The 280 corridor didn’t just grow in 2025 — it evolved. City leadership turned over, key projects gained traction, and familiar landmarks changed hands. From retail anchors to traffic relief, these five stories helped define what progress looked like — and where momentum is headed next.
Photo by Jon Anderson
election day photo
Elections redraw the map: Derzis’ win signals a harder push on retail infill, stormwater and customer-friendly government in Alabama’s sixth-largest city. In Chelsea, Sumners’ landslide and Arthur Fisher Jr.’s Place 4 runoff victory complete a leadership handoff in one of the state’s fastest-growing cities. The common thread: pragmatic growth and services that keep up.
Chick-fil-a
A Chick-fil-a employee hands out meals in the drive-thru.
Chelsea Plaza gets real — and lands Chick-fil-A: The city’s incentive deal and Bash & Co.’s local-first posture turned a red-dirt hillside site into a town-center project with 13-20 storefronts. Mayor Tony Picklesimer confirmed Chick-fil-A as the anchor in his Oct. 7 State of the City. With road work and a new signal ahead, he cautioned the build could take 18-24 months, putting the chicken-sandwich countdown into the 2028 window.
Photo by Malia Riggs
Construction continues on Valley Post, with an array of Pihakis Restaurant Group eateries, in Chelsea. It is expected to open later this year.
Valley Post sets the table: At U.S. 280 and Dunnavant Valley Road, Valley Post — a Capstone/Mike Mouron and PRG collaboration with Chambliss King Architects — was to open in November. Expect four PRG concepts, shaded outdoor space and a layout aimed squarely at teams and families rolling in from nearby fields. Designer Will Hall called it a “great family-oriented spot,” intentionally sizing interiors smaller to privilege the shared outdoor experience.
Photo by Erin Nelson
Motorists travel east and west on U.S. 280 between Perimeter Park and The Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. The portion of U.S. 280 from Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood to Perimeter Park is slated for expansion to four lanes.
U.S. 280 expansion finally rolls: ALDOT’s two-year push for resurfacing and widening moved into the nighttime dirt-work phase to reduce daytime traffic delays. “We’re trying to lower travel times,” ALDOT’s Josh Phillips said, with the usual caveats on weather and phasing.
Photo by Tim Stephens
A sign still remains on the front door of the AMC Lee Branch 15 theater, which closed in March 2025 after 21 years of operation. Onelife Fitness will take over the 68,000-square foot property.
End credits at Lee Branch: AMC Lee Branch 15 closed after 21 years; the 68,000-square-foot box is being converted into a Onelife Fitness. The loss pushed moviegoers to the Summit, Vestavia Hills and Patton Creek. East 59 Café cut evening hours, citing the vanished pre- and post-show crowd.
