Hoover council sets votes for self-storage facility, strip center on Alabama 150
The Hoover City Council on Tuesday night scheduled public hearings for Sept. 16 concerning proposals to build about 90,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage and a shopping center of at least 10,000 square feet at two sites along Alabama 150.
StoreEase Development is proposing to put two climate-controlled storage buildings on property just west of the Walgreens near the entrance to the Deer Valley community.
And the owner of Jubilee Joe’s Cajun and Seafood Restaurant wants to build a new 10,300-square-foot strip shopping center right next to the Sprouts grocery store in The Shoppes at Hoover at the intersection of Alabama 150 and Interstate 459. Drawings submitted to the city show that he plans to relocate his restaurant there, plus build another 6,629 square feet of retail space.
SELF-STORAGE BUILDINGS
Former state Sen. Slade Blackwell, R-Mountain Brook, one of the partners in StoreEase Development, said there’s a great demand for self-storage services in that high-growth area of western Hoover and nearby communities. The area within a 3-mile to 4-mile radius of Deer Valley needs 337,376 square feet of self-storage space, but there is only 197,000 square feet available, leaving an unmet need of 140,000 square feet, he said.
The StoreEase buildings he wants to put along Alabama 150 right next to the Jonathan Michael “Mike” Gilotti Memorial Bridge would be designed in a way that’s similar to the design of buildings in the Ross Bridge Town Center, Blackwell said.
The storage buildings would be two stories, but because of the terrain, they would appear to be one-story facilities from certain angles, he said. The two buildings would be built into the sloping property. At least 80 percent of the exterior would be brick, and the color would match the bricks at the Ross Bridge Welcome Center, he said.
Together, the two buildings would have about 700 self-storage units, said Josh Boyd, another partner in StoreEase Development.
The Hoover zoning board in March recommended the City Council approve a plan to put a three-story 60,000-square-foot self-storage facility and a 9,000-square-foot retail center on this piece of property. But that recommendation was tabled due to some concerns of neighbors, and the developer ended up revising his plans to increase the size of the self-storage space, change the design and eliminate the retail strip center.
Stan Marks, one of the Deer Valley residents who expressed concerns about the original plans, said he was very pleased with the adjustments made by the developers wanting to build the self-storage space.
JUBILEE JOE’S RELOCATION
Further east, at the intersection of Alabama 150 and Interstate 459, Jubilee Joe’s owner Kashif “Kash” Siddiqui wants to relocate his restaurant to 1.7 acres on a corner property next to Sprouts and an outparcel that contains Starbucks, an AT&T shop and Riveria Nails and Spa.
According to drawings submitted to the city, his new restaurant would take up 2,983 square feet of a 10,333-square-foot building and have another 757 square feet of outdoor seating. There would be another 6.629 square feet of retail space available for other tenants.
Because there are only 72 proposed parking space on the parcel, the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval for the shopping center only under the condition that no other sit-down restaurant be allowed in the center, City Planner Mac Martin said.
Siddiqui previously said this is a $5 million project for him.
OTHER BUSINESS
The Hoover City Council also on Tuesday night:
- Set a public hearing for Sept. 16 to consider a request to allow a restaurant/brewpub called Hops n Guac in The Village at Brock’s Gap shopping center at the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and Stadium Trace Parkway. The brewpub is seeking permission to have indoor and outdoor recreational games and activities and the ability to sell alcohol for consumption both on and off the premises.
- Set a public hearing for Sept. 16 to consider revisions to the site plan for The Crossings of Hoover senior living center in the Riverchase office park along Parkway Lake Drive between U.S. 31 and Parkway River Drive.
- Agreed to pay Hoover police Capt. Norm McDuffey a $4,000 advance to offset expenses associated with attending the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, between Oct. 7 and Dec. 20.
- Authorized the mayor to enter an agreement with the International Association of Police Chiefs to develop a promotional assessment center for candidates for police sergeant and lieutenant positions.
- Amended the budget to reallocate money designated for the purchasing director position to a new finance director position. Purchasing Director Ben Powell recently was promoted to city treasurer and, though he will retain his duties as purchasing director, will receive the higher salary set for city treasurer.
- Reappointed Signature Homes President Jonathan Belcher and Brian Ethridge, Bryant Bank executive vice president for corporate banking, to six-year terms on the Hoover Industrial Development Board.
- Gave approval for a new restaurant called Farrellys to sell liquor at 5532 Grove Blvd.
- Declared a house under construction at 5553 Northridge Circle to be a public nuisance due to high weeds and/or grass.
- Agreed to pay to cut the weeds and/or grass at 2874 Wisteria Drive and 2384 Chapel Road due to high weeds and/or grass and to bill the owners for the work.