About a dozen construction projects planned in Hoover in 2019

The completion of the $80 million Hoover Metropolitan Complex expansion is not the only capital project expected to take place in Hoover in 2019.

The city of Hoover, the state and Jefferson and Shelby counties have about a dozen other capital projects scheduled to occur as well.

POLICE TRAINING CENTER

One of the largest projects is a $3.28 million police training center scheduled to be built next to Hoover Fire Station No. 4 on Municipal Drive.

The facility will include training rooms and storage space for police specialty vehicles, such as the incident command center and armored rescue vehicle. The training portion of the building likely will include one room large enough to accommodate up to 100 people, as well as some mid-size and smaller conference rooms and a room with space for more physical training, such as take downs, pepper spray, Tasers and baton use, City Administrator Allan Rice said.

City officials allocated around $1.75 million for the training center about a year ago, including a $250,000 pledged donation from Frank and Pam Barefield. But Rice said they didn’t really know what the cost would be, and when the construction contract was put out for bid, the low bidder was $3.28 million.

Construction costs across the board are high right now, and land preparation costs were higher than anticipated as well, Rice said.

Design work has been completed, and city officials hope to begin construction by the end of January, said Tim Westhoven, the city’s chief operations officer.

SOUTH SHADES CREST ROAD

Another big project is adding a second northbound lane on South Shades Crest Road between Willow Lake Drive and Alabama 150 to help relieve some of the traffic congestion.

The new lane will stretch about nine-tenths of a mile and is expected to improve traffic flow at two intersections from D and F grades to a B, according to a traffic study done for the city.

The project is expected to cost about $3 million. So far, city officials have committed $1.5 million and say they hope Jefferson County can come up with the other $1.5 million.

City officials hoped to have design work completed by the end of 2018. There is only one piece of right-of-way to be acquired, so Westhoven said he hopes the city can have the construction contract awarded by September or October. However, the big wild card on the timeline is getting approval from CSX to replace the bridge over the CSX railroad tracks, Westhoven said.

A separate project to realign and improve the intersection of South Shades Crest and Eden Ridge Drive so that Eden Ridge and Shades Run Circle are directly across from one another where they meet South Shades Crest is about 75 percent complete.

Westhoven said construction crews ran into some issues with a retaining wall on the west side of South Shades Crest, and officials had to wait for the state to approve modifications. The goal now is to finish the project by April 15.

MUNICIPAL CENTER RENOVATION 

The city also budgeted $2.6 million for a renovation project on the third floor of the Hoover Municipal Center. That includes the council chambers, lobby, conference room and various administrative offices.

One of the big reasons for the renovation is a moisture problem in the building that has led to mold and mildew, Westhoven said. It is particularly evident in the council chambers, where a musty smell has greeted visitors for well in excess of a year.

Westhoven said city officials have had the building inspected and do not believe it is a health hazard to the average person, but it could cause problems for some people. “We do think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible,” he said.

The renovation project, as proposed, would replace all the seating in the council chambers, enlarge the space to provide more room for council members behind the council dais, provide audio-visual upgrades and add a space for the city administrator alongside the mayor, city clerk and city attorney.

The plan includes building a floor in the lobby space that is now open to levels below the third floor to provide more usable space in the lobby. It also would enclose part of the outdoor patio on the third floor to provide space for a larger conference room. Seating in the current conference room for the council and Planning and Zoning Commission is very limited.

Offices for the city administrator, chief operations officer, event manager and risk management staff also would be renovated, and a portion of the mayor’s office would be renovated to create a copy and storage area, Westhoven said.

Also, the bridge between the Municipal Center and Hoover Public Library will be renovated, he said. There has been a problem with moisture getting on the floor and becoming a slip hazard, he said.

The mayor plans to use the Hoover Library Theatre for meetings while the council chambers is being renovated, Westhoven said. Some council members also have discussed having meetings in other parts of the city.

Design work is about 25 percent complete, and Westhoven said they hope to begin construction by the end of April.

PATTON CHAPEL ROAD REALIGNMENT 

A plan to realign two intersections on Patton Chapel Road near Gwin Elementary School and add a 1-mile stretch of sidewalk may finally get some traction in 2019.

All of the right-of-way was acquired for the estimated $6.1 million project about a year ago, but there have been delays in getting utilities relocated, Westhoven said. The project is being managed by Jefferson County, and Hoover officials say the current target date to begin construction is March 28.

The county plans to combine Patton Chapel Road’s intersections with Preserve Parkway and Chapel Lane into one intersection and add a 1-mile sidewalk between Gwin Elementary School and Crayrich Drive.

STADIUM TRACE PARKWAY

Construction already has begun on a $2 million job to improve the intersection of Stadium Trace Parkway with Learning Lane and Brock’s Gap Parkway.

The project includes the addition of a right turn lane from northbound Stadium Trace Parkway onto Learning Lane, the creation of additional through lanes crossing Stadium Trace Parkway, lengthening of turn lanes and median and elevation adjustments.

The goal is to finish the project by August.

CAHABA/RIVERCHASE GREENWAY 

Design work is complete for a trailhead and about half a mile of an off-road trail along the Cahaba River and next to Riverchase Elementary School, and city officials hope to begin construction on the trail and parking area in August.

The project originally was estimated to cost about $500,000, but the bid for the work actually came back at more than $1 million, so the City Council approved an additional $660,000 for the project in November. Westhoven said the state unexpectedly required about 4 feet of gravel underneath the parking area, which added about $300,000 to the cost.

The city received a $400,000 federal grant to assist with the project.

HOOVER PUBLIC LIBRARY ACCESS AND VISIBILITY

City officials are about to embark on a project to increase visibility and accessibility for the Hoover Public Library.

The project involves taking down the hill that now keeps people who are driving along U.S. 31 from seeing the library, and adding sidewalks along the highway, Municipal Drive and Municipal Lane. Another sidewalk would cut across more directly to the library entrance, and the project includes lighting, landscaping and improvements to make the library more accessible for people in wheelchairs.

The job is expected to cost about $800,000. The federal government will pay 80 percent of the cost, and the city will pick up 20 percent, Westhoven said. Design work should be complete this summer, and officials hope to begin construction in the fall, he said.

STAR LAKE IMPROVEMENTS

Design work is about 20 percent complete for a project to make improvements at Star Lake. The project involves creating one-way traffic around the lake, replacing the existing sidewalk, which is 5 to 6 feet wide, with a 10-foot-wide sidewalk, increasing the number of parking spaces from 12 to 36 and adding some lights.

The goal is start construction by the end of April. The project is expected to cost about $375,000, Westhoven said.

BLUFF PARK PAVILION 

The city plans to demolish the Bluff Park Community Center, which has been closed for almost two years due to a deteriorating subfloor and replace it with an outdoor pavilion.

The city decided to wait until January to begin demolition because of several Christmas events in the adjacent park, and officials hope to have the pavilion completed by the time the adjacent swimming pool opens in May, Westhoven said. The project has a $200,000 budget, he said.

INVERNESS COMMUNITY GREENWAY 

Right-of-way acquisition is complete for a 1.8-mile sidewalk and trail along Inverness Parkway from Valleydale Road to and through the Inverness Nature Park, and construction is expected to start in June.

The project is expected to cost $1.3 million, funded mostly with federal money. Shelby County is picking up $150,000, and Hoover is paying $150,000, Westhoven said.

VETERANS PARK RESTROOMS

Shelby County has approved a contract to build new restrooms and two outdoor showers at the sand volleyball courts at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.

The project costs about $100,000, and Westhoven said in late November that construction should begin in the next couple of months.

U.S. 31 STREETLIGHTS

A project to replace streetlights along U.S. 31 between the Cahaba River and Patton Chapel Road is nearly complete.

The Hoover City Council on Nov. 19 approved a $100,000 contract for design work for the second phase, which involves replacing streetlights from Patton Chapel Road to Interstate 65. But, actual installation of the lights likely won’t happen until November 2020, city officials say.

DEO DARA DRIVE TRAFFIC SIGNAL

Design work to replace and upgrade the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Deo Dara Drive is complete, and the work on the signal replacement should begin in June.

This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.