CMH ARCHITECTS WILL STUDY UNUSED PROPERTY IN WEST TUSCALOOSA

Tuscaloosa City Council has hired CMH Architects, Inc. to do master planning for the city’s unused property in Districts 1 and 2.

The firm will do an in depth study of West Tuscaloosa, it was announced during Tuesday’s Public Projects Committee meeting.

“We recently had a lot of interest in wanting to invest in West Tuscaloosa,” said Brenden Moore, Development Ombudsman for the city. “But not having all of our data on the infrastructure side, getting that captured, having that firm understand it, it will help better guide development and also look at, as Mayor (Walt) Maddox mentioned, potential mechanism to stimulate reinvestment.”

The consultant will study existing land uses, vacant property, and development pattern trends before reinvesting.

District 1 and 2 councilwomen Phyllis Odom and Raevan Howard said they are ready for the study.

“I think this will be great,” Odom said. “Great for zoning, for people to come and want to develop, spend their money in West Tuscaloosa so, I think this would be huge.”

“I’m already working with code enforcement and I’m already looking at the blight in the community and trying to find ways to fix those problems,” Howard said. “But this study will give us a better idea of how to approach those problems and where the blight is and how to go after it.”