Tuscaloosa Discussion thread

[bamaraider]

http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/ten_projects_that_qualify_for.html

Ten Alabama historic building renovations will get the $20 million in initial tax credits as part of the inaugural Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program, officials said today.Four of the 10 projects are in Birmingham, two are in Mobile, two in Tuscaloosa and one each in Montgomery and Anniston.
Altogether, private investors plan to spend $87.4 million to return 14 historic buildings to productive new uses. The projects are expected to generate more than 2,300 new jobs and add $70 million in new salaries over the next three years, officials project.
The projects are among those to apply for the new tax credits – which allow owners to claim tax credits for 25 percent of eligible costs – under a program passed by the Legislature last spring that mirrors a federal program aimed at preserving and revitalizing historic buildings.
Since October, the Alabama Historical Commission has used a lottery system and other factors to cull and prioritize the 21 applicants for the initial $20 million in tax credits. Investors requested $37 million in Alabama income tax credit reservations. The 21 applicants resulted in 12 deemed complete and eligible for the credit.
Since the credits requested exceeded the $20 million cap, the 10 projects have qualified for the 2014 credits and 10 eligible projects are on a waiting list. Many of the wait-listed projects plan to start work in 2014, anticipating receiving credits that will come available in the 2015 fiscal year, beginning Oct. 1, 2014.
The commission said several projects too low on the lottery list to receive a full-credit allocation have deferred their projects until 2015, when they could receive credits in the full amount requested.
Because it is a tax credit, some officials have advocated removing the $20 million cap to help spur more historic renovations that would qualify.
“The historic preservation tax credit really is a smart economic development tool,” Elizabeth Sanders, member of the Alabama Historical Commission, said in a statement. “The more dollars invested in returning old buildings to new uses, the more communities and the state benefit financially. These renovated buildings will serve as economic engines for a quarter century or more.”
The projects qualifying for this year’s credits are:

• Brown Marx Tower at 2008 First Avenue N. in Birmingham to be renovated into retail and apartments.
• Former Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Birmingham Branch at 1801 Fifth Ave. North to be renovated for a hotel and office space.
• Redmont Hotel at 2101 Fifth Ave. North in Birmingham to be renovated and remain a hotel.
• Cain Furniture Company Building at 1716 Second Ave. North in Birmingham to be converted into apartments.
• 951 Government Street Building at 951 Government St. in Mobile to be renovated into retail on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.
• Edwards Brothers Furniture Company Building at 558 Dauphin and 5 North Cedar St. in Mobile to be renovated into retail and apartments.
• Norton-Cochrane-Fitts Residence at 19 Audubon Place in Tuscaloosa to be renovated as a private residence.
• First National Bank of Tuscaloosa at 2330 University Blvd. in Tuscaloosa to be renovated into a commercial mixed-use project.
• Jefferson Davis Hotel at 334 Montgomery St. in Montgomery to be renovated into apartments.
• Fort McClellan Headquarters and Barracks at 179, 180 & 223 Headquarters Rd., 615 Powers Ave., and 436 Buckner Dr. in Anniston to be developed into an independent living facility.

 

[bamaraider]

[h=1]Bruno's offers craft beers on tap at its McFarland location[/h]

Bill White knew he had to do something to attract more customers to his supermarket in the highly competitive Tuscaloosa market

White, the president of the Bruno’s supermarket on McFarland Boulevard, initially wanted to bring back an in-store pharmacy as part of the rebuilding of his business.
“We couldn’t find a pharmacist who wanted to come in or open a branch,” he said last week. “So we began to talk about what we should do with the space. We talked about having Alabama touristy stuff — shirts, pants, caps.”
But other stores in town sell such items, and White said he wanted something different — something unique — to attract shoppers.
That’s when one of his beer distributors told him about a business in Memphis, Tenn., with a growler station — an area with on-tap craft beers that are filled into containers for customers to take home.
“We thought it was a good idea for Tuscaloosa,” White said, noting the area has seen a growing interest and demand for craft beers.
Bruno’s quietly opened its growler station, called the Brew Corner, on Jan. 25. Employees were still getting the area ready when a customer asked them to fill a growler, a 64-ounce glass container, said Leslie Edwards, an assistant manager who handles customer service at Bruno’s. Since then, customers have been discovering the store’s newest feature.
“On Tuesday, we sold 49 growlers. It’s the best day we have had so far,” Edwards said.
Since then, employees have continued to prepare the Brew Corner for Bruno’s weeklong grand re-opening that starts Wednesday.

There are 45 different craft beers now on hand, Edwards said, and eventually there could be 60 to 75 taps, each offering a different craft beer.
Unlike major brand beers like Miller and Budweiser, craft beers are made by small, independent, local and regional breweries. The number of craft breweries has been growing in recent years.
The Brewers Association, a trade group that represents craft brewers, listed 2,483 craft breweries operating in the United States as of June 2013. They range from restaurants and bars that make their own beers to microbreweries like Tuscaloosa’s Druid City Brewing Co. and Black Warrior Brewing Co., both of which have several of their beers at Bruno’s Brew Corner. It also includes regional breweries — larger independent breweries that do not serve the whole country.
Bo Hicks, co-owner of Druid City Brewing, said having a growler station in Tuscaloosa that carries his beers is “huge for us.”
It allows his company to get its beers to more people, he said. Without it, the beer would only be available at 34 bars and restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area now carrying the product and his brewery’s on-site tap room.
“They (Bruno’s) have five of our beers there, which is huge for us,” Hicks said. “We are really excited to be a part of this.”
White said he wants to feature the local and state craft beers and said he was surprised to discover how many craft breweries there are in Alabama. He said he also wants to hear from customers about the specific craft beers they would like to see.
Since word got out about Bruno’s putting in a growler station, he said he has heard from a number of craft brewers who are interested in bringing their brews to Tuscaloosa.

More in the link:

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140201/NEWS/140209970/1007?p=3&tc=pg#gsc.tab=0

 

[bamaraider]

They're really starting to work on the downtown more it seems like. Building that new apartment complex down town (Riverfront I think is what its called) will be a nice way of connecting the downtown and University more. Then the new hotel and restaurants coming in will only provide more life.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Tuscaloosa always seemed to me to be the perfect Startup (tech) city, but it just seems stuck in the yesteryears and everything is spread out like it's trying to be Wyoming.

Last time I was down there I went to so many places I can't remember them all, but Dreamland was dang good and I remember a bar I went to that had like 30 craft beers on tap or some ungodly number....ran up a good tab that night with a buddy.

 

[bamaraider]

Yeah, I don't like how everything is really spread out and there is historic preservation on downtown buildings. McFarland is pretty much the place where everything is in s short distance of each other. They're adding a Bed Bad and Beyond across the new apartment complex there. Kind of wish they would add more small businesses in Tuscaloosa.

 

[bama alum]

What a shot!

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

It's still amazes me looking at photos like that how close that tornado came to wiping out the campus.

 

[bamaraider]

What a shot!

That is the most amazing shot I have seen yet.

 

[bamaraider]

Tuscaloosa gets 3 new places to chow down

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140304/NEWS/140309859?p=3&tc=pg

Three new restaurants — all new to Tuscaloosa — are joining the city's dining-out scene this month.

Here's what's happening:
• Southern Ale House, a new restaurant featuring Southern-style food, opened this week north of the river near the Bryant Bank on McFarland Boulevard North.
• The Southern Dining Room & Grill, a family-style restaurant emphasizing chicken with side dishes opened Tuesday on Courtney Drive on the south end of town.
• Taco Mama, a Mexican restaurant and bar, plans to open Monday next to Black Warrior Outdoors on University Boulevard downtown.
Southern Ale House is a locally-owned restaurant that features Southern comfort entrees and appetizers done in “kicked-up recipes” that use fresh ingredients, said its general manager, Bradley Morris. “All are Southern recipes,” he said.
The restaurant at 1530 McFarland Blvd. N. is family-friendly and opens daily at 11 a.m. It closes at 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It's also open for brunch on Sundays.
The eatery serves alcohol and features a selection of Southern craft beers.
The restaurant is owned by Justin Holt and his father, Robert Holt. The younger Holt worked in the food service industry but he said he wanted to develop his own restaurant. His father joined the venture with Justin Holt managing the business.
As for the restaurant's name, that came about from a family discussion.
“My parents spent some time in New England in the fall and saw how popular pubs and ale houses were up there,” he said.
The Southern part came from the style of cooking and featured brews.


“Our slogan is a uniquely Southern pub,” he said.
The restaurant is family friendly. Its lunch menu is in the $5 to $10 range, and its dinner menu has items up to about $20.
The restaurant occupies the location that formerly housed Desperados Steakhouse.
The Southern Dining Room & Grill, 4251 Courtney Drive, also is a family venture for a couple who also worked in the food industry.
Husband and wife Jason and Christy Wortman said they wanted to have a restaurant that reflected their Christian values, something Jason Wortman said was not always apparent working in the corporate world.
The restaurant is alcohol-free and is located in the building that formerly housed the Santa Fe Cattle Co. steakhouse.
The building's former bar area has been converted into a coffee cafe that serves gourmet coffee and also offers more than 15 desserts.
The decor resembles what one might find if one went to grandma's house for dinner, Jason Wortman said. There are mismatched chairs at tables and homey curtains on the walls.
The restaurant's main feature is chicken prepared in various ways with unlimited family-style servings of side items. It also offers a chicken-fried steak.
After picking a meat, each group at a table then selects three sides that feature freshly prepared vegetables and other homemade food. The sides are brought to tables in large bowls that are shared by the diners. Refilled bowls are brought until all are satisfied, he said. Homemade biscuits and gravy and house salads also are included with the dinners.


Cost is $11.99 plus drink. A shared plate, which might be popular with vegetarians, is $7.99 and a kid's meal with a drink is $6.99 for children 12 and under. Dessert is extra. The Southern Dining Room and Grill is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
It plans to have gospel-style singalongs on Friday and Saturday nights, Jason Wortman said.
Taco Mama plans to open officially on Monday in the heart of downtown catty-corner from the Federal Courthouse. It, too, is a family-owned business that has one other location in Mountain Brook's Crestline Village.
It bills itself as an authentic Mexican cantina.
“It has healthy Mexican fare served in a laid-back atmosphere,” said David Weand, the Tuscaloosa restaurant's manager. “Our food is made from scratch, and we have our own homemade sauces and marinades.”
The restaurant serves alcohol, featuring Mexican mixed drinks. It also offers both Mexican and domestic beers.
The business is owned by Will Haver, who went to school at the University of Alabama. Weand said Haver had Tuscaloosa on his radar for a second restaurant for a long time. He wanted to open one in the city where he and his wife went to college.
Weand said the restaurant plans to open Mondays through Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Its closing time has not been determined.
Menu items will be in the $7 to $10 range, Weand said.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Really looking forward to Taco Mama. Heard good things about the one in B'ham.... The other 2 have my attention... anyone that serves chicken fried steak, has my attention.

 

[bamaraider]

Really looking forward to Taco Mama. Heard good things about the one in B'ham.... The other 2 have my attention... anyone that serves chicken fried steak, has my attention.

I actually have tried them before in Mountain Brook and they're pretty good. Setting up near that new apartment complex on University Blvd will be nice and will get a lot of traffic there because college kids LOVE tacos.

 

[bamaraider]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/artic...=Downtown-Urban-Renewal-Project-nears-finish-

[h=1]Downtown Urban Renewal Project nears finish[/h]Traffic should be moving freely soon in parts of downtown Tuscaloosa where construction has been ongoing since last summer.

Daniel H. Price, wastewater engineer for the Office of the City Engineer, told City Council on Tuesday that a final asphalt layer for Seventh Street and 21st Avenue is expected to be finished within the next two to three weeks.
If the weather cooperates, the remaining streets affected by the second phase of the Downtown Urban Renewal Project could be finished and cleared for travel by the middle of April.
"We could be getting real close to having everything open to traffic by that point," Price said.
The $8.8 million project was intended to improve streetscapes as well as storm and sanitary sewer systems in parts of downtown Tuscaloosa.
Once completed, it will add to the more than $100 million in downtown work done in recent years as part of the renewal project's first phase.
Price said all of the underground work has been completed, including storm sewers and the routing of power lines and other utilities below the street surface.
Now, the general contractor, John Plott Co. of Tuscaloosa, and subcontractor GFC Construction of Duncanville are dealing with finishing touches above ground, where rain and adverse conditions can delay progress.
"They're on the top right now, where the weather plays more of a factor. It's hard to landscape mud," Price said. "But it looks like we're going to have some dry days ahead."
The contractors are working seven days a week and will continue at that pace, Price said.


Weather already has delayed the expected February completion date, and in December the contractor was granted an extension to its contract because of rainy weather and other delays that slowed work.
Once finished, the construction will improve the streetscapes along Seventh Street between 21st and 23rd avenues and Eighth Street between 21st and 22nd avenues.
It also will improve a sanitary sewer line under 21st Avenue to handle the continuing residential and commercial growth downtown. This part of the project could be complete as early as next week, officials said.

 

[bamaraider]

Check out the new UA Digital Media Center!

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140313/NEWS/140319788/1291/news

 

[bamaraider]

New Strip Shopping Center approved.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140318/NEWS/140319587/1291/news

 

[bamaraider]

Good development going on.

[h=1]Tuscaloosa City Council approves Waterfall project[/h]A typically unified City Council cast divided votes on Tuesday to deny approval for one proposed development and approve the plans for another.

Approved with a 5-2 vote was the residential development tentatively named “Waterfall,” a subdivision made up of townhouses, duplexes and single-family homes planned for Rice Mine Road.
Councilwoman Cynthia Almond, who represents the area as part of District 3, and Councilman Eddie Pugh cast the two dissenting votes.
Almond also cast the single vote for Rosewood on Fourth, a proposed six-story apartment and retail building downtown at 2140 Fourth St. That project was voted down 6-1.
The council was not swayed by Ford Waters of First Paramount LLC, the company behind Rosewood on Fourth, who pointed out that the design of the building meets the current zoning rules and that he was no longer considering a third building for the site.
“There’s no building like this for residents in Tuscaloosa,” Waters said.
Pugh said his vote against Rosewood was based on recommendations and proposals from within City Hall.
These included the work that the city’s Department of Planning and Development Services is doing to update the rules and recommendations of the Greater Downtown Plan, which was completed in 2010 but never fully implemented.
Planning and Development Services Director John Mc-Connell told the council on multiple occasions Tuesday that these upgraded guidelines, expected to be complete in June, will recommend no buildings above four stories.


Waters told the council that this six-story project — with 106-bedrooms in 58 units and an additional 11,750 square feet of retail space on the bottom floor — was planned as Phase I for an overall plan that will add a second building with an additional 106 bedrooms.
Combined, that put the total number of beds at 212, which exceeds the number of accepted bedrooms based on recommendations put forth by Mayor Walt Maddox’s Student Rental Housing Task Force.
In November, the task force suggested that the commission or the council should deny any rezoning request to allow the development of a student housing complex of 200 bedrooms or more until the city’s Comprehensive Plan is updated.
“I’m trying to support the Student Housing Task Force as much as possible,” Pugh said.
Waters, visibly angered over the council’s decision, declined to comment when approached by The Tuscaloosa News.
“I’m not talking to you,” he said.
For the Waterfall, six District 3 residents urged the council to deny approval of a planned unit development that they contended would decrease property values for existing homeowners while increasing traffic congestion on the already-busy Rice Mine Road.
Developer Hunter Plott and Savoy Properties are proposing a planned unit development featuring 12 townhouses and 20 duplexes in the $200,000 to $300,000 range, 46 garden-style homes in the $300,000 to $450,000 range, 12 medium-sized homes priced between $500,000 and $1 million, and 28 lake front houses ranging from $750,000 to $2 million.
The new neighborhood is expected to house about 360 people from a variety of backgrounds, from single professionals to families with children, on a 67-acre, L-shaped tract. Of this land, the City Council annexed a 41.4-acre tract on Lake Tuscaloosa between the Greystone and Crown Pointe neighborhoods to accommodate the development.


Greystone residents were not pleased with the idea of sharing a border with garden homes and duplexes, which is how the layout for the Waterfall planned unit development aligns the two neighborhoods.
“Why are there so many small lots, and why are they all up against Greystone?” said Kay Ward, who told the council she had been a resident of Greystone for the past eight years. “I know Crown Pointe is a more prestigious neighborhood than Greystone, but that does not make them anymore proud.”
She was joined by five neighbors, each of whom questioned different aspects of the development, including the potential for increased storm water runoff into the Greystone neighborhood to how duplexes and townhouses could be approved within the R-1 zoning, under which both Waterfall and Greystone fall.
City staff members explained that a planned unit development, or PUD, is used when the topography or condition of a particular tract constricts the amount of usable land to an area smaller than its actual acreage. In such situations, the PUD allows for different zoning uses to be applied as long as the residential density does not exceed that allowed under the original zoning.
Also, City Engineer David Griffin concurred with the report of Jason Walker of Walker Associates, who told the City Council that, once developed, the Waterfall’s storm water management systems would reduce the amount of runoff onto Greystone by at least 20 percent.
And McConnell also told the City Council that, with the included common areas and green space, Waterfall had an average of one residential unit-per-acre. This is three less than the four units per acre allowed under the R-1 zoning.
“It’s not a high-density development,” McConnell said. “This is about as low as it gets.”

 

[bamaraider]

[h=1]Tuscaloosa biotech company could be on verge of finding a cure, treatment for fibromyalgia[/h]

More than a decade of medical-related research by a Tuscaloosa surgeon has led to the start of new biotech company, possibly a new industry in Tuscaloosa and maybe a cure for a painful medical condition.Dr. William “Skip” Pridgen has done research on fibromyalgia for about 15 years while working full-time in his surgical practice, Tuscaloosa Surgical Associates PC. His research has led to a possible new drug and treatment that might someday provide a cure for fibromyalgia. It also led to the creation of Innovative Med Concepts, a biotech company that hopes to someday bring the medical discoveries to the marketplace.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating medical condition with symptoms including widespread pain, fatigue, headaches, sleep problems, mood changes and inability to concentrate.
There are drugs for treating the pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, but there is no proven cure for the condition.
Pridgen and Carol Duffy, who has a doctorate in virology and is an assistant professor in biological sciences at the University of Alabama, have developed a drug and treatment they believe might cure the problem.


Two trial phases to test their drug and treatment have shown some promising results, said Pridgen, who hopes to soon move to the final phase of testing, a process that could take several years. If the results from that phase prove successful, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could approve the drug and treatment for widespread use in humans.

“We feel we are on the right track and feel this is a real game changer,” Pridgen said. “It is a tip of the iceberg. What we are discovering will accomplish so much more” and eventually could leave to other medical breakthrough and treatments.
Pridgen recently brought in Rick Burch as Innovative Med Concepts' president. Pridgen is the company's chief executive officer. Duffy and UA also have an ownership interest in the company.
“Rick is one of most successful executives in the pharmaceutical industry, and finding him and hiring him has helped bring the process further along,” Pridgen said.
Burch is a Birmingham native and UA graduate who worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than three decades. He started as a sales representative with Pfizer Inc., one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, and after 31 years there retired as a senior vice president. His career at Pfizer included 17 years at the company's headquarters in New York City, where he helped bring to market more than 30 pharmaceutical products, including the drugs Lipitor, Celebrex, Lyrica, Zoloft, Zithromax, Aricept and Vimpat.
Burch's wife is from Nashville, Tenn., and he said they both wanted to retire in their native South. They chose Tuscaloosa and built a retirement home on Lake Tuscaloosa several years ago.
Burch also serves on the executive committee of UA's business school and is a member of the UA President's Cabinet.
During the past three years, Burch worked as an executive for UCB, a Belgian pharmaceutical and biotech company, spending his weekdays at UCB's U.S. headquarters in Atlanta and driving home to Tuscaloosa on the weekends.

He met Pridgen and Duffy after moving to Tuscaloosa. The two researchers sought his advice and then asked Burch to join their team and help form the new company.
“We were fortunate to find him,” Pridgen said.
Burch said the company is in its early stages. He works out of his home and some office space at Pridgen's office.
“To have an actual biotech company here in Tuscaloosa is exciting,” Burch said. “It is a first for Tuscaloosa.”
Pridgen and Duffy have completed the first two of three test phases that must be successfully completed to bring a new drug to the market, he said.
In Phase 1, the drug was tested on lab animals, Burch said. Phase 2 involved limited tests on fibromyalgia sufferers, with half given the drug and half given a placebo.
Phase 2 results are now coming in.
“We got 90 percent of the results back and they are very positive,” Pridgen said. “In the next couple of weeks, we will see all the data.”
So far, Pridgen has raised about $5 million for the tests. Additional funds will be needed for Phase 3 and various funding sources will be considered, he said. That could include partnering with another biotech company for funds or seeking financial backing from other investors.
Phase 3 will not be cheap and will take two to three years to complete if the FDA gives the go-ahead, he said. Phase 3 will start with a thorough toxicology study to make sure the higher dosages of the drug that would be given to fibromyalgia patients are safe.
If the FDA is satisfied with the toxicology study results, it would give the OK to begin the testing.
Pridgen got started on his fibromyalgia research while trying to help his patients dealing with pain from irritable bowel syndrome.

He said he discussed the problem with his mother, a biotechnologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. As they talked, they theorized that the pain could be caused by a herpes virus that weakens the immune system.
Pridgen then began reading extensively about the problem and doing more research.
But he said he did not get serious about the research until about 31⁄2 years ago, after accompanying his daughter on a medical mission to Honduras.
His daughter is fluent in Spanish and served as his translator in treating patients, many of whom were in extreme pain brought on by fibromyalgia.
Pridgen said that seeing their suffering convinced him to devote more time to the research. It also meant he began working two jobs — that of a surgeon and that of a medical researcher.
“It was tough on my family and my office personnel,” he said.
Many people think the development of new drugs and medical treatments occurs in the research laboratories of large pharmaceutical companies, he said. But in recent years, it has moved to start-up biotech companies like Innovative Med Concepts, he said.
The ultimate goal if the drug succeeds will be to get people suffering the pain caused by fibromyalgia back into the workforce and back to where they can enjoy life, he said.

 

[bamaraider]

[h=1]Two businesses eyeing new commercial complex in Tuscaloosa[/h]
[FONT=istok_webregular]A new specialty grocery store and a restaurant could be putting down roots in Tuscaloosa, but they’ll first need the city to take a closer look at zoning.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]However, some citizens aren’t on board.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]CBS42 is told Texas Roadhouse and ALDI are eyeing the new Lofts at City Center residential and commercial complex.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]But the developers have now withdrawn their variance requests for that property.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]Some Tuscaloosa locals have expressed concern that allowing the variances could weaken the zoning code for future developments.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]City officials say only one business in the tornado recovery area has gone through the entire process without requesting a variance.[/FONT]
[FONT=istok_webregular]The current codes are part of the Tuscaloosa Forward plan and have been in effect since 2012.

http://cbs42.com/2014/03/27/two-businesses-eyeing-new-commercial-complex-in-tuscaloosa/[/FONT]

 

[bamaraider]

Demolition to make way for new Renasant Bank

Renasant Bank announced plans to build at the site in the summer of 2012, but it took awhile to finalize everything, bank officials said. Things should now happen more quickly with the bank planning to relocate to the new building before the end of the year.

An official groundbreaking is planned for mid-April, and Kyle Faught, Tuscaloosa president of Renasant Bank, said the bank plans to move into its new location in December.
“We are excited to be part of the expansion occurring in downtown Tuscaloosa and to be a part of the downtown's new landscape,” he said.
Image Makers, the beauty salon that had made its home at the northeast corner of University Boulevard and Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South for many years, has moved to a new location kitty-corner from its former site.
Renasant Corp., a Tupelo, Miss.-based banking company, came into the Tuscaloosa market in October 2011, when it opened a bank in the Fitts Building at 1806 Sixth St. The local bank will relocate from that facility when the new 10,000-square-foot building is finished.
Faught said Renasant has done very well in Tuscaloosa and has a growing customer base here.
The new building will be larger than the existing location and will have room for future growth, he said. The Tuscaloosa Renasant Bank has seven employees and likely will add staff at the new facility, Faught said.
BDG Architects designed the new building, which will have a brick and cast-stone facade and drive-through teller windows. The site will have its off-street parking to the rear and side of the building. There also will be street parking along University Boulevard.


Rives Construction Co. will be the general contractor, and Jim Harrison Construction will handle the demolition of the old beauty salon building.
The Renasant Bank will be a full-service banking office with consumer and commercial banking, treasury management, wealth management, mortgage, commercial loans and small business lending.
Renasant Corp. is the parent of Renasant Bank and Renasant Insurance. Renasant is a 110-year-old financial institution that has assets of approximately $5.7 billion and operates more than 120 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140327/NEWS/140329709/1291?p=1&tc=pg

 

[bamaraider]

[h=1]Tuscaloosa City Council agenda for April 1[/h]

The Tuscaloosa City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 2201 University Blvd. The following items will be on the agenda:


Authorizing an adjustment and refund of excess deposit to Tuscaloosa Housing Authority for installation of water mains and services for Rosedale Court Redevelopment, Phase II; total: $12,536.78.


Authorizing an adjustment and refund of excess deposit to RRW Family Limited Partnership for installation of water mains and services for 1214 Rock Point Apartments on Paul W. Bryant Drive; total: $1,629.58.

Awarding bid for purchase of a single-axle dump truck from Southland International Trucks Inc.; total: $73,551.
Awarding bid for purchase of a chemical root control foaming machine from Sansom Equipment Co.; total: $34,200.
Setting April 15 as the date for a hearing to fix the cost of demolishing the building at 445 29th Place; $1,060.77, plus court costs.
Authorizing utility account credits: $7,856.16.
Authorizing request for street lighting system modifications.
Awarding bids for the purchase of body armor from Municipal & Commercial Uniform and Gulf States Distributors.
Authorizing execution of Requisition Nos. 526-527 to Burk-Kleinpeter and CFM Group for payment from the Series 2007A Warrant Issue; total: $3,177.50.
Authorizing an adjustment and refund of excess deposit to Tim Killian Construction Inc. for installation of water mains and services for 303 15 St. E.; total: $1,749.46.
Authorizing payment to Alabama Municipal Insurance Corp.; total: $6,744.68.
Authorizing payment to
ServiceMaster in settlement of claim on behalf of 4432 Ridgewood Road; total: $915.01.

Authorizing payment to AT&T in settlement of claims; total: $923.25.
Authorizing the issuance of a loan to Corletta Hamlett for home purchase assistance under the city’s HOME program; total: $5,000.
Adopting Amendment No. 1294 to the zoning ordinance pertaining to Chapter 24, Article XVIII, Riverfront Development District Regulations, Section 24-239; Conditional Uses.
Ordering demolition of the structure at 52 Arcadia Drive.
Approving ABC application of Kelispa LLC for on- and off-
premises retail beer and on- and off-premises retail table wine licenses at Uptown Art, 2008 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Suite A.
Approving ABC application of Boss Hog Enterprises LLC for lounge retail liquor and on-premises retail beer licenses at 1831, 2304 Fourth St.
Approving the ABC application of Casual Class Catering Inc. for a special events retail license at 301 Greensboro Ave. on April 17.
Approving the ABC application of Casual Class Catering Inc. for a special events retail license at 4205 Northridge Road on April 11 and 12.
Approving the Downtown/
Riverfront Overlay District
Permit for 401 23rd Ave.
Authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with West Alabama Affordable Housing Corp. in regard to the Somerville Apartments Development; total: $750,000 in ADECA CDBG-DR funds.
Amending contract with Community Service Programs of West Alabama in regard to the Hurricane Creek Trace development.
Authorizing participation in a traffic enforcement grant project (ADECA); total: up to $2,130.

Authorizing the filing of a lien at 525 21st St. E. pursuant to Section 13-69(b), Code of Tuscaloosa and Section 11-47-140, Code of Alabama, 1975; total: $194.50.
Authorizing the filing of a lien at 124 52nd St. E. pursuant to Section 13-69(b), Code of Tuscaloosa and Section 11-47-140, Code of Alabama, 1975; total: $104.50.
Authorizing the filing of a lien at 311 31st Ave. E. pursuant to Section 13-69(b), Code of Tuscaloosa and Section 11-47-140, Code of Alabama, 1975; total: $514.35.
Renewing and extending the agreement with Bellsouth Telecommunications Inc., d/b/a AT&T Alabama, to provide video programming service.
Authorizing participation in the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant program.
Approving and recommending the Drish House for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Terminating the contract with ABC Fire Equipment.
Authorizing the filing of a lien at 3604 8th St. E. pursuant to Section 13-69(b), Code of Tuscaloosa and Section 11-47-140, Code of Alabama, 1975; total: $485.41.
Authorizing budget and program changes to the 2011 Program Year Community Planning & Development Programs.
Authorizing the Office of Federal Programs to advertise amendments to the 2011 Action Plan of the city’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan for Community Planning & Development Programs for program years 2010-2014.
Authorizing the finance director to draw drafts for the University Place/Forest Lake City Walk project easement acquisitions; total: $19,432.
Awarding bid for landfill services to Advanced Disposal Services Inc.
Approving reimbursable expense schedule for Fire Station No. 4 construction manager contract with WAR Construction.
Adopting the fifth amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 General Fund Budget.

Introducing Zoning Amendment No. 1295 to rezone 916 Kicker Road from RA-1 to ML.
Setting April 29 as the date for a public hearing to consider adoption of Zoning Amendment No. 1295.
Authorizing payment of bills; total: $30,005.29.

 

[bamaraider]

Hearing about the flash floods over in T-Town and Birmingham. Everyone alright over there?