East Side Park doesn’t look like much now: A crumbling loop of asphalt pavement amid invasive-plant-riddled overgrowth, the graffitied remains of a large swimming pool, a concrete-block building that once presided over baseball fields.

But within a year and a half, it’s set to be transformed into a regional destination that’s expected to enhance the surrounding neighborhood, spark economic development and serve as a model for universal access to nature, thanks to a revitalization project that features a nationally recognized design plan.

Construction is set to begin at the site in Birmingham’s Roebuck Springs/South Roebuck neighborhood in December or January, and the new park is slated to open in December 2026. Jefferson County Greenways is leading the project, which has been years in the making and has drawn heavily on input from residents and organizations that serve people with disabilities.

“We’re creating a welcoming, restorative landscape where everyone can access, explore and connect with nature,” said Janet Simpson, chief operating officer and deputy director for Jefferson County Greenways. “We are excited to provide a universally accessible nature space that whole families can enjoy together.”

New Vision for an Old Space

The 6 acres designated for East Side Park were once part of a thriving neighborhood-funded park and swim club. Also known as South Roebuck Park, it opened in the 1950s with athletic fields, and the pool was built in 1963, according to Bham Wiki.

By the early 2000s, the neighborhood had “aged out,” Simpson said, meaning the younger population that primarily used the park had grown out of it or moved away, and the park fell into disrepair.

The neighborhood association deeded the land to Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition in 2007, Simpson said.

“They were thinking, ‘What could we do, who could take this park and turn it into something really beautiful and special?’” Simpson said. “And so they thought of Ruffner, just because we were already a large-acreage green space that was so close to the neighborhood.”

In 2023, an Alabama law created the Jefferson County Greenways Commission, a publicly funded state agency that’s now responsible for maintenance and operations of Ruffner Mountain, Red Mountain Park and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

When Ruffner Mountain took over the property, it was involved in a capital campaign to construct its current building, which meant immediate development of East Side Park was not feasible, Simpson said.

But after Carlee Sanford became executive director of Ruffner Mountain in 2016, she began engaging with the community to get ideas for potential uses for the East Side Park space, Simpson said.

“The neighbors were really heavily involved in that dialog early on, and it took lots of different forms,” Simpson said.

Jefferson County Greenways staff say the vision for a universally accessible nature space began to emerge around 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted an outdoor-recreation surge.

“We started getting calls at Ruffner and people dropping by saying, ‘Hey, I have a child in a stroller. What trail is appropriate for me?” Simpson said. “Or I have a family member on a walker or in a wheelchair. Where can I take them to enjoy nature at Ruffner? And unfortunately, the answer was, ‘We don’t really have a space that can accommodate wheels, right? We have really rugged, steep, inclined trails, lots of rocks and roots.

“It really told us a lot about how people were using the outdoor space and what people were experiencing as barriers to that enjoyment.”

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Read plans for the new East Side Park 

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At the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Central States Conference in May, East Side Park’s design earned an Award of Excellence, the highest honor presented. Only three of 61 project submissions received this top honor, and East Side Park was the only unbuilt project ASLA recognized.

Chicago-based landscape-architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt led the design. Hoerr Schaudt is known for creating spaces that blend aesthetics, functionality and ecological integrity. At East Side Park, that will mean trails, restrooms and parking areas accessible to everyone and a display of Alabama’s native plants and ecosystems.

Hoerr Schaudt’s team includes an inclusive design expert, Ingrid Kanics, who is a part-time wheelchair user and occupational therapist in addition to being a landscape architect.

She “really understands from a user perspective, whether it’s for children or senior adults or everybody in between, what accessibility features need to be included to enable somebody to get to the park and be able to stay and enjoy themselves,” Simpson said.

Jefferson County Greenways also has worked with disability and inclusion organizations and people they serve on the park’s design. Those groups include Lakeshore Foundation, United Ability, Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center, Exceptional Foundation and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

Amy Rauworth, chief of development and strategic partnerships for Lakeshore Foundation, said universal design, which East Side Park will have, goes beyond Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

“The ADA is minimum standards,” Rauworth said. “Universal design is just – you feel it, when you see a curb cut and you’re using a stroller or you’re a person who uses a wheelchair.”

She said East Side Park won’t suffer from “connectivity problems” that are a common challenge in many parks. Certain areas might be accessible, but the transitions between them are not, often because projects are developed or parks are updated without an overarching master plan that considers how someone experiences the entire environment.

Rooted in Alabama’s Biodiversity

The park will be planted exclusively with native plants, and different sections will represent Alabama’s various ecosystems.

“Most of Central Alabama was originally prairie land or savanna,” Simpson said. “But what we’re going to show is everything that it’s possible to grow in this region, so everything from woodland on the outer perimeter to mixed forests to savanna, prairie and wet prairie.”

This diversity of ecoregions will attract and support different types of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds and various flying insects, Simpson added.

Jefferson County Greenways Conservation Director Jamie Nobles has already begun propagating the native plants that will fill the park. Staff will grow these plants in nurseries and greenhouses at Ruffner Mountain and Turkey Creek, and the city of Birmingham has offered a facility in the western part of the city that Jefferson County Greenways can use when its areas reach capacity.

“He (Nobles) propagated 140 different species of plants last year,” Samantha Arceneaux, development director for Jefferson County Greenways, said. “So that just gives you an idea about how many species are native just to this region of Alabama.”

Simpson noted that a major undertaking as part of the park’s development will be removing invasive species including wisteria, mimosa and privet.

Beyond traditional park features, plans – some of which are dependent on funding – for East Side Park include:

• Accessible trails. These will wind through the native ecoregions and provide various challenge levels.

• Nature interpretive nodes. These are stopping points along trails for deeper nature connection, learning or rest. Examples include a prairie labyrinth and an outdoor prairie classroom.
• Sensory experiences. Simpson said these could include tactile, sound or smell elements derived from nature. Areas that provide “moments of respite” for those feeling overstimulated are planned as well.
• Native food-producing plants. The park will include native fruit trees and bushes such as pawpaw, persimmon and sumac. Park visitors will be invited to pick the fruits, Simpson said.
• Educational elements that interpret nature, history and the health impacts of natural settings. Local artists and artisans would be invited to contribute to these aspects of the park.

Payoff for the Community

Birmingham City Councilor Hunter Williams, whose district includes Roebuck Springs/South Roebuck, has been a key advocate for the park. He said it will be a game-changer for the area in terms of economic growth and equitable access to quality green space.

“For years, this piece of land that was once a vibrant community hub has sat vacant and underutilized, and our east side residents have been calling for something to be done to revitalize this space, and rightfully so,” Williams said.

Williams said he sees the park as a neighborhood revitalization tool, and Will Anderson, president of the Roebuck Springs/South Roebuck Neighborhood Association, expressed similar thoughts. Anderson noted the neighborhood doesn’t have many sidewalks or easily accessible green spaces.

“The park has been something that is often talked about, a lot of memories and hopes attached to it,” Anderson said. “It’s also been a source of frustration that it’s just been there overgrown and in disrepair. So the day that there’s a ribbon cutting and people can get into the park and start enjoying it will be a great day not just for our neighborhood but for the whole east side of Birmingham.

“Having a universally accessible nature park will go a long way toward getting people outside and, hopefully, getting to know each other better and building a stronger community.”

Because the park is very close to W.J. Christian K-8 School, there will be opportunities for students and teachers to take advantage of the park as well,” Anderson said.

Jefferson County Greenways staff said they anticipate hosting field trips for schools across the region.

Williams said investing in public infrastructure like green space lays the foundation for private development to follow.

“We expect to see increased interest in housing, neighborhood gatherings and local investment,” Williams said. “This project is about more than recreation. It’s about improving quality of life and creating a place where people want to stay and grow. That’s the kind of ripple effect we’re working toward.”

Located close to major roadways including Interstate 59, I-459 and U.S. 11, the park is projected to draw people from many miles away due to its unusual combination of full accessibility and an immersive nature experience, Simpson said.

“We are not aware of any space like this in the state of Alabama that is fully accessible and a nature space,” she said. “We have heard a lot from people that they will travel two to five hours to get to a space that all of their family can enjoy together.”

Based on her experience at Lakeshore Foundation, Rauworth said, she expects East Side Park to become a tourist destination.

Fundraising, Phases and Outlook

East Side Park is still in its design and fundraising stage. Jefferson County Greenways has raised about $3 million of the $5.8 million needed to deliver the park’s core features of native plants and accessible trails, parking areas and restrooms, Arceneaux said.

The project has benefited from a diverse mix of funding sources, she said. Williams helped secure $1 million in funding through the city of Birmingham in 2023. Community organizations, corporations and individuals have also contributed.

“It feels like everybody is caring about this, that we have this wide range of interest in making this an asset for the community, that people need it, that people want it,” Arceneaux said.

She said Jefferson County Greenways plans to deliver the core park features by December 2026, and continued fundraising will support additional elements such as nature nodes and sensory stations.

As for the design, the project is in the refining phase, which includes narrowing down choices for materials, Simpson said.

Once the park opens, Jefferson County Greenways will lead programming such as guided nature walks, family-friendly workshops and volunteer days, and Simpson said she expects many of the organizations that served as design partners will also be programming partners.

“People with disabilities don’t want any different experience than anyone without a disability,” Rauworth said. “But we do want to have access and inclusion.”

The vision for East Side Park seems to embody this principle, with an additional goal of inspiring similar spaces.

“We’re hoping that we may be able to set a precedent for inclusive nature spaces,” Simpson said.