Council approves Carraway redevelopment agreement, clearing a major hurdle for new 50-acre mixed-use development
The Birmingham City Council has voted to approve a development agreement between the City of Birmingham and Corporate Realty, paving the way for the long-blighted Carraway Hospital property to be repurposed into a 50-acre mixed-use development, The Star.
For over a decade, residents have wanted to see something happening with the dilapidated structure that was shuttered in 2008. Tuesday’s vote is a major milestone in that process and the demolition will begin this summer. The Council also voted to release $4.1 million in incentives that were previously approved in 2020.
“I am beyond excited to see this major project move forward,” Council President Wardine Alexander said. “We’ve worked diligently with the developer and all our community partners to ensure that this new development will be one that forever changes the face of our city. Putting this property back to use is going to transform the surrounding areas and breathe life back into one of Birmingham’s most iconic corridors.”
Carraway’s long-awaited redevelopment has been years in the making, according to Robert Simon, CEO and President of Corporate Realty, which is developing the site. “We continue to be gratified by the strong support this project has received from the City Council, the mayor and the people who live and work in the north Birmingham area,” said Simon. “We are all eager to see this property once again be an asset for our community.”
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who represents some of the neighborhoods surrounding the site, said one of the most important aspects of this process has been including residents and keeping the process transparent. “Whenever you have a major project like this, we have to make sure that the people who live in the area have a seat at the table,” O’Quinn said. “We attended countless work sessions over the years and I feel like the input that residents were able to give was received and is being implemented in this redevelopment plan. I’m very happy with the inclusivity that was extended to residents in the surrounding areas.”
The development will have single-family housing, which will include townhomes, as well as multi-family residential apartment complexes. The Star will be a major anchor for communities north of downtown and will continue the shared success between Uptown and the new Protective Life Stadium.
“Beyond just putting a major property back online and back on the tax rolls, tearing down this blighted structure is a big win for public safety in Birmingham,” Councilor LaTonya Tate said. “This is going to be a development that we can all be proud of, as opposed to the depressing eyesore that we all had to drive past for the last decade. I’d like to thank all our community partners who helped us get to this point. Today is a huge win for the entire Magic City.”
