The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a bid for $2.6 million in construction that will help bolster housing in an area of the Pratt community hit by a tornado in 2011.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re excited about the construction that’s been going on in this neighborhood. Five homes have already gone up and there’s been site work done on several more,” said Council President Pro Tem LaTonya Tate, who represents the area. “This means so much to the people who have lived here and for this kind of investment to be made into rebuilding what was lost.”

The bid approved Tuesday is from Gillespie Construction of Jasper for work on the Shadow Brook subdivision, where 52 homes are planned.

In 2022, officials broke ground on the development, part of an agreement between the city and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Housing Rehab Fund. The city conveyed the lots on which officials plan to build the single-family, energy-efficient houses.

Site development at Shadow Brook began in June 2025. The project is part of the city’s $16.6 million initiative to expand affordable housing in Birmingham. Mayor Randall Woodfin has pledged to have 2,500 new homes built as part of the initiative.

Public Hearing Set on Zoning Amendments

The council on Tuesday also set a public hearing for proposed amendments to the city’s zoning code.

According to city officials, two of the five proposed amendments deal with residential zoning regulations including capping the height of buildings in D-5 (multi-family) zones to 35 feet for all uses, reducing this number from 60 feet. The other residential zoning amendment would add single-family detached residential units as a permitted use in the MU-M (mixed-use medium) districts.

That public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 24 on the third floor of City Hall during the council’s meeting.

Councilor Josh Vasa, who co-chairs the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee, said he has been seeking feedback from residents regarding the proposed changes.

“We’ve worked to hear directly from residents about their vision for our communities — through neighborhood meetings, council meetings and surveys,” Vasa said. “Our goal is to ensure zoning policies reflect current needs and long-term goals while balancing growth with neighborhood character, and I look forward to continuing those conversations.”

District 3 residents are encouraged to complete this survey.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a $135,000 bid by Splawn Construction Company Inc. of  Birmingham for foundation repairs to the Birmingham Public Library’s North Avondale location, at 501 43rd Street North.
• Approved an agreement to provide $100,000 for the Police Athletic Team, an initiative that helps foster trust and communication among officers and residents.