Metro Roundup: Vestavia City Council OKs purchase of Days Inn, Bar 31 property

The Vestavia Hills City Council unanimously approved the $3.6 million purchase of the Days Inn hotel and Bar 31 property at a special called meeting Aug. 1, with plans to demolish the buildings and sell the property to a developer.

Along with the cost of the property, which does not include closing costs, the expected cost of demolition is about $385,000. The funds will come from the American Rescue Plan, the federal program created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Vestavia Hills received $8 million from the federal government and must spend those funds by the end of 2024. The program lists several different ways in which the funds can be spent, including for the replacement of lost private sector revenue, which City Attorney Pat Boone said included this project.

Resident Donald Harwell questioned why the city did not let a private developer buy the property as is, but Mayor Ashley Curry said no one bought it despite it being up for sale.

Another resident, Pat Dewees, said the city should turn the property into a place for affordable lodging and mentioned the idea of a homeless shelter, though council members rejected that idea, with Councilor Kimberly Cook saying those institutions are typically run by a nonprofit.

City Manager Jeff Downes said the area has been “problematic” for the city.

“Any way you look at it, it’s not something we’ve been proud of,” Downes said.

The city aims to “repurpose” the land for a “higher and better use,” Downes said.

Downes released the following statement Friday afternoon:

“Highway 31 is an important business and transportation corridor within Vestavia Hills and, as such, improvement of this corridor has long been a top priority of the Vestavia Hills elected officials and city staff,” Downs said. “The purchase of this property represents a more than two-year journey to deliver on the City Council’s desires, and I am thrilled to publicly announce this positive action within our city. I whole-heartedly believe that the demolition and redevelopment of this property, in conjunction with the ongoing and future development of privately-owned commercial properties, will be pivotal in generating much needed momentum for improvement along Highway 31.”