During the Dec. 5 precouncil meeting of the Chelsea City Council, Tom Walker, Principal and President of Village Creek Development, shared a proposed plan to create a planned use project on the 28 acres of land at Chelsea Corners.
The land, which includes the open spaces that are adjacent to and behind the Winn Dixie shopping center, could potentially be the site of a future development that would include rental townhomes along with a 30,000 square foot retail component for shops and restaurants.
Village Creek Development has the property under contract from the Barber Company and is asking the city to change the zoning from B2 (general industrial) to PMD (planned manufacturing district). They already have the request in to the Chelsea Planning Commission, and if approved, would next move to the Chelsea City Council for a vote.
Walker said that Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors, an affiliate of Village Creek Development, would handle the retail leasing. Projects they have previously done include The Village at Lee Branch, Lane Parke in Mountain Brook and the recently redone Vestavia City Center.
Williams Blackstock Architects would handle the layout and design of the proposed property.
Bill Segrest, Vice President of Williams Blackstock Architects said the property would include a mix of single family housing that was heavily amenitized with a clubhouse, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, parking and more.
“It would include retail and living in a community setting with a neighborhood feel and be walkable with a close proximity to goods and services and have a distinctive identity,” Segrest said.
In addition to the housing, the space would include three retail buildings at 10,000 square feet each, separated by plazas and a large greenspace.
“There could be fast casual restaurants, services and some small good retail,” he said. “It’s somewhere you’d be able to take your family. We would create something to expand on what's already there [in Chelsea], so folks in the neighborhood don’t have to leave [the city] that much.”
Segrest said he believes the tenants that would be brought in would change the way people ate out in Chelsea and the area would be a full lifestyle experience.
The residences would be managed by Arlington Properties and designed for neighbor engagement and promote a sense of community.
Walker said they’ve made a request to the Chelsea Planning Commission for the rezoning to be heard at the Dec. 21 meeting and he hopes to come back to the council in early February with a public hearing.
