Project To Turn Old Ensley High Project Into Apartment Complex Moves Forward

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/08/IMG_5817-e1630602904323.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:675;s:4:"file";s:35:"2021/08/IMG_5817-e1630602904323.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"IMG_5817-e1630602904323-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:3:"5.6";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:18:"Canon EOS REBEL T3";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:10:"1552999839";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:3:"250";s:3:"iso";s:4:"3200";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:5:"0.025";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"1";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Councilor Steven Hoyt
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Miranda Fulmore
        )

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

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:11:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:800;s:4:"file";s:12:"IMG_5817.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"IMG_5817-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_5817-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

)
1664784763 
1630401754
Councilor Steven Hoyt

Councilor Steven Hoyt

Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

Plans to redevelop the former Ensley High School into a 244-unit apartment complex took another step forward Tuesday, despite the continued misgivings of District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt.

The former high school, abandoned since 2006, was sold in April to the North Carolina-based developer Zimmerman Properties for $50,000. Zimmerman, in conjunction with the Housing Authority of Greater Birmingham, plans to redevelop the property into 244 apartment units for those earning between $16,000 and $45,000 annually.

On Tuesday, in a largely procedural vote, the council approved the assignment of the project to 2301 Ensley LP, a single-purpose operation created to “protect the project and [its] grant funds in the event of an accident at other properties in the Zimmerman portfolio,” Cornell Wesley, the city’s director of innovation and economic opportunity, told councilors.

The council approved the ordinance, but not before Hoyt — the only councilor who did not seek reelection in this month’s municipal race — reiterated his concerns about the project’s fitness for the Ensley area.

“I still have pains about concentrating poverty in one area,” he said. “I really don’t think this is a good development for that area.” Single-family homes would be better, he argued, because they encouraged “a sense of ownership for the community” as opposed to more “transient” multifamily housing.

Redevelopment plan for the old Ensley High School property by Zimmerman Properties.

Redevelopment plan for the old Ensley High School property by Zimmerman Properties.

“We really need folks to have a stake in the community, and I don’t know if we’ve achieved that with this project,” Hoyt said. “I don’t think we can expect Ensley to change, quite frankly, with this kind of development. It doesn’t really lend itself to us being healthy when we put all the poor folk in one area. That’s limited thinking.”

District 9 Councilor John Hilliard — slated to face challenger LaTonya Tate in the Oct. 5 runoff election — argued that the project, which is in his district, was one way to slow population decline in Birmingham.

“I look forward to [this project] because our population has really diminished in Birmingham,” he said. “Huntsville is outgrowing us by leaps and bounds … I would hope we would continue to grow our community.”

Chris Hatcher, the city’s interim director of community development, told Hoyt that the mayor’s office agreed “concentration of poverty is a bad thing” and that its goal was to develop an “appropriate mix” of affordable and market-rate housing throughout the city.

“I hate to say this, but the city of Birmingham and our housing and declining [population] … We didn’t get like this overnight. Our housing conditions didn’t happen overnight, and it took us decades to get here and it’s going to take us a while to rightsize it,” Hatcher said. “Unfortunately, we can’t wave a magic wand. We have to deal with the market, and we have to deal with developers. And then, we have to [provide] incentives when we need to, and then let the market take its course if it’s in keeping with the city’s goals in other areas … We have to do it in a smart and strategic way.”

 

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.

National Guard presence may deter crime, but experts warn of the long-term costs

As President Trump ramps up efforts to send federal officers and troops into cities, criminologists are watching closely. Are the feds doing this in a smart way?

More BirminghamWatch Coverage