Vulcan Park to Get New Leader

As Negrotto Steps Down, Cardona to Move From Museum Operations to President and CEO

The president and chief executive officer of Vulcan Park Foundation, Darlene Negrotto, is retiring at the end of the month.

The foundation board of directors has appointed Cynthia Cardona, currently director of museum operations, to succeed her as president and chief executive officer as of April 1, according to a statement from the foundation. She also will join the board, which oversees Vulcan Park & Museum.

“On behalf of the board of directors, the VPF staff, we want to thank Darlene for her leadership and impact for nearly two decades with the organization,” Martha Raber, Vulcan Park Foundation board chair, said in the statement.

“This year, we mark the 19th anniversary of Vulcan Park’s reopening, and she has been instrumental in helping Vulcan Park & Museum fulfill its

From Page One

Property owners of sites adjacent to the former hotel said they, too, are open to working with potential developers to redevelop the area, McCulley said, meaning as many as 10 acres along U.S. 31 may eventually be redeveloped. The expanded scope spans from the current gateway near the Issis and Sons property north to the site of the former Motor Lodge property now owned by Ward Neely. Neely bought the site last year and is working with local developer John Michael Bodnar to redevelop it, McCulley said. Thursday’s session capped two days of community talks and private stakeholder meetings. Hydrologists, traffic consultants, commercial property developers and government agencies also were involved.

The multi-day event to consult with as many stakeholders as possible, called a charrette, followed a March 13 City Council vote to approve a bid by Complete Demolition Services LLC for environmental remediation and demolition on the property.

“As we enter an agreement with a contractor to demolish the old Days Inn property, the city of Vestavia Hills does not just want to remove this blemish from our largest business corridor, but we also want to engage our residents, property owners and prospective development community to determine the most appropriate redevelopment use that will serve as a catalyst for refreshing the entire south end of Highway 31,” City Manager Jeff Downes said in a statement provided to Over the Mountain Journal.

The kick-off session, held March 14, invited the public to comment on the project area, which McCulley described as a “historic opportunity for improvement.”

Williams Blackstock Architects provided site plan renderings envisioning potential changes to the area. Residents were shown a series of area plans and pictures and asked to indicate what they wished to see created at the location, as well as what they disliked.

Community members also took part in a visu-

Residents tion since 2004 and has made many lasting contributions to the area’s hospitality and tourism industry, according to the statement. mission to preserve and promote Vulcan as the symbol for the Birmingham region, advance knowledge and understanding of Birmingham’s diverse history and culture, and encourage exploration of the region,” she continued. “The board is sincerely grateful to Darlene for her dedication and wishes her nothing but the best as she starts this next chapter in her life.

“With our experienced leadership team, Vulcan Park & Museum is poised for success through this leadership transition.”

Raber said Cardona brings to the foundation experience and knowledge acquired in more than two decades of varied museum work, during which she held roles focusing on collections management, visitor engagement, operations and administration.

Negrotto has been with the founda- al preference survey, in which they were presented with a series of mocked-up images and asked to vote for the ideal gateway element, beautification plan, retail use and design, among other elements.

According to the results of the survey, residents who took part indicated a preference for the site to incorporate a village-like combined retail and hospitality space. Participants also said they would like to see community gathering areas and greenspaces incorporated, as well as pedestrian and vehicle connections between mixed-use concepts.

Downes said the meeting served “as a turning of the next chapter of Vestavia Hill’s commercial renaissance.”

The city purchased the Days Inn property in August 2022 for $3.6 million from RAM Hospitality following a unanimous vote by the City Council.

The property sits at the southernmost gateway to the city, near the intersection of Interstate 65

She was named the Birmingham Business Journal’s Non-Profit CEO of the Year in 2011 as well as receiving the 2011 Best Minority Business Award for Non-Profit Leadership.

“As I move on from the role I have been honored to have held since 2004,

I am profoundly grateful to the City of Birmingham, each of the supporters, the staff members, volunteers and board members whose contributions, efforts, expertise and enthusiasm have fulfilled our mission beyond expectations,” Negrotto said. “And to the many institutions and individuals with whom we have partnered or collaborated, or who have so willingly shared insights, I thank each of you and wish you continued success.”

Cardona said as she prepares to take on the role, “I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with our talented team, the board and with the Birmingham community.” and U.S. 31. It initially opened as a Howard Johnson’s in 1974 before being rebranded several times over the years.

“We are excited to share the illustrations and development principles that will result from the charrette,” Downs said. “This will serve as a launchpad to identifying a private sector partner who shares our vision of community betterment.”

Funds for the project, including for the purchase and demolition of the property, come from money the city received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. McCulley said demolition of the Days Inn property could begin by the end of March and is the first step in the redevelopment process. The city, according to the March 16 presentation, then plans to solicit further public comment about the work-in-progress plan before making a final decision.

Full implementation is projected to take between 24 months and 36 months.

All presentations, as well as video recordings of the public meetings, will be available on the city website vhal.org/economy/private-development-projects. Those who were unable to attend the charrette are invited to comment via the