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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato delivers the state-of-the-city address during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
April DeLuca, the 2023 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce board chairwoman, speaks during the chamber’s state-of-the-city luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Hoover Public Safety Honor Guard presents the colors during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-city luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato delivers the state-of-the-city address during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Jody Mattson, director of philanthropy and community engagement for America's First Federal Credit Union, introduces Mayor Frank Brocato during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-city luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato delivers the state-of-the-city address during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Elaina Burt, the 2023 Miss Alabama’s Teen from Riverchase, stands as she is recognized during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-city luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Hoover Public Safety Honor Guard presents the colors during the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-city luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Rohen Porbanderwala speaks to guests at the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-city luncheon after being introduced as the new chamber board chairman at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
Hoover is not just another suburb of Birmingham, Mayor Frank Brocato said in his 2024 state-of-the-city address to the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
The city is set apart from other cities in the metro area because of its livability, innovation and diversity, and it needs to develop a fresh perspective of itself, Brocato said.
With a population of more than 90,000, Hoover is the sixth largest city in the state and continues to grow. The city issued 357 single-family home building permits in 2023, which shows that Hoover is a place where people want to live, the mayor said.
New subdivisions such as Blackridge, Everlee, Knox Square and Windsor Court have amenities that people want to see in their communities, he said.
LIVABILITY
Last year, a website called livability.com named Hoover as one of the top 100 places to live in the United States and among the top 25 places to live in the Southeast.
Part of that is because it’s a safe place to live, Brocato said. Hoover had zero non-traffic homicides last year, while robberies were down 40%, sexual assaults were down 15%, burglaries were down 15%, auto burglaries were down 12%, domestic calls were down 10% and overall crime was down 8%.
Hoover’s Fire Department, with a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office, and emergency dispatchers also have an impressive record of service, the mayor said. The Fire Department responded to more than 13,000 fire and emergency medical service calls in 2023, including 200 fire calls, and treated more than 7,700 patients in 2023, he said.
The city’s 911 operators handled more than 160,000 police, fire and EMS calls and took part in more than 1.4 million radio transmissions, he said.
Other factors making Hoover a livable city include its outstanding school system and recreational opportunities, Brocato said.
Fifteen of Hoover’s 16 schools earned an A on their state report card last year, and Hoover students have shown strong gains in English, math and science test scores since the COVID-19 pandemic and remain in the top 10 school systems in the state in terms of scores.
A website called totalshape.com named Hoover the fittest place in Alabama last year, and Brocato said it’s easy to see why with all the recreational and fitness opportunities available in the city, including the Hoover Recreation Center, Hoover Metropolitan Complex, 25 city parks, mountain bike trails and 350-acre Moss Rock Preserve nature park.
The city wants to continually improve those amenities and is in the middle of a $10 million project with the school system to add artificial turf to the Hoover and Spain Park high school baseball and softball fields and seven other ballfields at city parks.
The city last year added six new pickleball courts at Simmons Middle School and is adding eight more at Veterans Park this month. Through partnerships with Shelby County and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the city also last year added a fitness court at Veterans Park and redesigned its cross-country course there.
The city also is working with Signature Homes to develop a new park and public spaces comprehensive plan that includes plans for new sidewalks, trails and blueways to provide more connectivity between neighborhoods and various amenities, such as the Cahaba River.
INNOVATION
In the economic arena, Hoover has shown great innovation in recent years as it seeks to become less reliant on its robust retail sector and diversify its economy with more businesses in the science, technology, engineering and math sectors, Brocato said.
City officials have identified five target growth sectors: information technology, life sciences, freight and logistics brokers, automotive research and development, and corporate headquarters.
Last year, Hoover was one of 11 cities or municipalities named as part of the Innovate Alabama Network and was awarded a $200,000 grant to study life sciences and focus on creating a health and wellness district in Riverchase.
Brocato said he believes the 90-acre Riverwalk Village project that was recently announced for Riverchase will revolutionize the city and serve as a model for many communities in the state and region.
The Hoover Health Care Authority less than two weeks ago applied for a certificate of need with the State Health and Planning Development Agency to open an ambulatory surgery center and medical diagnostics center in Riverchase Office Park. The center is proposed to be the centerpiece of a new health and wellness district that would include other medical offices and other commercial, retail and residential components with a total economic impact of more than $2 billion, Brocato said.
“This is the perfect scenario of the right idea at the right time,” he said. “What could have been a vacant large commercial office building going dark will now be resurrected into a vibrant center for innovation, health care and livability. … We are full steam ahead on this.”
Across town off U.S. 280, Meadow Brook Office Park also is being reimagined from a traditional business park to an innovation district, with companies such as McLeod Software and Lake Homes Realty breathing new life into the park, he said.
Last year, Congress approved a $23 million expansion of the National Computer Forensics Institute at the Hoover Public Safety Center, which will increase the number of people from across the country being trained there from 5,000 per year to 10,000 per year, Brocato said.
Visitors to that facility alone generate $3 million a year in hotel revenue, $1.3 million a year in food expenditures and close to $1 million in bus expenses, he said.
Since 2016, Hoover has added more than 820 new jobs with an average salary of $67,000, the mayor said. There have been seven large economic development announcements in the past eight years that represent more than $46 million in capital investment, he said.
“Innovation is alive and well in the city of Hoover,” Brocato said.
DIVERSITY
Hoover also is more diverse than many other cities in Alabama, Brocato said. More than, 7,100 Hoover residents were born outside of the United States, which represents close to 8% of the population in Hoover, he said.
Students in Hoover schools speak 35 to 40 different languages, he said.
The city last year issued more than 960 new business licenses, and included in that number are a lot of minority entrepreneurs who see the city’s diversity and want to set up shop in Hoover, Brocato said.
Hoover wants to not only celebrate its diversity but to tap into that diversity as it continues to grow and expand, he said.
PERSPECTIVE
Hoover has turned into an important economic engine for the state and hosts large-scale events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament and Regions Tradition golf tournament, which is one of five major championships for the PGA Tour Champions, Brocato pointed out.
The Hoover Metropolitan Complex in its last fiscal year brought in 713,000 visitors who had an estimated $91 million economic impact, including a $25 million economic impact from Perfect Game tournaments, Brocato said.
The city continues to invest in the Hoover Met Complex, currently working on plans for a $17 million facelift for Hoover Metropolitan Stadium to keep it fresh and ensure that the SEC Baseball Tournament continues to be held there, he said.
“Our benchmarks should be cities of similar characteristics and demographics,” Brocato said. “When we think of Hoover, I don’t want us to think about our neighbors, but rather our peers.”
Hoover is seeking to pattern itself after other cities such as Franklin, Tennessee; Alpharetta, Georgia; and Scottsdale, Arizona, he said.
With growth comes challenges, such as more traffic, the mayor said. For the past seven years, the city has been working on plans for a new Interstate 459 interchange just southwest of South Shades Crest Road. That estimated $120 million project should go out to bid in early 2025 and, upon completion, help ease the burden of traffic and take a lot of 18-wheelers off Alabama 150, Brocato said.
New hotels also are under construction at Stadium Trace Village and near the Riverchase Galleria, and new entertainment and dining options are coming, he said.
“Our city is booming, and it’s setting us apart from our neighbors and positioning us to be a leader among our peer cities. We must see ourselves as the leader that we are,” Brocato said. “I’m grateful to see who we are and where we are, and I’m very excited to see where we are going.”
Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:09 p.m. on Jan. 25 to reflect that the total cost of a project to add artificial turf to the baseball and softball fields at Hoover and Spain Park high school and seven other fields at city parks is $10 million, including the school system's contribution.
