Developer previews 200,000‑sq‑ft Valleydale retail center; traffic and landscaping changes highlighted

Keith Owens, managing partner for Alumni Properties, gave a progress update April 7 to the Hoover City Council on a proposed 200,000‑square‑foot mixed‑use retail center at the corner of Valleydale Road and Inverness Center Drive.

The developer said the project has evolved after three years of staff and neighborhood meetings. Owens said the latest site plan removes a proposed fuel facility and liquor store, adds new connections to the adjacent Inverness Plaza, tightens access radiuses to deter truck turns onto Inverness Center Drive, and increases landscaping and screening along rear property lines that back up to nearby neighborhoods.

The revisions were presented as responses to neighborhood concerns about truck traffic and visibility. Owens said truck deliveries for the large anchors will be routed through an improved service drive at Inverness Plaza or via the main entrance, rather than exiting directly…