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Council authorizes agreement talks for old police headquarters; design and zoning to return for approval
Summary
Homewood City Council voted 9-2 on March 31 to authorize staff to pursue an agreement with a developer that proposed redeveloping the former police headquarters site. Councilors emphasized the plan will require later approvals for zoning, subdivision and final design and that downtown parking and green-space goals remain under discussion.
Homewood City Council voted 9-2 on March 31, 2025, to authorize city staff to pursue an agreement with a developer that proposed redeveloping the city’s former police headquarters site.
The council’s action lets the city negotiate and enter into an agreement with the developer’s group; any final design, rezone or subdivision will return to council and the planning commission for review and approval, city staff said.
The measure matters because the property sits in a strategic downtown location and the proposal couples a green-space component with commercial use, prompting council discussion about parking, zoning and long-term downtown strategy.
Kale Smith, a city staff member who presented the item, told council that the vote before them would only authorize the city to negotiate the agreement and that “the design would still come back to — we would still have to go through all the processes that it would need to go through. There may need to be a rezone, as well, that it would have to go through.” He said the city expects the parcel to be subdivided so the park portion would remain city property while the restaurant/commercial portion would be commercial.
The finance committee had referred the unsolicited proposal to the full council with a 3–1–1 vote; that committee record shows Councilor Aleman voted no and Councilor Harden abstained. On the full council floor, the motion passed 9–2; the transcript does not list individual yes/no votes for the final tally.
Councilors who spoke at length acknowledged the green-space element in the proposal and urged a broader, strategic downtown review before finalizing redevelopment. Several members said they want to ensure long-term parking plans and business needs are addressed before approving detailed designs.
The council’s approval does not adopt any design or zoning change. Staff and the developer will return with detailed plans and any required legal steps, including rezoning or subdivision, for further public hearings and formal votes.
Resolution: 25-39. Outcome: approved (9–2).
