Mixed-use development in the works for Brookwood Village – thehomewoodstar.com

Two local companies are planning to breathe new life into the Brookwood Village at Lakeshore Drive.

The new mixed-use district will have a public green space as its anchor, and this space will be surrounded by locally owned, upscale retailers; food and beverage options; new office buildings; hotels; and housing for both renters and homeowners. The plans include 350 high-end apartments.

The two companies under contract are an affiliated entity of Colliers International | Alabama, a leading real estate professional services and investment management company; and Arlington Properties, a leading multifamily development, property management, and construction firm. They announced their plans at the Oct. 26 Homewood City Council meeting.

Brookwood will be an accessible, regional destination that is vibrant, energetic, and bustling, and one that supports positive growth in Homewood, the companies said in a release. The multi-use property will be conceptualized and planned to withstand the test of time and to be conducive and beneficial to the natural evolution of the community and its needs.

Mark Stuermann, executive vice president of development at Arlington Properties, said he was attracted to the property because of what it meant tothe community.

People have very fond memories growing up there, he said. There are so many little memories that Ive heard about from people about how much they love Brookwood.

Its well-located real estate too, he said. Not only does the property have easy access to U.S. 280 and U.S. 31, it also sits between Jemison Trail and Shades Creek Greenway.

Despite these advantages, Brookwood Villages disadvantage is that it has been a single-use development. There are some offices on the property, but the development is mostly used for restaurants and retail.

When you have places that are designed for a single use, if the economy changes or peoples patterns change, then its no longer a fit, Stuermann said. There are some offices, but in general, its a massive retail facility.

Under the mixed-use plans, the hotel, offices, apartments and retail offerings will all be owned under separate, local entities. Before this deal, the mall has been entirely owned by one entity.

So if the hotel needs to change over time, that ownership group could change it, as opposed to having to redevelop the whole mall, he said.

The most important thing about a mixed-use development, Stuermann said, is it brings people there all day long. The plans include 350 apartments and between 80,000-120,000 square feet of office space.

Youll have 500 people living at Brookwood, and theyll walk on the trails. Theyll walk their dogs. Theyll wake up and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Theyll shop at Fresh Market. The office users will come in the mornings. Theyll get coffee at OHenrys. Theyll eat lunch. They may grab a drink with a colleague on their way home.

The hotel will have approximately 120 rooms, which means approximately 150 people could be staying at Brookwood Village each night.

The reason Brookwood worked was because it was a shopping destination and it brought people in. Were making it a destination again, and were going to also program it with lots of people to kind of activate it. It will be a place for people to live there, to work there and for the community.

The conceptual planning and rezoning process could be finished by spring 2021, the developers said in a statement. After that process is complete, construction could take 18-24 months.

Mark Stuermann of Arlington Properties and Joe Sandner IV of Colliers International held four community meetings in Homewood and took questions from the community. These were some of the frequently asked questions:

Q: How will the increased need of infrastructure affect our taxes?

Q: How long will the construction take from start to finish?

Q: How many jobs will be lost because of this project?

Q: Why are you building office space when so many offices are not being used due to COVID-19?

Q: Whats different about the retail that will be offered in the new project versus the retail in the current mall (which is clearly not doing well)?

Q: Will Macys get a face-lift to match the new project?

Q: Do you know what the makeup of the apartment units will be?

Q: How many units will there be?

Q: Why cant you come up with a plan that doesnt have any apartments?

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Mixed-use development in the works for Brookwood Village - thehomewoodstar.com