Five years after Mayor Randall Woodfin announced plans to develop a new 244-home mixed-use neighborhood on the grounds of the former Ensley High School, the $55 million redevelopment agreement has been terminated.

Ensley High School redevelopment canceled

During its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting this week, the Birmingham City Council voted to end a redevelopment agreement with 2301 Ensley LP, an entity affiliated with developer Zimmerman Properties. As part of the termination, the developer will return ownership of the property to the City of Birmingham for $50,000; the City will also receive $450,000 in unused funds from the agreement.

Ensley High School Project — An artist’s depiction of the proposed redevelopment on the Ensley High School property. (Zimmerman Properties)

The agreement with 2301 Ensley LP was signed in 2021. At the time, the Ensley High School building was a blighted shell following an early-morning fire in 2018. Per the agreement, the developer would demolish most of the former school and reuse the former gymnasium as a produce market or grocery store. The remaining site would be redeveloped into a mixed-use neighborhood with 244 homes, including apartments, carriage houses and an early childhood learning center.

Ensley High School fire — The Ensley High School building caught fire on July 17, 2018. (Pat Byington / Bham Now)

Although the redevelopment has not materialized, 2301 Ensley LP did demolish the blighted former Ensley High School building, leaving the nearly ten-acre property open for future redevelopment proposals.

About Ensley High School

Located at 2301 Avenue J, the Ensley High School building opened in 1908 and graduated generations of Birmingham City Schools students. For nearly a century, Ensley High was one of Birmingham’s “Big Five” high schools, which also included: