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Photo by Jon Anderson
Broad Metro CEO William Kadish talks to Trace Crossings residents about the proposed second phase of his Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Residents of the Trace Crossings community listen to plans for the second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Jim Massengill, director of development for the Broad Metro development company, talks with residents of the Trace Crossings community about the proposed second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Paul Dangel, at right, asks a question about the second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Broad Metro CEO William Kadish talks to Trace Crossings residents about the proposed second phase of his Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The developer of Stadium Trace Village on Monday night attempted to answer nearby residents’ concerns about his plans for an 82-acre, $250 million second phase with a special meeting at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.
About 40 people from the various sectors of the Trace Crossings community showed up for a two-hour meeting on the restaurant’s patio, some to share concerns about things such as blasting, noise, light pollution, a proposed connector road and tax incentives, and others to vouch for the developer and his plans.
The proposed second phase of Stadium Trace Village would include a 1,000-seat performing arts center (if the city decides to build it there), a Golf Suites tiered-golf bay and entertainment center similar to Top Golf, a 25-bed surgical center, four medical office buildings, a 120,000-square-foot retail and dining space and 1.5 miles of walking and bicycle trails.
One of the big sticking points for some residents is the proposed extension of the main road through Stadium Trace Village, Peridot Place, all the way to Brock’s Gap Parkway. Several people who live off Brock’s Gap Parkway said they already have problems getting out of their neighborhoods and fear such a new road connection will only bring more traffic.
The proposed location of the new intersection also is on a hill in a curve and is not a good spot for an intersection, especially on a road frequented by speeding teenagers going to and from Hoover High School, one woman said.
“We do not want a road dumped out onto Brock’s Gap Parkway,” she said. “It is not safe.”
Developer William Kadish of the Broad Metro development company said he believes a traffic light actually might help slow traffic down and make the road safer. However, Kadish said that, as far as he is concerned, the road doesn’t have to extend all the way to Brock’s Gap Parkway.
He doesn’t get a benefit from extending the road past the proposed traffic circle that would lead to a proposed performing arts center, and it would cost him $4 million to do it, he said.
The proposed tie-in of Peridot Place to Brock’s Gap Parkway isn’t proposed to occur until 2028, but if the residents of Trace Crossings determine they don’t want it, he’s fine with not doing it, he said.
“There’s no road that’s going to happen unless the people want it,” he said.
Photo by Jon Anderson
Residents of the Trace Crossings community listen to plans for the second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Several residents raised concerns about blasting. Kadish said there would be no blasting on the portions of the development closest to residential neighborhoods, but some will be needed further away. He doesn’t expect blasting will be close enough to residents to be a concern, but he’s willing to put up bond money to cover any damages that may occur, and he will hire a responsible contractor to guard against that, he said.
Several residents said they were concerned about noise and light pollution. They bought their homes believing there would not be development behind them and don’t want their peace and quiet disturbed, they said.
Jim Massengill, director of development for Broad Metro, said there already is a 50-foot-wide easement on the property, and Broad Metro plans to leave another 100 feet of natural buffer between the second phase of Stadium Trace Village and Scout Creek. If necessary, the company would even add more trees to the existing natural buffer to strengthen it, he said.
There also are 18 acres proposed to be left undisturbed, except potentially for the Peridot Place extension and a golf cart path, between the North Ridge and Scout Creek neighborhoods.
Also, the portion of the development that would include the Golf Suites entertainment center would be situated away from residential neighborhoods and along Interstate 459, Massengill said. Because of the topography, distance and sight lines, he doesn’t foresee light pollution being a problem for residents, he said. “I’m not for sure you could even know they are there.”
Photo by Jon Anderson
Jim Massengill, director of development for the Broad Metro development company, talks with residents of the Trace Crossings community about the proposed second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Mike Perry, a resident of the North Ridge sector of Trace Crossings, asked why the city has to give so much in financial incentives to the developer in the form of tax breaks.
A proposed development agreement being considered by the Hoover City Council would grant Broad Metro up to $30 million in non-educational property tax, sales tax and lodging tax rebates over 15 to 20 years.
Kadish said he’s proposing to spend $250 million to develop this property, and the way he will make a profit is through the tax breaks.
The city has been negotiating a proposed development agreement for 14 months. Councilman Curt Posey said one offer the city attorney sent to Kadish included $56 million in incentives. That amount later was reduced to $33 million, but the final offer the mayor sent to the City Council for consideration was just $22 million, surprising Broad Metro and council members.
Kadish then sent an offer to council members that totaled $28 million in tax rebates, or $30 million if the city failed to begin construction on a performing arts center within three years, and that is the offer currently before the council.
While he does intend to make a profit, Kadish said this development is not a huge moneymaker for him. And he doesn’t make money if the development isn’t also a benefit for the city and its school system, he said.
From year one, the Hoover school system is expected to gain $3.5 million a year in increased tax revenues, Kadish said. That’s new money coming in without additional students, he said. And once the tax rebate period ends, the city of Hoover will have a large influx of new tax revenues, he said.
A few residents said they don’t want to see a new development in this location while other commercial parts of the city sit vacant and needing tenants, such as part of the Riverchase Galleria and large sections of the Patton Creek shopping center.
Kadish said the city tried to negotiate to put a performing arts center at the Galleria or Patton Creek, but those negotiations failed, so the mayor asked him to fit a performing arts center in Stadium Trace Village. The mayor later removed the performing arts center from his proposed development agreement, but with numerous council members favoring it, Kadish’s latest proposal to the council includes it again.
Photo by Jon Anderson
Paul Dangel, at right, asks a question about the second phase of the Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Dr. Peter DeFranco and Greg Williams, residents of the Scout Creek neighborhood, said Kadish is the only developer in this watershed who thus far has been successful in protecting Scout Lake from construction stormwater runoff. Other developers have left Scout Lake a muddy mess, they said.
And Kadish has committed to spend $2.25 million for a drainage system along Scout Creek and constructed wetlands just above Scout Creek to filter sediment and improve water quality for the lakes in Trace Crossings.
The plan was well received by the Cahaba River Society.
“The staging of the work, innovative stormwater approaches and plans to reduce erosion are extensive,” wrote Cahaba River Society Executive Director Beth Stewart and River Sustainability Director Karen Bareford in a letter to the Hoover City Council. “Further, the intent to account for all disturbance in the basin and manage upstream impacts by others is noble. The fact that this will result in almost build out of the basin makes this goal even more impressive. … We believe this development has the potential to be a resource and case study to help lead an era of more responsible development in Hoover, the greater Birmingham area and beyond.”
A resident of the Park Trace sector of Trace Crossings for 25 years said she knows it’s hard for some people to accept that this second phase of Stadium Trace Village will be a good thing, but she urged them to give it a chance. She was concerned about the first phase initially, but “it was not as bad as we thought it was going to be,” she said. “I think it’s something Hoover needs right now.”
Hoover Council President John Lyda has said he doesn’t want to do business with Kadish because Kadish had a felony conviction for grand larceny more than 20 years ago in New York. Kadish has said he made mistakes in the past, self-reported his offense, made restitution for it and hopes his story will guide others away from similar missteps.
Councilman Steve McClinton said everyone has made mistakes, and he believes Kadish has since shown himself to be a successful developer in Hoover and many other states.
Kadish said he considers Stadium Trace Village to be a legacy project for him. He is naming the dining section of the Village Green amphitheater and entertainment district in phase one after his deceased son.
“This is the Trace Crossings community — a community I care about,” he said. “We are going to do it the right way.”
The Hoover City Council is scheduled to consider the proposed tax incentive and development agreement at its next action meeting on Monday, April 15.
Photo by Jon Anderson
Broad Metro CEO William Kadish talks to Trace Crossings residents about the proposed second phase of his Stadium Trace Village development at the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Hoover, Alabama, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
