Council unanimously approves rezoning of former Carraway Hospital site, major redevelopment moving forward

Following a public hearing, the Birmingham City Council unanimously approved items that rezoned the former Carraway Hospital campus to allow for a major mixed-use redevelopment project being spearheaded by Corporate Realty.

There were six rezoning items that were approved by the Council, all of them dealing with the proposed redevelopment of the former Carraway Hospital site and surrounding area. The mixed-used development will create a vibrant, walkable district with retail, restaurants, office space, a hotel, outdoor entertainment venues and more.

The development will have single-family housing, which will include townhomes, as well as multi-family residential apartment complexes. The Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee approved the plan with Q conditions during the October 15, 2019 meeting. The development will be a major anchor for communities north of downtown and will continue the synergy between Uptown and the new Protective Life Stadium that is currently under construction.

Council President William Parker, who represents Norwood, an adjacent neighborhood to the Carraway site, said residents have been working with city officials for years to see this redevelopment happen.

“It’s great for all of us to work together to see this project come into fruition — we had government leaders, community stakeholders and corporate partners working on this,” President Parker said. “The Carraway redevelopment is really going to help jumpstart the economic growth in the northern corridor in Birmingham. We’re not going to stop there. We have a lot more work to do across all our districts but today is a big day for this site and the people on that side of town.”

The residents who spoke during the public hearing voiced support and appreciation that the project would finally be moving forward with so much input from residents — more than 16,000 residents submitted comments and feedback on the proposed project.

Corporate Realty has taken the lead and consulted on major projects in Birmingham — Parkside District, Regions Field, Encompass Health and more. The group has been working for years on a development plan for the site, which will include 7.2 acres of residential space, 30.8 acres of retail, dining and hotels and 9.3 acres of business
space.