Demopolis Combatting Housing Crisis by OKing Townhouse Development
A Demopolis initiative to add at least 500 new residential properties to the Marengo County city in an effort to combat a housing shortage is moving forward.
A development on Maria Avenue in southwest Demopolis will be constructed as townhouses, becoming the city's first Planned Unit Development.
The development was originally going to be a mix of units for rent or for purchase, according to Planning Commission Chair Andy Renner. Nobody showed up to speak for or against the development at last week's planning commission meeting, leading to the commissioners approving the proposal.
The development will be an “upscale” mixed-use project that diversifies cash flow for developers.
Homes of two and three bedrooms will ring the outside of a curved street that connects to Maria Avenue, south of U.S. Highway 80. The inside of the arcing street will hold a parking lot and a green space.
A study conducted through the Alabama Main Street Initiative, a non-profit organization that leads downtown and neighborhood commercial district revitalization across the state, found that Demopolis is 254 homes short of meeting current housing demand. That has led some members of the city council to see a need to encourage homebuilders to prepare sites in an effort to lure more growth.
The Demopolis Industrial Board has hired a construction engineer to evaluate potential sites for as many as six new subdivisions.
Officials believe development of a plan to expand available housing will help spark growth in the city and lure more businesses and possibly industries to the area.
The first phase of adding housing to Demopolis came with the renovation of the historic Coplin Building, which added new apartments.
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