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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster City Council approved the formation of a special improvement district for the upcoming District 31 development and an agreement for matching funds for additional lanes and bridge replacement on Interstate 65 during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 22.

The Alabaster City Council received a petition to incorporate and organize a public corporation to be known as the District 31 Improvement District. During the meeting, the Council approved the formation of the district and appointed Keith Owens, Brad Price and Gary Parkes to the initial board of directors of the district.

“We also approved a petition for authority to incorporate an improvement district for District 31,” Councilmember Jamie Cole said. “This is a board that will run that special improvement district and authorize the members of that.”

District 31 is an upcoming commercial development located on U.S. 31 that plans to bring 600,000 square feet of new retail, restaurants and hotel space to the city.

The Alabaster City Council also approved an agreement for matching funds with the Alabama Department of Transportation and Shelby County for a project to add lanes and a bridge replacement on Interstate 65 with a city match not to exceed, $1,750,000.

The project will take place on I-65 from .56 miles south of Buck Creek to 1 mile north of U.S. 31, over a CSX railroad, over County Road 26, over old U.S. 31 and a CSX railroad.

The estimated total cost of the project is $69,151,124 with the following breakdown by participating parties:

• Federal NH funds – $55,320,899.20
• County funds – $6,250,000
• City funds – $1,750,000
• State funds – $5,830,224.80

During the meeting, Alabaster Mayor Scott Brakefield joined Sanchez Tanniehill in proclaiming May 2024 as Stroke Awareness Month in the city of Alabaster.

“The city of Alabaster recognizes Mr. Sanchez Tanniehill with God Did It Ministries who has made significant contributions to spread community awareness through outreach and education,” Brakefield said in reading the proclamation. “Through his efforts, the community is empowered with the lifesaving F.A.S.T. message of early detection, knowledge regarding the importance of calling 911 and prevention information for stroke risk modification.”

Tanniehill attended the meeting and addressed the Council to promote God Did It Ministries’ upcoming event, Alabaster Goes Red, which is set to promote stroke awareness on May 11.

In other news, the Alabaster City Council approved the following items on the agenda:

• Continued an ordinance for the annexation of property located at 840 Highway 24
• A resolution to authorize the mayor to sign the fiscal year 2025 Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging agreement to enhance the provision of nutrition and other services to eligible seniors in the city
• A resolution to appoint John Myrick to place three on the Alabaster City Schools Board of Education with a term expiring June 2029
• A resolution declaring a garbage truck within the public works department as surplus
• A resolution consenting to the vacation of a portion of 7th Court Southeast
• A resolution to adopt Section 16.8 Nonfraternization and nepotism policy to the employee handbook
• A resolution to award the bid for the Alabaster Waste Water Treatment Plant Flood Remediation Project to J&P Construction Co., Inc in the amount of $2,660,000
• A resolution to approve the issuance of a lounge retail liquor alcohol license for SRK Package LCC—Town and Country Package at 1546 Kent Dairy Road