2021: What to Expect

Of all the county projects for 2021, the largest will be the new Shelby County Services Building on U.S. 280 at Shelby County 41. The three-story, 46,000-square-foot building is set to open July 1.

The former Blackwatch Sports building was torn down, and construction began on the building in the last quarter of 2020.

The new building will house a license office that is moving from Inverness, which will have four Alabama Law Enforcement Agency personnel who can handle driver license testing and issue STAR ID cards.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will also relocate its North Shelby precinct there. Shelby 911 will have a new modern space, moving from its offices in the county services building in Pelham. Central Alabama Wellness and 58 INC. will also be housed in the new building, which will include space for future expansion.

“We are bringing services closer to our residents,” Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “This will give them the ability to do some of these transactions closer to where they live.”

Construction will also begin on a project 10 years in the making. The Inverness Greenway project has been in design and waiting on Alabama Department of Transportation approvals for many years.

“The project has been bid and awarded, so we are now looking forward to the upcoming start of construction,” Scroggins said.

The multiuse trail will be 8 feet wide and go from the fire station to the Hoover Nature Park off Inverness Parkway.

Safety improvements and bike lane construction will be made to Oak Mountain State Park Road from the front entrance to the Alabama 119 intersection. Scroggins said people going to restaurants and staying at nearby hotels can use the park for the day and ride their bike or walk in there.

“We are going into the year really excited about wrapping up some projects we’ve had going and getting started on new projects,” Scroggins said. “Obviously it’s been challenging with everything going on and the high degree of uncertainty associated with a global pandemic, so it provides a lot of opportunities to work through it. It’s challenging, but also good things that come out of it.”

A traffic signal will be placed at Shelby County 41 and Hugh Daniel Drive. The bid was awarded to Selective Inc. for $503,363.50. This was the second time the project has been up for bid. The first came in at over $100,000 over budget and was rejected.

“We are tickled to death to get this price ,[and] although it’s still more than we’d like to pay, we are signing contracts,” County Engineer Randy Cole said. “They are ordering materials from subcontractors, and we are anxious to get that in as soon as we can.”

Other FY 2021 capital projects and initiatives include:

► The return of the Parks and Recreation Grant Funds ($150,000): The grants went away during the economic downturn in 2008-09 but are being brought back this fiscal year. The grant is used to assist communities, school systems or any type of park and recreation board improvements to facilities that serve Shelby County residents.

“The grant is open to any municipalities or communities that might need to make improvements to playgrounds or recreation structures,” Scroggins said. “It can be based on need.”

► Additional trails are planned for Cahaba River - Shelby County Park in Helena: Mountain biking and hiking trails have already been constructed, and this project will be an extension of those.

► Continued work to extend Dunnavant Valley Greenway: Work will be done to extend the trail from the SportsBlast 1996 Fields Complex to Mt Laurel.

► Bridge work: The Norfolk Southern Railway Bridge on Shelby County 55 in Sterrett will be replaced.

The city of Chelsea also has several projects planned for 2021.

Phase 2 of the Chelsea Sports Complex near the high school should be finished by the third quarter of this year. It will feature four new softball/baseball fields. Mayor Tony Picklesimer said the fields should be ready for play by the fall of 2021.

There will also be the addition of a cross-country track that will be approximately 3 miles long. It will be used by the Chelsea cross-country team and also open to the public. Both Phase 1 and 2 will be interconnected by trails and walking paths, along with a stocked lake for fishing.

The playground at Melrose Park opened in November, and two more projects are underway behind the community center. A splash pad is set to open May 1 and will include a variety of water activities and a zero-entry wade pool.

“This is something Chelsea has been asking for for years, and it’s almost here,” Picklesimer said.

A restroom/100-person storm shelter building should also be finished by the same time the splash pad is completed. The next project will be the amphitheater, which will be for 2022.

Work on the land for the Chelsea Business Park has been underway for several months, and Therachem will be the first tenant to begin construction after the first of the year.

After a long process, work at the intersection of Shelby County 39 and Shelby County 47 will be a joint project with Shelby County and the city of Chelsea. Bids for the project are scheduled to go out on it later this month.

“I’m glad to see our parks and facilities growing as our city grows,” Picklesimer said. “We also should have about 250 more new homes built in our city. With more people coming in, we will need more ballparks, along with the playground and splash pad to provide more things for families to do.”

A new Racetrac gas station should begin construction in the first quarter at the corner of Shelby County 39 and U.S. 280, and several more restaurant deals are in the works. AutoZone should begin construction in the first quarter next to Taco Bell.

280 Living will keep our readers up-to-date on these projects as they progress.