Birmingham firm hopes to redevelop Carraway Hospital property

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - It’s hard to pass the old Carraway Hospital campus and not notice the broken windows, overgrown bushes.

But to Brian Wolfe and his team at Corporate Realty, the site holds much potential.

“The north side of Birmingham has a lot of momentum right now,” Wolfe says.

“With what the BJCC is investing in the reset of the arena, with the new football stadium, with Top Golf’s success in that area--we’re real excited about the momentum going on there.”

And Wolfe feels redevelopment of the property would only expand that.

Their early master plan calls for retail, entertainment, hotel, medical and office spaces on the site.

But because it sits in the heart of a neighborhood district, it would also include some homes and apartments and very important, a grocery store.

“We want to make sure we’re sensitive to putting back some uses that help supplant those neighborhoods and help those neighborhoods be redeveloped,” he says.

He adds they’ve worked to include input from those who live in the surrounding Norwood, Druid Hills and Evergreen neighborhoods.

The Lovelady Center, a local women’s ministry, still owns the property.

But Wolfe says they are working to gain ownership and will approach the city about rezoning it for mix use.

“I think ultimately the district is going to benefit from the district and what it does. We’re excited about it. Very excited,” Wolfe says.

If the firm can clear several hurdles, they’d like to break ground by next fall.

They’d also like to have some of the site ready by the World Games in 2021.

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