Village Living Volume 7 | Issue 10 | January 2017
Making an Impact
The full extent of Alex Peters’ role in a Samford basketball game goes far beyond the box score.
See page A16
New Year, New You
Videographer Chandler Wallace is stepping in front of the camera for the “New Year, New You” campaign by Meta Fitness.
See page A18 TION G SEC
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INSIDE Sponsors ......... A4 City ................... A9 Business .........A14 Sports ..............A16
School House A20 Community ....A24 Faith ...............A26 Calendar ..........B14
neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook
2017 A
LOOK AHEAD T
DEMOLITION UPDATES, A8
By LEXI COON
he new year often brings about changes, and during 2017, Mountain Brook has a few renovations planned. Starting with one of the city’s major problems, traffic, the City Council has approved the help of Sain Associates to pursue the possibility of adding roundabouts to the intersection of U.S. 280, Cahaba Road, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road. The project has been approved for federal funding, and while there isn’t any construction planned for the near future, Sain Associates will be gathering information via environmental studies, minimal surveying and traffic counts in the area. They are hoping to have more information to present at a public involvement meeting near the end of the year. Renovation plans will continue down the road to the Birmingham Zoo, where it is entering the second phase for its Renew the Zoo initiative. This year, the zoo is planning to bring its event lawn to life, which will be in the area that previously held the fishponds. The lawn will be able to hold up to 3,000 standing visitors and will be available for events including weddings, corporate dinners and concerts. Senior Vice President Chris Pfefferkorn said the lawn is expected to be finished by late 2017.
ZOO RENOVATIONS, A6
ROAD UPDATES, A7
See A LOOK AHEAD | page A6
Looking long-term: Brookwood Village has plan for vacancies
Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit #54
facebook.com/villageliving
By LEXI COON
Inside the food court at Brookwood Village. Photo courtesy of Cypress Equities.
Brookwood Village has been open for more than 40 years, and the mall itself is more than 600,000 square feet. It recently underwent massive renovations that cost $20 million and services thousands locally. And while shoppers walk past empty storefronts, Brookwood
officials have a plan. “Everybody just sees there’s a vacancy here and there, and says, ‘Oh, so-and-so left,’” said Matt Lukas, director of asset management for Brookwood Village. Lukas works for Arrow Retail,
See BROOKWOOD | page A27