news
Birmingham Channels Investment Into Mixed-Income Housing and Community Spaces
City services and local decisions are guiding public and private funding into several neighborhoods to support mixed-income housing and community facilities.
How we reported this
Construction on the $340 million Star Uptown mixed-use development replacing the former Carraway Hospital is set to begin in Spring 2026 with the first 64 cottages and townhomes ready for residents by early 2027. The Smithfield-College Hills-Graymont Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is deploying $308.5 million in public and private funding to construct 920 mixed-income apartments and a new Social Innovation Center planned for construction in 2026.
Star Uptown and SCG Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives
Birmingham is advancing these projects through coordinated local planning decisions that replace older facilities and direct funding streams toward new housing. The Star Uptown effort focuses on the site of the former Carraway Hospital while the SCG Choice Neighborhoods Initiative targets Smithfield-College Hills-Graymont with a combination of public and private resources for apartments and a Social Innovation Center.
Hueytown Preserve and Ensley Logistics Hub
The city of Hueytown will open a 400+ acre nature preserve in the first quarter of 2026. At the same time the Western Corridor in Ensley is being transformed into a global logistics hub backed by a $2 billion state grant. These steps reflect decisions by city services to expand open space in one area and support infrastructure in another.
Woodlawn Housing and Eastside Park Investments
Woodlawn is seeing 16 new single-family homes priced from the low $200s as part of a community-driven revitalization effort east of downtown. Avondale, Lakeview, and Southside are seeing spurred residential investment due to city investments in Avondale Park and the private-public vision behind Railroad Park. Local decisions on park improvements and public-private coordination are directing this activity.
These efforts rely on specific funding amounts and construction timelines already approved through city and state processes. Residents and developers can track progress through public notices on the Star Uptown timeline and the SCG Initiative schedule. The next steps involve monitoring the Spring 2026 start for Star Uptown and the first-quarter 2026 opening of the Hueytown preserve as city services implement the approved plans.