By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT

Created to bring new life to a seemingly forgotten area,The Park at Wood Station is being touted as one of the mostinnovative community development initiatives in Alabama’shistory. The new, affordable housing development is part ofa major revitalization effort in the inner city Birminghamneighborhood of Woodlawn.

“The Woodlawn Foundation is investing millions to laythe groundwork for comprehensive revitalization, and isworking with community residents to build a newWoodlawn,” said Winton Yerby, president, HollyhandDevelopment LLC, which serves as the developer. “I’m notsure any other revitalization effort in the state has benefitedfrom that kind of commitment. The key player is theFoundation, funded by the Goodrich Foundation, but it’struly a joint effort along with the city, local financial institu-tions, community groups and the Hollyhand team.”

Doug Hollyhand Realty Inc. serves as general contractor,and Hollyhand Companies Inc. will manage the develop-ment. The project is placed within approximately 7.3 acres,and includes primarily two-story townhouse units in 15buildings on a parcel spread across several streets betweenGeorgia Road and 1st Avenue North and between 60th Streetand 61st Street. The mix of two and three bedroom units willhave roughly 1,700 sq. ft. (157.9 sq m) each. Amenitiesinclude a playground and a 3,200 sq. ft. (297.3 sq m) com-munity building centrally located within the development.

“We get remarks all the time from people across the cityabout how important and exciting the Park at Wood Stationis,” Yerby said. “Woodlawn is a well-known historic neigh-borhood that dates from the 19th-century. Former FloridaState Head football coach Bobby Bowden, along with manyother famous people, grew up here. Woodlawn was onceconsidered a very desirable area. It has historic old homesand a commercial center. Over time, like much of inner-cityBirmingham, it has declined, but needs to come back so thatother areas in the city can prosper, as well.”

Originally settled by a group of farming families whoentered the area in 1815, the city of Woodlawn was annexedinto Birmingham in 1910. Woodlawn community neighbor-hoods include East Avondale, Oak Ridge Park, southWoodlawn and Woodlawn itself.

“Blight impacts families, neighborhoods and whole citiesand regions, so this effort can have ripple effects throughoutthe city,” Yerby said. “This project targets working families,and there’s a tremendous need in the city for good housingthese families can afford. We’ve had over 400 inquiries for

the 64 units. The Park at Wood Station is simply the first stepin the Foundation’s housing strategy as future market ratephases are being planned.”

Construction began in mid-2014, and work should becompleted later this summer. Doug Hollyhand Realty is fin-ishing final framing, with the first units expected to be turnedsoon.

Site work, utilities and paving are nearing completion, allslabs are almost complete, seven buildings have been framedand are ready for sheet rock and three more buildings arebeing framed. The community building also is being sheet-rocked. Once the buildings are framed, interior work pro-ceeds with plumbing and electrical accessories, sheet rock,paint, trim, installation of appliances and bath accessories,floor covering and a final cleaning.

Project leaders say site logistics have been challenging,since the site is spread out more than typical projects.Staying on the project timeline with inspections also is a con-cern when dealing with different city inspection rules and

regulations.The property is the former site of many demolished sin-

gle-family homes, and required removing debris prior to sitework. Minimal grading was done at the start of the project.Approximately 1,700 cu. yds. (1,299.7 cu m) of dirt havebeen removed for undercutting, due to soil issues.

“The main challenge was phasing of the site due to itsfootprint, but once it got started it really went fine, said

Development to Revitalize Inner City Birmingham

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Doug Hollyhand Realty Inc. photoCreated to bring new life to a seemingly forgotten area,The Park at Wood Station is being touted as one of themost innovative community development initiatives inAlabama’s history.

Woodlawn Foundation photoClearing included all trees, brush, grass, debris andtopsoil.

March 42015

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Next Project to Include Early Child Development CenterBrandon Streety, president of SoutheasternSealcoating Inc. “The site was basically aborrow project. We hauled in approximately19,000 cubic yards of material to achieve thedesign grades.”

Clearing included all trees, brush, grass,debris and topsoil. Erosion control involvedinstalling the silt fence, constructionentrances and storm protections.

“The project had an existing 42 by 96 inchbox culvert that had to be removed; howev-er, before the removal could be performed,we had to install new storm sewer to pick thewater up,” Streety said. “We installed some1,300 linear feet of storm pipe.

“The project is basically spread out overseven blocks that once had either homes orapartment complexes on the lots. We had toremove all the old alleyways, driveways,slabs, basements, walls, etc. Some we knewabout and some we found along the way thathad been covered over the years.”

A variety of equipment has been used onsite, including Komatsu 220 and 200 trackhoes, Cat 316 and 160 track hoes, a JohnDeere 450 and Cat D5 and D3 dozers, Cat420 rubber tire back hoes, Cat 459b skidsteers, a Weiler paver, Cat cb34 and cb24asphalt rollers and Dynapac rollers.

“Track hoes were used mainly for cut,borrow pit and installation of utilities andpipe, as well as demolition,” said Streety.“Dozers were used for installing fill materialand rough grading, while the rollers wererequired for compaction.

“We are currently still working on dress-ing around the new structures. We complet-ed most of the borrow and grading at the endof January, and storm work in November.Working around the new buildings is themost tedious part, just because most of thesites are tight.”

Weather also has been a factor. Crewshave dealt with a lot of rain, which delayedthe pouring of concrete pads, but the setbackhasn't been significant.

The building exterior includes brick,cementitious siding and wood framing. Eachstructure has a complete sprinkler system,dedicated sensory impaired and handi-capped units with emergency call options,energy-efficient appliances, vinyl and carpetflooring, ceiling fans and washer/dryerhookups. The community building willinclude a laundry room, offices, kitchen,computer café, exercise room and mailroom.

The Park at Wood Station project is beingfunded primarily with a low-income housingtax credit allocation through the AlabamaHousing Finance Authority. The credits weresold to the investor, Regions Financial, toprovide equity for the project. Other fundingsources include city of Birmingham HOME

funds and a small loan.“The Park at Wood Station is the first

phase of a mixed-income housing initiativethat’s only one part of a comprehensive com-munity change effort underway inWoodlawn,” said Sally Mackin, WoodlawnFoundation executive director. “WoodlawnFoundation, a 501(c)3 organization, servesas the lead organization of this effort,Woodlawn United. Woodlawn United beganwhen several organizations came togetheraround a shared vision of Woodlawn being asafe and healthy community where childrenand families thrive.

“Each organization was delivering servic-es and programs through the lens of theirindividual missions. The original membersinclude the YWCA, REV Birmingham,Cornerstone School, South WoodlawnNeighborhood Association, Christ HealthCenter and Church of the Highlands DreamCenter. Mike and Gillian Goodrich broughtthe group together and introduced them toPurpose Built Communities.”

Mackin said this project is set to fill a needin the area.

“There’s a need across our city for highquality affordable housing. The Park atWood Station will serve individuals andfamilies that have income levels at or below60 percent of area median income.”

One thing that sets Woodlawn Unitedapart from other efforts to revitalize urbanareas is the formation of a sustainable leadorganization. By working with the residentsand local stakeholders in the community,Woodlawn Foundation identifies needs and

gaps in services within the neighborhoodsand identifies resources to meet the needs. Insome cases, these partners are already serv-ing residents in the area, and other timesregional or national organizations who’vehad success in other cities and states workwith local organizations.

“The current residents of the Woodlawnneighborhoods have been involved in theplanning of this for several years,” saidMackin. “Surrounding homeowners areeager to see the finished development.There’s a real sense of community amongmany of the residents. People look out foreach other. Some have lived here their wholelives and are the second and third genera-tions of their families that have lived in thecommunity. There is a lot of history inWoodlawn and, fortunately, many of thebuildings both commercial and residentialstill have that historical character.

“The struggles that Woodlawn faces arenot so different than any other urban com-munity in Birmingham or other city in theU.S. Many have resulted because of infra-structure that has physically divided neigh-borhoods and others from lack of privateinvestment and job opportunities.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it has beento begin to see physical transformation in thecommunity. The behind the scenes planningwas hard work, but it has certainly paid offand that foundation will continue to providea solid base on which future projects can bebuilt. My hope is that Woodlawn will be ahealthy, vibrant and thriving neighborhoodthat’s everything and more that its residents

want it to be.”According to Mackin, the foundation’s

next project will include an Early ChildDevelopment Center.

“Beyond that, we have plans for moreprogress in the Woodlawn InnovationNetwork, as well as more commercial devel-opment and market rate housing construc-tion.”

“The vision for The Park at Wood Stationwas directed primarily by the work and goalsof the Woodlawn Foundation,” said DondiWilliamson, project architect, McKean &Associates Architects. “One of the mainobjectives was to design an affordable hous-ing development that integrates with andreflects the character of the existing neigh-borhood. We were able to walk the neigh-borhood to get a sense of both scale anddetail, which we used to guide much of thedesign process.

“One of the biggest challenges for thisdevelopment was addressing the aging utili-ty infrastructure. Most of these systems hadto be replaced to meet current standards,which created a significant strain on thebudget. Another challenge was to design thehousing so that it meets accessibility require-ments, while incorporating an elevated fin-ished floor that creates a streetscape that fitswith the context of the existing housing.”

“Placing most of the off-street parking tothe rear of the structures, along with carefulcoordination of grading and dwelling entrylocations, helped accomplish this.Challenges related to the goal of blendingthe new structures into the existing commu-nity were resolved in the judicious selectionof exterior materials that met the needs ofdurability, cost and context.”

There were no specific sustainable orgreen energy certifications related to thisdevelopment. The project was designed,however, to meet or exceed the AlabamaEnergy and Residential Code and includesspecifications for the use of Energy Star-rated windows, appliances and ceiling fansin each residence.

“Anytime you can be part of a project thatis related to revitalizing a community withthe heritage of one like Woodlawn, it’srewarding,” Williamson said. “The interest-ing part will be to see what kind of impactthis development has going forward to re-energize new development in this area.”

“Revitalizing our underserved communi-ties cannot come soon enough, said Mackin.“There is a great sense of urgency toimprove the quality of life for all residents,and to make sure the zip code you are bornin does not determine your future.”

(This story also can be found onConstruction Equipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipmentguide.com.)CEG

WOODLAWN from page 1

McKean & Associates Architects photoConstruction began in mid-2014, and work should be completed later this summer.

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • March 4, 2015 • Page 3

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Page 6 • March 4, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

The Alabama State Department of Transportationreceived bids for transportation-related improvementprojects.

Following is a list of some of the projects let.

County: ColbertContract ID: 20140926074Project: Roadway improvements on Montgomery Avenuefrom the Norfolk Southern Railroad to the junction of 6thStreet in Sheffield.Distance: .39 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Joe Keenum Excavation & Construction Inc. —$1,395,270

• Rogers Group Inc. — $1,524,195

County: ElmoreContract ID: 20140926077Project: Slide correction and drainage repairs (grade,drain, base, and pave) on the Southbound Shoulder of SR-9 (U.S.-231) from milepost 117.372 to 117.262 south ofWetumpka.Distance: 0.13 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Dubose Construction Company LLC — $270,374• Newell Roadbuilders Inc. — $275,845• Chilton Contractors Inc. — $278,545• Arrington Curb & Excavation Inc. — $313,313• McInnis Construction LLC — $465,076

County: JeffersonContract ID: 20140926017Project: Resurfacing and traffic stripe on DeerfootParkway from the I-59 Interchange to the junction of OldSpringville Road.Distance: 3.15mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Dunn Construction Company Inc. — $949,759• Midsouth Paving Inc. — $1,056,332

County: ClayContract ID: 20140926025Project: Resurfacing, traffic stripe and signals at varioussites in the city of Ashland.Distance: 0.92 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Gary Ingram Grading & Paving Inc. — $426,893• McCartney Construction Company Inc. — $446,410• Dunn Construction Company Inc. — $456,023• Midsouth Paving Inc. — $514,818

County: JacksonContract ID: 20140926029Project: Resurfacing and traffic stripe on CR-43 from theDeKalb County Line to the intersection of SR-35 inSection.Distance: 7.21 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. — $1,189,362

• Whitaker Contracting Corporation — $1,204,582

County: MarshallContract ID: 20140926030Project: Resurfacing and traffic stripe on CR-847 (MatMorrow Road) from the intersection of CR-418 (RuthRoad) to the junction of SR-53 (US-231) north of Arab.Distance: 3.20 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Whitaker Contracting Corporation — $556,806• Reed Contracting Services Inc. — $586,221• Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. — $707,421

County: LimestoneContract ID: 20140926031Project: Resurfacing and traffic stripe on Garrett Roadfrom the junction of SR-3 (U.S.-31) to a point near PineyCreek in Decatur (Site #1) and on Morris Road from thejunction of Easter Ferry Road to the intersection of SR-127in Elkmont (Site #2).Distance: 6.83 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Reed Contracting Services Inc. — $1,546,329• Joe Keenum Excavation & Construction Inc. —

$1,585,535• Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. — $1,587,317

County: MarshallContract ID: 20140926040Project: Resurfacing and traffic stripe on CR-14(Warrenton Road) from a point near the junction of CR-44

(Fry Gap Road) to the intersection of SR-69 inGuntersville.Distance: 6.83 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Whitaker Contracting Corporation — $1,068,983• Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. — $1,109,694

County: MarshallContract ID: 20140926041Project: Widening, resurfacing and traffic stripe on CR-409 (Martling Road) from the intersection of CR-513(Martling Gap Road) to the junction of CR-649 (BurgessRoad).Distance: 3.56 mi.Contractors and Bid Amounts:

• Whitaker Contracting Corporation — $752,032• Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. — $807,017

County: CoffeeContract ID: 20140926050Project: Bridge coating on CR-342 over Big Creek (Site#A); on CR-410 over Bucks Mill Creek (Site #B); on CR-427 over Pages Creek (Site #C); and on CR-473 overCripple Creek (Site #D).Distance: N/AContractors and Bid Amounts:

• Performance Coatings Inc. — $92,424• International Rigging Group LLC — $103,727• P & H Stucco & Construction Inc. — $137,000• Gulf Coast Contracting LLC — $172,784• K.V.K. Contracting Inc. — $184,156

Montgomery • Jefferson • Talladega • Calhoun • Russell • Walker • Lawrence • Dekalb • Morgan • St. Clair • Tuscaloosa • Morgan • Shelby• Bibb •Hale • Fayette • Marion • Winston • Cullman • Shelby • Chilton • Chambers • Covington • Baldwin • Clarke • Monroe • St. Clair• Chilton • Escambia• Montgomery • Jefferson • Russell • Fayette • Conecuh • Coffee • Geneva • Montgomery • Jefferson • Talladega •Bibb • Coffee • Calhoun • Russell • • Walker• Lawrence• Dekalb • Morgan • St. Clair • Tuscaloosa • Bibb• Hale • Fayette • Monroe •Clarke • Winston • Cullman • Shelby • Chilton • Chambers • Covington • Baldwin • Clarke • Monroe • Montgomery • Jefferson • Talladega

Alabama…

‘The Yellowhammer State’ Highway Project Lettings

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • March 4, 2015 • Page 7

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