Rosedale

The Rosedale community is one of three that came together to become the city of Homewood in 1926. The community was first settled in the 1880s and is historically African-American. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography and history

Rosedale is located along the northern edge of Homewood, roughly bordered by the Homewood city limits to the north (meeting the Birmingham city limits), downtown Homewood to the south, U.S. Highway 31 to the west, and B.M. Montgomery Street along the east side. Griffin Creek runs through the western portion of the neighborhood. The neighborhood once covered approximately 110 acres.

Rosedale was the first area specifically marketed to African-Americans in the Birmingham vicinity. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, a school and three churches were constructed in the neighborhood using Hartselle sandstone mined from the northern edge of the community.

In the 1950s and '60s, an effort was made by the city of Homewood to replace most of the community with a development known as Southgate Shopping Mall, but this plan was abandonded after a legal battle. Despite this victory, a significant portion of the neighborhood was lost during the 1960s with the construction of Robins Drive (now named Rosedale Drive), which links 18th Street South with the Highway 31/Highway 280 interchange. The neighborhood was also bisected by 18th Street as it was expanded to multiple lanes. Less than 30 acres of the area are now residential.

Revitalization controversy

The Rosedale Community Development Corporation (RCDC), headed by Adrienne Lee, was formed in 1984 and seeks to halt any further rezoning of Rosedale's residential lots to commercial lots while they develop plans to help revitalize the neighborhood.

There is opposition from Myrtle Lee Tinsley, Adrienne Lee's sister-in-law and one of the biggest property holders in Rosedale. In 2005 she stated, "Rosedale is a lost cause" and believes much of the property in Rosedale will do better as commercial developments. She further said that the RCDC has not included her in the development of any Rosedale revitalization plans and would object to them because of that (Jordan).

References

• Jordan, Phillip. (May 12, 2005). "Tracking Down the Truth" [1]. Birmingham Weekly.
• "No Room for Rosedale?" (Fall 2004). [2] Living It Out: Greater Birmingham Ministries.

External Links

• Rosedale Revitalization PDF at the City of Homewood website
• Rosedale Urban Renewal PDF at the City of Homewood website