The Jefferson County Commission today provided $1.87 million to fill in the gap in the YMCA’s revitalization project for its Roebuck Community facility.

Inflation created the nearly $2 million shortfall in the plan to build a new, comprehensive center. The commission filled that gap using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

YMCA President and CEO Dan Pile told commissioners during their committee meeting Tuesday that a yearlong study was conducted that shed light on health inequities, early learning inequities and housing inequities, especially homeownership which, he said, creates stable communities.

“Those are really critical,” he said. “The pandemic even brought out more issues around mental health, the lack of mental health care. We realized that we couldn’t do it by ourselves, so we assembled some of the best partners in the city.”

Christ Health will provide a pediatric clinic and Impact Family Counseling will have a “world-class counseling center” to address crisis intervention. Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels will also be involved.

Commissioner Lashunda Scales, whose district includes Roebuck, celebrated the action and anticipated another celebration.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity for all of us (to) share in on the ribbon-cutting for a very transformative project,” Scales said, “that we know is going to be life changing, that affects four-fifths of Jefferson County. That was a great project.”

New Zoning for More Urban-Like Developments

Earlier in the session, commissioners adopted regulations for a new mixed-use zoning district.

“It allows for mixed use development, when you’ve got commercial on the bottom and residential on top,” urban planner Michael Morrison said. “It pulls everything right there up to the sidewalk (and) calls for sidewalks. It’s basically to facilitate more like urban infill-type projects.”

Morrison cited The Village of Providence in Huntsville and Mount Laurel in Shelby County as examples.

“Ross Bridge is developed with a certain amount of that kind of density,” he said.  “It’s just to facilitate that. We really don’t have a zoning district that would allow for specifically that type of development.”