By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Publisher
In Chelsea, there have been persistent whispers that Chick-fil-A is on the way! Target will arrive soon! Lowe’s HomeGoods. Anything you can think of has been brought up.
After passing an incentive package to attract a significant development—the largest retail development in the city’s history—the city now has the chance to go in a much better route than just confirming some of those suspicions.
At 16485 U.S. Highway 280, Chelsea Plaza, a 13.34-acre development with frontage on Chesser Crane Road, is intended to serve as the city’s shopping hub.
The space’s pads and rented plots, which range in size from 1,500 to 25,000 square feet, are intended to house numerous well-known companies.
Indeed, we can attest that Chick-fil-A, along with other eateries and merchants, is highly interested in the expansion.
But this project doesn t need to be one that is thrown up quickly with the thought of filling space to earn money faster.
This is Chelsea’s opportunity.
I believe that this project is the largest in Chelsea’s history and that it will set the stage for the city’s future.
I say that because it presents a chance to develop a city center that might eventually become a community entertainment hub.
However, that is only possible with careful planning, attracting the right businesses, and a design process that may result in a citywide retail design that unifies everything.
When you look at other portions of 280, Shelby County, and beyond, you frequently see haphazard shopping malls and companies with a highway frontage that lack a unified appearance.
The most successful cities are usually those that consider the future during the planning and design stages.
My goal is to eventually connect this with upcoming construction on the property across Shelby County Highway 47 from the Big Kaboom’s existing location and behind the future Aldi.
In order to accomplish that, Barber Companies, Inc. would need to either sell the property they now possess or collaborate with the city of Chelsea and developers of Chelsea Plaza.
To support this endeavor, existing shopping malls and establishments on Chesser Crane Road are also being renovated.
Suddenly, you would have a unified entertainment area with food, shopping, and entertainment that is walkable.
Picture the Gateway entertainment district in Trussville, Lane Park in Mountain Brook, or the upcoming Alabaster project on the former school grounds at Alabama 119 and Thompson Road. I also encourage you to examine the improvements made to the quality of life in Woodstock, Georgia, by Main Street.
Yes, there will be many who prefer to maintain Chelsea’s status quo and oppose development and change.
I recognize that. It’s difficult to change.
However, since 2009, Chelsea has grown by more than 12,000 residents, reaching a current population of around 17,000 people.
Young families that wish to be able to enjoy their community are among the many newcomers.
To acquire supplies from many of the stores we like and eat a lot of the food we like, many of us are instead forced to drive over the mountain into Hoover.
You also have to factor in infrastructure. I live in Chelsea, and I see some of the neighborhood groups complaining about the city’s upgrades. However, it’s difficult to keep up with the expansion if you don’t have the money to support it.
A unified city center not only significantly increases local revenue but also improves Chelsea families’ quality of life. But it must be done properly, not only by erecting parking lots and buildings.
For a neighborhood that makes residents glad to call Chelsea home and attracts tourists from other regions due to its amazing concept, it must have green spaces, entertainment areas, trees, good lighting, water features, and anything else you can think of entwined with walkways and businesses.
Making something unique in one of the best cities in the Birmingham metro area would require many parts to come together, but in my opinion, it would be worth the effort.
This letter is sent to Moiz Foulad, Barber Companies, and officials from the city of Chelsea. Let’s take a unique approach.
