City of Homewood
Developer Mike Mouron has withdrawn his steakhouse and park plan for Homewood’s former police property; public hearing on the now‑dropped rezoning will still be held Aug. 11.
A proposal to redevelop Homewood’s former police headquarters into a steakhouse and public park has been withdrawn by developer Mike Mouron, Mayor Alex Wyatt told the city’s Planning and Development Committee on Aug. 4.
The plan, first discussed in February, called for rezoning the property at 1833 29th Avenue South from industrial to commercial to allow a 4,500‑square‑foot restaurant and a pocket park. Mouron had offered to fund the park portion through proceeds from the sale and cover any additional costs himself.
The project faced public criticism and a lawsuit filed July 14 by Kevin Misso of River Brook, a residential design‑build firm. Misso’s suit challenged the sale process and sought to delay rezoning. On July 18, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Monica A. Agee dissolved a temporary restraining order and dismissed the case with prejudice, ordering the plaintiff’s bond forfeited.
Wyatt told the committee Mouron “no longer wanted to pursue it and try to continue to answer frivolous and very quickly dismissed lawsuits… and other comments and attacks that have been made on his integrity and others’ integrity.” Wyatt added, “I’m still sad to see this project go. I think it was a good project… I think it was a project that managed to combine what people have been asking us for 10 years for that property… and it was going to also produce a revenue‑producing business on property that’s never produced tax revenue before.”
Although the plan is no longer moving forward, the public hearing on the rezoning — already advertised — will still be held Aug. 11 at 6 p.m. The committee voted 5-0 to send the item to the full council without recommendation pending that hearing.
