andress said. “I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
