04/01/10 | The Grand Plan
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Grand River is a new community that promises to change the face of the metro by creating a new corridor of development along I-20 and a destination you'll want to add to your own map.
Aspiring to be a community for 21st century Birmingham, Grand River is beginning to take shape in eastern Jefferson County along the I-20 corridor. At 6,500 acres, Grand River is twice as large as Greystone and three times larger than Ross Bridge and is being developed by the partnership of Daniel Corporation, USS Real Estate and The Retirement Systems of Alabama.
These partners—together and separately—have already changed the face of the metro area through such major developments as Greystone, The Preserve, Trace Crossings, Ross Bridge, and Red Mountain Park. Now with Grand River, a new transformative development rising on the eastern side of the metro area, they are poised to do it again.
“In terms of real estate, never has there been a more clear-cut next area to develop as the I-20 corridor. To participate in this is a great accomplishment for our company,” says Charles Tickle, CEO of Daniel Corporation.
Envisioned as a sister project to Ross Bridge, Grand River—covering a total land mass from Grants Mill Road clear to Trussville—offers the exciting amenities of Barber Motorsports Park and Museum as well as Bass Pro Shops and the new The Shops of Grand River project. The master-planned vision calls for building a world-class community that is architecturally distinctive, inspired by the beauty of the natural world that surrounds it, and that embraces an active lifestyle with plenty of space for family recreation.
In the realm of environmental sustainability, Grand River has partnered with Audubon International to become a member of the Gold Signature Program, in essence a community that strives to integrate wildlife conservation, water conservation, water quality protection, and habitat restoration. Audubon International is an internationally renowned environmental organization that consults with landowners and developers to provide environmental planning assistance for projects in the design, construction and management stages.
“Distinctive in character and rich in history and natural resources, Grand River combines inspired residential neighborhoods, convenient shopping, entertainment, exceptional parks and green spaces, world-class sporting amenities, and outdoor recreation—all masterfully creating a retreat from the pressures of urban living,” says Daniel Corporation’s John Gunderson.
“Grand River seamlessly blends the feeling of a traditional market town with 21st century sophistication, all painted against the picturesque landscape of the Cahaba River Valley. Grand River will be more than simply a place to call home—it is a lifestyle destination.”
The development plans for Grand River include residential, retail, and commercial office. There are also plans for new schools, as well as green lifestyle connectivity through parks, trails, open spaces and greenways.
The distinctive outlets of The Shops of Grand River are the anchor seed of the new community. Phase 1 is 330,000 square feet; expandable to 500,000 square feet full of premium brand stores and boutiques. The total capital investment in The Shops of Grand River is $127.3 million. The development is targeted to open in October 2010 and is expected to employ 650 full time employees for a community impact of more than $185 million over the next 25 years.
In addition to working with Audubon International, The Shops of Grand River is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council in pursuit of LEED certification.
The partnership focused on creating Grand River includes USS Real Estate, the land owner and Daniel Corporation, the developer and joint venture partner. Additional stakeholders include Barber Motorsports Park, Bass Pro Shops, the Porsche Sports Driving School, ZOOM Motorsports / Bruno Event Team, and The Retirement Systems of Alabama. In addition, the governmental entities in Leeds, Moody, Birmingham, Jefferson and St. Clair Counties as well as the major utility companies have taken roles in pulling the development together.
“If you want to see how Alabama is changing, then come to Leeds,” Alabama Governor Bob Riley says. “The changes along the corridor between Birmingham and Atlanta are going to be amazing.”
A major component of the development’s amenities already in place is the Bass Pro Shop. A destination retail center with the 156,000 square feet, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is situated on approximately 100 acres at Exit 140 of the I-20 corridor. Plans are in place to add a 25 to 40 acre nature park adjacent to the facility to enhance its appeal to visitors. Bass Pro Shops draw from a large geographic area; 49 percent of customers come from about 50 miles away, 30 percent travel from farther than 150 miles.
“All of us at Bass Pro Shops are extremely excited to be a major part of this unique project. We feel that due to location and the attached nature park, this will be one of our greatest stores,” says Jim Hagale, president of Bass Pro Shops.
Another component already in place is Barber Motorsports Park and Museum. Built as a tourist attraction and economic development tool, Barber Motorsports Museum has the largest collection of motorcycles in the world with more than 1,300 on display. The construction of Barber Park by Birmingham’s George Barber was the largest individual philanthropic project in Alabama.
The five year economic impact of Barber Motorsports Park has been calculated at $370 million, more than $15 million in tax revenue and 260,000 hotel room nights. On April 9 to 11, the world of Indy Racing comes to Barber with a worldwide television exposure in 184 countries. There will be more than 12 hours of television coverage in the United States and about 100,000 spectators are expected to be at the race.
One of the things they’ll see is a future being created for a new part of the metro area, a community in the process of being born.
Tom Howard has been at a lot of births over the past couple of decades. Howard is general manager locally for USS Real Estate, the real estate arm of U. S. Steel. “We are blessed with the ability to add value to the community, increasing the original assets many, many fold. It enhances the value of everything. Twenty years ago we had a vision for Trace Crossings. You have to have a vision. And you have to have great partners. With Daniel Corporation we have a match made in heaven.
“We look at things over a long period of time. The beauty of the partnership with Daniel is that their wealth of talent allows us to accelerate the development,” Howard says.
George Manos, president of USS Real Estate, puts it succinctly: “One plus one is more than two. We are so blessed to work with Daniel. Projects like this generate employment and tax revenue, and create perpetual value. We are all here focused on making a difference in the community.”
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