Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club
The Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club is a 15-acre recreation center located at 5601 Old Leeds Road at the intersection of Bermuda Drive in Irondale. The club was opened in 1965 and closed in 2006. It was purchased for $1.9 million by the city of Irondale in April 2006 after years of declining membership put the property at risk of foreclosure.
The property was initially being leased to Pine Cone Management while the city considered proposals for redevelopment. In 2007 Irondale hired Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects (CMH) to create renderings of development possibilities for consideration. Drawings of a "village" style development were presented during public hearings in early 2008. Most neighbors expressed the wish that the property would be used for estate-size homes. City officials and CMH foresee interest in some mix of commercial and residential redevelopment, citing a "gap" in commercial amenities around the club site.
In 2012 Irondale Mayor Tommy Joe Alexander announced that the club had a buyer. Mark Gold, one of the owners of Crestwood Festival Center and Grants Mill Station shopping centers, and Isaac David, announced in December they intended to purchase the property from the city for $1.4 million. In May 2013 the deal closed with a sale price of $1.1 million, and Gold announced plans to build 36 homes around 2,500 square feet each, and to renovate the clubhouse. Some of the club's features would be removed, including the clay tennis courts. The Irondale City Council rezoned the area for the garden homes that month. In December, David announced the plan to build homes had been cut to 24, and attempted to have a separate portion of the property rezoned for condominiums and a mix of retail businesses. Nearby residents complained and the Irondale Planning and Zoning Commission rejected David's proposal.
References
- Debro, Anita (January 23, 2008) "Irondale village development considered for swim/tennis club." The Birmingham News
- Debro, Anita (February 20, 2008) "Birmingham, Alabama hearing to discuss tennis club site." The Birmingham News
- Debro, Anita (March 4, 2008) "Irondale council closes meeting to discuss possible sale of Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club." The Birmingham News
- Gray, Jeremy (May 2, 2013) "36 homes planned for Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis redevelopment." The Birmingham News
- Gray, Jeremy (December 20, 2013) "Irondale board refuses to recommend plan for condos, businesses at Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club." The Birmingham News