Hoover economy thriving despite retail challenges, mayor says in 2020 kickoff speech

Despite national challenges in the retail industry, the city of Hoover continues to attract both national companies and local small businesses to create a thriving and diverse economy, Mayor Frank Brocato said today in his 2020 state-of-the-city speech.

More than 1,000 jobs have been created by new and expanding companies in recent years, and the Regions banking and financial services company plans to bring 700 new jobs to its Riverchase campus, Brocato told about 210 people at a Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel.

The city of Hoover issued 1,684 new business licenses in 2019, representing a broad cross-section of businesses, from retail stores to restaurants and professional companies, Brocato said.

There were 23 new commercial buildings and more than 450 new homes built in Hoover in 2019, with a total value of $602 million worth of construction, the mayor said. “I’m excited about our future.”

The science, technology, engineering and math industries are alive and well and growing in Hoover, Brocato said.

McLeod Software, the largest software development company in the Birmingham-Hoover metro area, reached a 500-employee milestone in 2019 after consolidating its metro-area workforce at Meadow Brook Office Park with a capital investment that exceeded $12.5 million, Brocato said.

BioHorizons, a dental implant manufacturer in the Riverchase Office Park, added 20,000 square feet and 60 new jobs in 2019, he said.

The city will continue efforts to bolster the health care, information technology and banking industry, the mayor said. That will include working with private investors to establish a business incubator and accelerator on the campus of the Riverchase Galleria, he said.

This incubator, to be called Hoover Artificial Intelligence, Logistics and Operations (HALO), will help grow the next generation of corporate operations in the city and bring a new dimension to the redevelopment of the Galleria campus, Brocato said.

Hoover’s medical and dental community also continues to prosper, with young physicians and dentists opening new practices and expanding existing ones and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System expanding its footprint in the city with the opening of a new 39,000-square-foot primary care and specialty care clinic in the Stadium Trace Village shopping center, the mayor said.

“It’s particularly gratifying to see all the family-owned businesses opening all over the city,” he said.

The city also will continue efforts to maximize the potential of the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, which had a $49 million economic impact in its second full year of operation and first year with a new 16-court tennis complex and five new multipurpose athletic fields.

The complex continues to attract events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament and East Coast Pro Showcase for top high school baseball prospects and in June will host the USA Indoor Pickleball National Championship.

At the same time, it is holding conventions, trade shows, banquets, entertainment and athletic events and continues to serve the needs of local sports teams and athletes, Brocato said.

More than 162,000 people attended the SEC Baseball Tournament last year, and more than 135,000 people attended other events at the complex, according to the annual report from Sports Facilities Management, which manages the complex for the city.

The inclusive playground and splash pad alone attracted more than 90,000 people in its first 109 days of operation, Brocato said.

“This playground is changing lives and allowing people, regardless of physical abilities, the opportunity to play like everyone else,” he said.

Also, Aldridge Gardens had a record 92,000 visitors in 2019, the mayor said.

The city will continue to build its digital infrastructure to turn Hoover into a “smart city,” utilizing the latest technological innovations to provide residents, businesses and visitors with a heightened quality of life, Brocato said.

The City Council recently passed an ordinance to provide a process and guidance for the development of “small cell” sites across the city. These small cell sites, which resemble light poles, are a necessary component of the infrastructure needed to provide 5G wireless internet services, Brocato said.

Technology companies also are laying fiber throughout the city, which will help implement wireless improvements and upgrades for traffic lights and traffic cameras in strategic locations, he said.

City leaders also are working to improve the efficiency and transparency of city government, Brocato said. They established performance-based management practices and a team of people to manage special city projects. Residents also now can see city expenditures and the status of city projects on the city’s website.

The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission in July adopted a comprehensive plan for the first time in the city’s history, providing a framework to guide land use, transportation, the economy, city services and the maximization of natural resources and quality of life, the mayor said.

As a part of that, the city also updated its bicycle and pedestrian plan and transportation plan.

The city this past year completed road projects along Stadium Trace Parkway and South Shades Crest Road and completed design work for the addition of a new northbound lane on South Shades Crest Road from South Shades Crest Elementary School.

The city also continues working to acquire property for a new Interstate 459 interchange near South Shades Crest Road, which when completed will bring significant improvements to traffic in western Hoover and western Jefferson County, Brocato said.

A new Cahaba River Greenway project with a half-mile walking trail near Riverchase Elementary School is almost complete, the mayor said. It will serve as a trailhead for a future greenway along the river, he said.

Other projects in the works include 1.4 miles of sidewalks on Patton Chapel Road and sidewalks in Bluff Park and near the Hoover Public Library.

The Hoover Police Department continued to provide excellent public safety in 2019, the mayor said. Robberies declined 21 percent from 2018, and 2018 was the lowest number of robberies in 18 years, he said. It was the fifth straight year with a reduction in robberies, he said.

Burglaries were down 47 percent, and breaking and entering vehicle crimes were down 19 percent, he said.

The Fire Department added eight new firefighter positions and a new fire truck and broke ground for Station No. 11 in the Trace Crossings community.

City leaders also have continued to push for regional cooperation, meeting regularly with mayors and council members from other cities in the state and metro area to address common concerns and look for ways to work together to improve efficiency, Brocato said.

For example, Hoover took over vehicle and equipment maintenance for the city of Pelham, with financial assistance coming from Pelham to cover the costs.

Hoover officials also are part of the leadership team for the Birmingham Business Alliance and have been leaders in a state task force addressing issues related to online sales taxes, Brocato said.

“We now have a voice at the table,” he said.

The mayor also thanked the Hoover City Council, 737 city employees and chamber of commerce leaders and members for all their efforts to “make our great city even greater.” He also thanked all the residents, city board members, parents, youth coaches and senior center volunteers who make daily differences in the life of the city.

Brocato singled out five individuals for particular contributions, including:

• Roberta Warne, a senior citizen who makes comfort dolls for the Hoover police and fire departments to give to children in emergency situations.
• Terry Beckham, who has been the scoutmaster for Scout Troop 93 at Oakmont Presbyterian Church for more than 10 years and helped guide the moral development of young people.
• Damian Gilbert, who established the Hoover-AHEAD (Ambassadors for Hoover Equity and Diversity) group to celebrate the city’s diversity and promote racial equity and inclusion.
• Kathy Murphy, the Hoover school superintendent who has led efforts that have caused the school system to be recognized by niche.com as one of the top four school systems in the state.
• Deanna Bamman, the Hoover school board vice president who spearheaded the creation of a Hoover RISE (Redefining Involvement to Strengthen Education) program that includes a mentoring program to maximize Hoover students’ academic achievement, personal development and sense of belonging.

Brocato received a standing ovation from the chamber of commerce crowd after his speech.