Photo courtesy of the city of Homewood.
A conceptual drawing for a steakhouse surrounded by a walkable, family-friendly park proposed by developer Mike Mouron to repurpose the long-vacant police headquarters and jail property. Mouron submitted the idea as an unsolicited proposal at a city finance committee meeting in February, and plans to plans to refine the details and submit a formal plan for review.
The vacant Homewood Police Department headquarters and jail property in downtown Homewood may soon be redeveloped.
At a Feb. 17 finance committee meeting, developer Mike Mouron presented an unsolicited proposal to turn the site into a steakhouse surrounded by a park.
The Homewood Police Department moved to its new location at 310 W. Valley Ave. in 2020, leaving the former headquarters at 1833 29th Ave. S. vacant.
Mouron’s proposal was met with interest from city officials. He plans to refine the details and submit a formal plan for review.
“We submitted an unsolicited proposal and proposed to build a high-end steakhouse, run by Pihakis Restaurant Group, in the far southwestern corner of the property,” Mouron said. “We would use anywhere from a third to 40% of the property, take the majority of the site, and develop it as a pocket park.”
He noted that his plan would be an alternative to a high-rise development, which current zoning allows. Some residents have previously petitioned for a park on the site, and the developers are offering to pay the city $100 per square foot for the property.
Proceeds from the sale would be placed in escrow to fund improvements to the future park, with the developer covering any costs beyond the escrow amount.
Proposed project team:
- Chambless King Architects (architect)
- Chick Kelly, Kelly Landscape Architects (landscaping)
- Reeves Construction (general contractor)
- Pihakis Restaurant Group (restaurant owner)
Mayor Alex Wyatt expressed interest in the project.
“What intrigued me about it is it’s not big, in terms of what he’s proposing us build, which I liked,” Wyatt said. “It also includes a good bit of greenspace, which I liked. It’s something that we’ve heard from a lot of constituents that want some tax revenue from there. We’ve heard from a lot of constituents who want some greenspace from there, and so this is something that intrigued me when we talked about it.”
However, not all business owners support the plan.
Sue Graphos, owner of Sam’s Super Sandwiches across the street, expressed concerns about parking.
“We're going to end up losing 50 parking spaces when we don't have parking as it is. Homewood is in dire need of a parking deck or parking lot,” Graphos said. “I mean, there is no parking here. It's been this way for the longest time. The merchants have talked about it with the City Council forever and a day, and they just tend to ignore it like there's no problem.”
Mouron said the restaurant will offer valet services and utilize the underutilized parking deck beneath City Hall. He also noted that the steakhouse will primarily operate in the evening, after lunch-hour businesses have closed.
The project is in early stages and still requires plan approval, permits, and rezoning. If approved, Mouron hopes to purchase the property this summer and break ground by October or November.
