Cooper Green Housing Community
The Cooper Green Housing Community is a 312-unit housing project located at 1501 Arthur Shores Drive in Ishkooda. The property is administrated under the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District and managed by Pernita Banks. Community president is Addie Walton.
The community is named in honor of former Birmingham mayor Cooper Green.
As of 1999 units at Cooper Green were rented in the range of $204 for 1 bedroom units up to $467 for 4 bedroom units.
In 2003 the HABD revealed plans to demolish all of the community's buildings and build 250 new units on the same site. The Birmingham office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development recommended against demolition and argued that the authority should proceed with previous plans to refurbish the existing units. The renovation, planned by Taylor Design Associates was, at the time, estimated to require $22 million.
The Birmingham City Council approved an expenditure of $1,171,000 in June 2005 for improvements to the Community, including security screens, doors and screen doors as well as landscaping and office renovations.
In 2005 the HABD applied to HUD to demolish 100 units at Cooper Green, beginning in August. Bids received for the renovation plan in June, 2006 came in at $44 and $47 million and were both rejected. The board plans to re-bid the project broken down into phases and will try to meet an August 1 deadline to spend $4 million allocated from a bond pool shared with other state agencies.
On May 31, 2006 a sport-utility vehicle used in the abduction of attorney Sandra Gregory was found abandoned at Cooper Green. Police searched the neighborhood most of the day until she and her abductor were found in a motel in Homewood.
References
- Norris, Toraine. (June 22, 2006) "Housing authority rejects renovation bids." Birmingham News.