Birmingham Agrees To Sell Old Ensley High To Be Redeveloped As 244-Unit Housing
Plans are moving forward to redevelop the former Ensley High School property as a 244-unit housing development. The Birmingham City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday selling the campus, which has been abandoned since 2006, to the North Carolina-based Zimmerman Properties for $50,000.
The city also will provide incentives for the project in the form of a grant of up to $1.5 million, some of which will come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Home Investment Partnerships Program.
The new apartments are being developed in partnership with the Housing Authority of Greater Birmingham. The total project is expected to cost $54.6 million.
The campus’ main building was severely damaged by fire in 2018 and will be demolished to make way for the new development.
The first phase of construction is planned to include a three-story apartment building, a community center and a three-story parking deck. Apartments will be available to those earning between $16,000 and $45,000 annually. The planned redevelopment also will convert the former Ensley High School gym to commercial space.
District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt was the sole voice of opposition to the agreement, saying that the planned development includes too many units and will “condense” the area’s population, exacerbating rates of violent crime.
“We’re going to concentrate poverty in an area that already has experienced that,” he said. “It’s my opinion that we need more single-family detached homes there … Multifamily [housing], generally the persons who live there are transient. They move in and out. When you’ve got somebody who’s got a home, you’ve got an investment. They have some ownership, and it’s a little more stable than just multifamily. Just given the history of that community, the crime rate is still high in that community. We really want to promote homeownership.”
Hoyt argued that multifamily developments are more likely to be approved in majority-Black areas of Birmingham than they are in majority-white areas.
“There is a distinct dichotomy in how we view the Black community,” he said. “It really is a tale of two cities.”
The council approved the redevelopment deal, with Hoyt as the only “no” vote. Council President William Parker was absent.
In recent weeks, the council has addressed the future of several abandoned schools in the city. In March, it approved the demolition of Banks High School, which has been vacant since 2007. It’s also mulling a proposal from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office to redevelop Hill Elementary School, which closed in 2014.
A deadly explosion outside a California fertility clinic is investigated as terrorism
One person was killed and four were injured in the weekend blast, said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.
SNL’s 50th season proved it’s still relevant. Can it stay that way?
The season finale, with host Scarlett Johansson and musical guest Bad Bunny, didn't give any answers about rumored cast departures.
Zelenskyy meets Vance in Rome, hours after Russia’s largest drone attack on Ukraine
The intensified diplomacy came as Russia launched its largest drone barrage against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
These Democratic governors are trying to curb health care for unauthorized immigrants
After expanding state Medicaid programs to cover people in the country without legal status, Democrats are considering changes that would reduce immigrant access.
A study finds stacking bricks differently could help this country fight air pollution
Bangladesh suffers from extreme air pollution, but a new study shows the brick industry can make small changes to have a big effect on the country's smog problem.
Losing faith: Rural religious colleges are among the most endangered
Some religious colleges and universities are cutting programs. Others are seeking mergers to reduce costs and expand offerings.