Tuscaloosa Development

[TheCapstone]

YES! And it gets approved. Idk about more apartment complexes downtown, but I'm excited about the new 3-story building.

City Council approves of downtown development

A downtown Tuscaloosa mixed-use project gained unanimous approval by the City Council on Tuesday.

Rock Pointe Estates LLC plans to construct a three-story mixed-use project at the intersection of University Boulevard and Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South.

Set for opening in late 2015 or early 2016, the $3 million development is expected to have a three-story building with 12 loft apartments, retail shops, a coffee shop and a restaurant with a formal outdoor courtyard.

The council's blessing came despite concerns that its lone entrance on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South could lead to accidents or traffic snarls on the Hugh Thomas Bridge.

John McConnell, the city's director of Planning and Development Services, and City Engineer David Griffin said data compiled by transportation and urban planning experts indicate the entrance and exit on the heavily-used Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South would be safe.

Also, keeping the entrance from University Boulevard would add to the safety of pedestrians expected to flood the area with the completion of two hotels, now under construction, and recent openings of nearby apartment buildings.

“Some of the urban design elements that contribute to traffic calming, like having buildings on street corners and having buildings of a certain height ... make it a lot less conducive to speeding,” McConnell said.

Council members remained skeptical despite ultimately giving their approval under the parameters of the Downtown Riverfront Overlay District, which was recommended by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission last month.