The Birmingham City Council has scheduled a public hearing for Aug. 25 on a rezoning request that would allow a developer to build a boutique hotel and condominium tower in the Redmont neighborhood.
The hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. during the City Council meeting at City Hall.
The developer is seeking to rezone the property to allow for a building up to 125 feet tall. According to the developer, the proposed project would include 80 hotel rooms and approximately 15 condominium units on the upper floors.
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who co-chairs the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee, said the proposal has generated significant public interest and encouraged residents to attend the hearing.
“This particular project, if you’re coming down the Red Mountain Expressway, there are two large residential buildings that kind of frame Sloss Furnaces in the background,” O’Quinn said. “This proposed development would be on the eastern side of the expressway, near those two existing buildings. We’ve had a lot of discussion about this case, so for anyone interested, the time to submit public comment will be at the Aug. 25 City Council meeting.”
O’Quinn described the proposal as a high-end, boutique-style hotel rather than a traditional chain hotel.
“It’s not going to be a Comfort Inn,” he said. “It’s going to be something else — a high-end hotel.”
According to O’Quinn, the developer is requesting permission to build to 115 feet, even though the proposed zoning district would allow buildings as tall as 125 feet. He said the qualified zoning would also prohibit many of the uses that would otherwise be allowed under the requested designation.
The project has drawn opposition from nearby residents during the review process. O’Quinn said both the Redmont Neighborhood Association and the Highland Park Neighborhood Association voted overwhelmingly against recommending the rezoning. The city’s Zoning Advisory Committee also recommended denial.
Despite those recommendations, the City Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee voted 3-1 on July 14 to recommend approval.
O’Quinn said most of the concerns raised by residents have centered on the building’s height. He noted the site sits adjacent to the Red Mountain Expressway and is surrounded by several other multi-story buildings, including one that exceeds 200 feet.
He added that the developer has revised the building’s exterior design to better complement nearby historic structures by using a red brick façade.
O’Quinn said the upcoming public hearing will give residents their opportunity to weigh in before the City Council votes on the rezoning request.
“Anybody who feels strongly one way or the other and wants to express their support or opposition to this rezoning, this public hearing is the time and place to do that,” he said.
