Looking ahead: Where does Hoover go from here?

There is no disputing that Hoover has grown by leaps and bounds over its first 50 years, surging to become the sixth-largest city in the state.

But where does Hoover go from here?

City Council President Gene Smith said that, before long, Hoover is going to be the fifth-largest city in Alabama, surpassing Tuscaloosa. And to him, that’s a good thing.

There already are plans for 3,000 to 5,000 houses in the city that have not been built, mostly in the western part of the city, Smith said. So it’s not a question of if the city is going to grow, but how fast, he said.

City planning consultant Bob House estimated the city would gain at least 350 new houses in 2017, which is similar to the past three years.

With so much growth still to come, the challenge will be making sure people’s needs are met, including infrastructure, public safety and, most of all, education, Smith said.

“The school system is going to have to be able to keep up,” Smith said.

Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato agreed.

Brocato said city officials over the years have always been frugal and smart in the way they have spent money. “We saved money and invested in areas that we knew would improve the quality of life in the city,” he said.

Maintaining a high-quality school system is essential, Brocato said. “Between that and public safety, I can’t think of anything that will turn a city around in the wrong direction than to have a poor public school system and a school that’s not delivering,” he said.

Smith said Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy has done an exceptional job of getting the school system’s financial house in order since arriving in June 2015. The city is increasing its contribution to schools this year, but it needs to continue looking at educational needs to make sure the system has the proper resources, he said.

Charles Ball, executive director for the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, said he has watched with interest as Hoover has grown but would be afraid to make any bets on whether Hoover will surpass Tuscaloosa in size.

“It comes down to leadership in both communities,” Ball said. “Sometimes, a city has a meteoric rise and then sort of levels off. The leadership makes all the difference. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The residents of Hoover will have to decide how much growth they can accommodate and what that growth needs to look like, Ball said. His advice is to pay close attention to peer cities, and not just those in the Birmingham area, he said.

“It’s all about remaining competitive,” Ball said. “You have a lot of smart people in Hoover. I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

Ball commended Hoover for making a concerted effort to bring in more visitors for sports-related events and to diversify its economic base. “That just makes sense for any city not to put all their eggs in one basket,” he said.

Brocato said Hoover loves its strong retail base, but he plans to hire an economic developer to bring in more businesses in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

He also is going to hire a city planner to help develop a master plan. A planner can help the city identify the best uses for land, potential areas for revitalization and ways to design developments for better walkability, he said.

“I think what’s missing in Hoover is the urban effect of a city center — an area we can say is downtown Hoover,” Brocato said.

It doesn’t have to be a 10-square-block development, but it’s going to have to grow out of some catalyst, such as a fine arts center, a new library, hotel or entertainment venue, he said.

Brocato said he wouldn’t mind seeing Hoover move up the list in population.

“I’ve said all along I’m not for stifling our growth. I’m for managing our growth,” he said. “As long as we can keep up the services we have without compromising that and the quality of our school system stays at the top of its game as it is now, I am all for controlled growth.

“People are going to want to continue to move here because of the quality of life we have,” Brocato said. “Our home values are strong. Our economy is strong. We’re going to work hard to grow at a pace we can control and where we can keep up.”