Photo courtesy of John Manzelli
John Manzelli is running to represent Ward 3 on Homewood City Council in the 2025 municipal election.
Homewood resident John Manzelli, a prominent voice in the effort to stop Samford University’s Creekside development, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 3 seat on the City Council.
Developers have withdrawn their rezoning and development plan applications for Creekside—a move Manzelli calls a “win” in the effort to prevent overdevelopment along Lakeshore Drive.
Building on the momentum from his opposition campaign, which gathered more than 600 petition signatures, Manzelli is now seeking a seat on the council to continue making an impact.
"Over the past two months, I’ve proudly stood with my neighbors to fight against the overdevelopment of the Creekside Project by Landmark and Samford University. Together, we won. We protected our green spaces, our town and our values through a powerful grassroots movement. But the work doesn’t stop here," Manzelli said in his announcement.
"There’s important work ahead to ensure our city government is more transparent, accountable and responsive to the people. I’m ready to do that work. I’m running for my family, for my neighbors and for this remarkable community we all love."
Manzelli announced his campaign on Saturday, highlighting the Brookwood Village redevelopment, greater transparency from Samford University and local government, improved traffic and parking and the growth of arts and culture in Homewood as some of his top priorities.
He points to his successful efforts against the Creekside development, 25 years in high school and college education, and his business and budgeting experience—gained during a decade in arts administration—as qualifications for the role.
He has served as the Theatre Chair for the Alabama School of Fine Arts since 2018 and recently received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University.
Manzelli will face Chris Lane, who is also running for the Ward 3 seat.
Visit manzelliforhomewood.com to learn more about his campaign.
