Long-Vacant Police HQ Still Waiting for a New Chapter
What started as an idea to turn Homewood’s long vacant, old police property, into a steakhouse and park, has now been pulled off the table. Developer Mike Mouron, who brought the concept forward, decided to withdraw his plan and financial support after facing public criticism and legal filings.
The plan aimed to rezone the property at 1833 29th Avenue South from industrial to commercial, allowing for a restaurant and community green space. Mouron offered to fund the park portion of the property through the sale and personally cover any extra costs.
Also targeted in the backlash, the City of Homewood had to respond to a lawsuit and dissolve a temporary restraining order. The City stood by how it handled the process. The judge agreed and ruled in favor of the city, dismissing the case with prejudice and ordering the plaintiff’s (Kevin Misso) bond to be forfeited. Despite the legal victory, after facing ongoing personal attacks, Mouron chose to withdraw his proposal and not pursue the project further.
Even though it has now been withdrawn, by law, a public hearing will still be held, as advertised, August 11. The council will then officially close this item. Mayor Wyatt expressed hope that future city leadership will “figure out the best path forward” for a property that continues to sit idle.
For more background:
Committee Meeting February 17, 2025
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Finance - August 4, 2025 The committee approved dropping the Kenilworth Stormwater project and referred a large-scale lighting project to budget hearings. A representative from Recovery Resource Center presented a detailed proposal on using opioid settlement funds for assessments, training, and community outreach, which will be discussed further during budget hearings. The committee also approved a lease agreement with Navigate Wealth Management, authorized funding for UPS battery replacements, and approved design services for the library renovation Phase IV. Agenda: https://bit.ly/3U99gU6
Council Meeting July 28, 2025 Council covered routine business including approval of several resolutions and ordinances related to budget amendments, surplus property, stormwater diversion, municipal court staffing, and equipment purchases. Council unanimously approved Sanford University’s stadium housing project which is housing right next to their football stadium. Agenda: https://bit.ly/4f9rDBQ Meeting schedules & archives: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT
Finance - July 21, 2025 The Finance Committee approved a long list of budget-related items including surplus library equipment, a new municipal court prosecutor, and the final change order for the Kenilworth stormwater project, which finished under 10% of the original bid. Other approvals included money for a new pothole patching equipment and truck, various budget transfers for fire and police departments, setting an August 19 bid date for Green Springs Phase 2, and approving money for a city ad in the Chamber’s Centennial Map Guide. Agenda: https://bit.ly/4l1bbFm
Mayor Wyatt Responds to Legal Filing Over Former Police Headquarters “The City of Homewood has filed a Motion to Dissolve the Temporary Restraining Order and a Motion to Dismiss in response to a recent Petition that was filed against the City of Homewood involving the former Police Headquarters property. In these filings, the City outlines why it believes it has acted appropriately throughout the process surrounding the potential sale of the site. The City now awaits the Court’s ruling." Alex Wyatt Mayor of Homewood
Council Meeting July 14, 2025 Summary: The meeting opened with Dr. Wayne Harris calling for the release of bodycam footage in the Jabari Peoples shooting and threatening a coordinated boycott on business owners in The Homewood community if demands for transparency and reform are not met. During the meeting, council approved a traffic calming ordinance for Oxmoor Road to slow traffic down, several IT and maintenance contracts, and approved the list of election workers. Mayor Wyatt reiterated legal limits on releasing the bodycam footage and urged ALEA to grant the family's request. Read his full statement here: https://bit.ly/3TZ5HQp Agenda: https://bit.ly/4ngOSOa Meeting schedules & archives: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT
Mayor Wyatt Renews Call for ALEA to Share Body Camera Footage with Family of Jabari Peoples Mayor Alex Wyatt released the following statement regarding the June 23 shooting involving Jabari Peoples: “As the Mayor of Homewood, I continue to urge the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to allow the family of Jabari Peoples to view the body camera footage from the June 23 shooting incident. Their request is completely understandable. Legally, we don’t have the authority to release the footage because ALEA has taken over the investigation and, under the law, it controls access to evidence because it is the custodian of the footage. We have made that distinction clear in our legal filings in Jefferson County Circuit Court. We know this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved and want objective results made available to the family and the public as quickly as possible."
Board of Zoning Adjustments July 10, 2025 Two zoning variance requests on Devon Drive were denied, one for a partially permeable front parking pad and landscaping changes at 208 Devon, and another for an eight-foot fence setback variance at 401 Devon. Both petitioners cited safety and space concerns. Agenda: https://bit.ly/3GLQfDU Upcoming meeting schedules: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT Archived meetings: http://bit.ly/2UiSIaA For all the details about this meeting watch the video above.
Water service will be temporarily shut off in parts of Homewood on Thursday night, July 10, as Birmingham Water Works crews replace two 8-inch valves. The outage is scheduled from 11:00pm Thursday to 6:00am Friday, affecting approximately 80 connections. During this time, customers may experience low water pressure or complete loss of service. Work will begin at Tamworth Lane and Devon Drive, with additional impacts expected on Rumson Road, Windsor Drive, and a portion of Highway 280. Once service is restored, water may appear brown or cloudy. BWW recommends running cold water for 5 minutes to help clear the lines.
Planning Commission July 8, 2025 The Planning Commission approved an amended development plan for a covered porch at 134 South Pointe Drive, with has no increase in the impervious area. They also approved a re-survey and rezoning request at 1833 29th Avenue South to support the development of a high-end restaurant and public park at the old Homewood Police Department site. Both items received a six-zero vote in favor. Agenda: https://bit.ly/3GDmp4t Upcoming meeting schedules: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT Archived meetings: http://bit.ly/2UiSIaA For all the details about this meeting watch the video above.
In response to the tragic events of June 23, 2025