Birmingham rezones Carraway Hospital property to mixed-use

Carraway Star e1605028440759 Birmingham rezones Carraway Hospital property to mixed-use
Carraway Hospital has been abandoned since 2008. New zoning rules will enable developers to redevelop the property in 2021. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

The Birmingham City Council has approved a measure to rezone the Carraway Hospital property from health and institutional use (for hospitals) to mixed-use designations. The new zoning will help efforts to redevelop the historic 48-acre campus.

Transformative

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Carraway Hospital’s blue star. Photo via Larry O. Gay in 2017

Known for its bright blue star on top of the hospital that could be seen throughout the Magic City, Carraway Hospital and its nearby physician offices were abandoned in 2008. As a result, the buildings plunged into disrepair and were vandalized.

“This will represent a major leap forward in advancing redevelopment to the North of downtown. Carraway is really only a few minutes from North Birmingham and I think it bodes well for the Druid Hills and Fountain Heights neighborhoods. Certainly Norwood has seen a lot of resurgence because of the amount of investment that’s happening at the convention center and uptown.

I expect that there will be a significant transformation in the appearance of the properties prior to July 2022. That’s the goal, to have the blight removed from Carraway Boulevard prior to the World Games.”

Darrell O’Quinn, City Council Member, District 5

Major Changes Coming

Carraway Hospital star
Photo via Abandoned Southeast

The plans for the Carraway footprint are transformative. Bham Now writer Nathan Watson described the proposed redevelopment in a December 2019 story.

Everything you need to know about Birmingham’s Carraway Hospital Development

According to O’Quinn, Corporate Realty, the developer of the property has worked hard to receive input from the neighborhood, despite the global pandemic. 

“People have had the opportunity to weigh in on the future of what the property will look like. I can, with confidence, say that the vast majority of residents in and around the area are very happy to see this move forward.”

As a result, all three neighborhoods – Evergreen, Druid Hills and Norwood unanimously supported the zoning change.

Stay Tuned

Century Plaza Mall Birmingham rezones Carraway Hospital property to mixed-use
Vacant Century Plaza Mall, May 9, 2020. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

The redevelopment of Carraway is just one of many exciting new projects happening in Birmingham. They include:

Expect more announcements to come about the Carraway property in the coming months.  Stay in touch with Bham Now via all our social media channels for breaking news.

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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