Four developments in progress at once in Alabaster

ALABASTER, Ala. (WIAT) – A lots of changes are coming to the Alabaster city landscape as the city has four developments in progress at one time.

Nathan Hope has lived by the south side of Alabaster for the last 20 years, watching the city evolve.

“Everyone talks about how it’s developing from Birmingham down. You go up 65, you can see the difference in cities, but if you ride 31 up, you can’t even tell when you go into another city,” Hope said.

One of the major changes coming to Highway 31 is the Shoppes at District 31, which the city says has been a work in progress for the last eight and a half years.

“They most recently just poured some footings and the concrete padding, so hopefully we’ll start seeing those buildings go vertical here before the end of the year and hopefully get them open maybe the first quarter of next year,” said Alabaster Mayor Scott Brakefield.

Brakefield says the main district hasn’t broken ground and is still under negotiations, so the work people see being done right now is for the restaurants and offices.

“That developer has gone through a lot. He’s weathered the storm of COVID, he’s weathered the shift to online shopping, he’s weathered having to remake that development numerous times, so finally being able to see just even the shops coming out,” he said. “They’re going to add Five Guys Burgers and Fries, First Watch, things like that to our community that we don’t have, some more dining options, so super excited to see it come out of the ground finally and kind of take shape.”

Another change along Highway 31 is a new hotel, which will be the fourth hotel in the area by the Promenade.

“You put 6, 7, 8 softball teams there, they’re going to go to the Promenade, they’re going to forget that they forgot to pack something, they’re going to go to Walmart and buy, they’re going to eat in our restaurants, buy the gas there right at the Promenade,” Brakefield said.

Brakefield also hopes to see buildings started by the end of the year for the new library and rec center with project completion in spring of 2027.

“Alabaster is unique in the sense that we don’t really have a city center. We don’t really have a downtown area anymore so that’s kind of what we’re trying to create here. Whether it’s our police station, our city hall, our senior center, and now purchasing this property that’s just a short distance behind us and putting a rec center and a library,” Brakefield said. “We’re really trying to create that city center vibe right here.”

Another element of the library and rec center project is the addition of turn lanes and more signaling. The mayor hopes the road work portion will be completed by the end of September.

“We can have families show up and park [at city hall], walk our Buck Creek trail, go play a game at Larry Simmons football field, go workout at the rec center, grab a bite to eat, walk back here and watch a movie at night on our big screen amphitheater and then get in their car and leave and they’ve spent their entire day here,” Brakefield said.

Brakefield says he understands traffic can be more congested during construction but that some of the headaches are due to road changes that will ease traffic flow in the end.

“I think traffic is going pretty smooth,” said Montevallo resident Isaiah Polard, who travels to Alabaster for his son’s soccer team. “I mean, it’s not bad at all.”

“It can get backed up from time to time, but with anywhere, you know, even the interstate whenever there’s improvements or whatever to be done, minor delays here and there,” Hope said. “In the long run, it’s going to be better for everyone.”

The city also aims to address traffic flow with a Quik Trip going in on the corner of Highways 119 and 31.

“A big part of it for the city is, while not immediate, it opens up the opportunity for us to kind of jog county road 11 a little bit to the east or to the south and that way it better aligns with 119,” said Brakefield. “Having the forethought in mind to be able to think about like okay, if we do this project, how can we get something that will benefit the residents.”

These projects all have different timelines, but some are expected to wrap up around 2027.