Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Pelham unveils design concepts for Oak Mountain Amphitheatre site
Reading time: 3 minutes
After receiving survey responses from more than 700 people, the City of Pelham has revealed three visions for the former Oak Mountain Amphitheatre (OMA) site.
The 40-year-old amphitheatre was demolished in May this year after the city bought the 43-acre property from Live Nation to expand the Pelham Arts & Entertainment District.
Pelham hosted “ReAmp: Reimagine OMA” over three days last week to allow city officials, stakeholders, residents and planning consultants to collaborate in imagining what the site could become for the city.
Folks in the community had a few things they said were most important to them:
- A walkable town center with shops, dining and entertainment
- Green space and nature trails
- Creekside gathering areas
- Family-centered fun
- Design that reflects Pelham community values
Of the 708 survey respondents, 70% were Pelham residents, and 18% were residents of a surrounding community.
The three design concepts
Just when the ideas were coming together, the city had “new interest from potential retailers and commercial operators” that delayed the complete renderings planned for the Thursday, July 24 presentation.
The Shelby County Reporter wrote that City Manager Gretchen DiFante said that influx of interest reshaped the city’s presentation plans.
“We had some remarkable things happen over the last 24 hours… Because of that, it delayed the putting together of the presentation, so we are not going to have the watercolor renderings we had planned to show.”
City Manager Gretchen DiFante, via Shelby County Reporter
Nevertheless—after receiving over a dozen designs from the consulting team, led by Williams Blackstock Architects, Village Creek Development and TTL Engineering—the city presented three preliminary concepts as part of ReAmp.
Each includes:
- A town center with retail, dining, offices and residential space
- A central green lawn for community events
- Trail and creek connections to nearby landmarks like Oak Mountain State Park and the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena
- Integrated pedestrian and bike infrastructure
- Monument signage and a landscaped boulevard to create a strong gateway
Design #1: Town Center & Hospitality
Design #2: Town Center (Medium-Density)
Design #3: Town Center & Hotel Node
Complete renderings for the concepts are coming soon, so keep an eye on Pelham’s social media profiles.
What’s next?
The next phase of the ReAmp process includes:
- Finalizing the design framework and site studies
- Publishing a development prospectus
- Launching a formal request for quotation (RFQ) process to select a master developer
- Securing City Council approval of the master developer and for development agreements
- Breaking ground on a project that will define Pelham’s future identity
Which concept do you like most for the old Oak Mountain Amphitheatre? Let us know on Instagram or Facebook by tagging @bhamnow!
