Birmingham Agrees To Sell Old Ensley High To Be Redeveloped As 244-Unit Housing

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/04/2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:675;s:4:"file";s:39:"2021/04/2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772.png";s:5:"sizes";a:15:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-336x189.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-771x434.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-768x432.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-553x311.png";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-470x265.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"web-stories-poster-portrait";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-640x675.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:675;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"web-stories-poster-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-853x640.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"web-stories-poster-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-640x640.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-publisher-logo";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:21:"web-stories-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:38:"2021-04-27-2-e1619804864772-150x84.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:84;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Redevelopment plan for the old Ensley High School property by Zimmerman Properties.
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Zimmerman Properties
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:16:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:772;s:4:"file";s:16:"2021-04-27-2.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-336x216.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:216;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-768x494.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:494;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-771x496.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:496;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"2021-04-27-2-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-483x311.png";s:5:"width";i:483;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-412x265.png";s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:32:"web-stories-poster-portrait-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-640x772.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:772;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:33:"web-stories-poster-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-853x640.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:30:"web-stories-poster-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"2021-04-27-2-640x640.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:31:"web-stories-publisher-logo-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"2021-04-27-2-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"2021-04-27-2-150x97.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:97;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

)
1664793696 
1619526779

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.

 

India and China to resume direct flights after a 5-year suspension

The suspension, which began with the 2020 Covid outbreak, was prolonged by tensions along the Himalayan border.

On ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ Taylor Swift feels love’s glow and the spotlight’s glare

On her 12th album, the most dominant pop star of our era makes a spectacle of herself in full flower, in love and holding the music industry in the palm of her hand.

FDA approves another generic abortion pill, prompting outrage from conservatives

Drugmaker Evita Solutions announced on its website that the Food and Drug Administration signed off on its low-cost form of the pill, which is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks.

As the shutdown drags on, the threat of permanent cuts is mired in politics

President Trump is meeting with his budget director, Russ Vought, about what additional cuts to make during the shutdown, and the president says his targets are partisan.

Pope Leo’s religious community is drawing renewed interest. Here’s what makes it unique

"Before, we might get two or three discerners. But after Pope Leo, I now have 15. It's unbelievable."

The CDC still hasn’t issued COVID vaccine guidelines, leaving access in limbo

Access to the COVID-19 vaccines remains difficult because of an unusual and unexplained delay by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in accepting recommendations from its advisers.

More Front Page Coverage