Gardendale officials hope new city buildings will spur city-wide growth | News

GARDENDALE, AL (WBRC)- Gardendale officials are hoping new buildings and construction will bring new businesses to the city. Thursday, city leaders held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new police department and municipal court.

The city purchased and renovated the old Food World building off of Highway 31 for a cost of about $3.5 million.

"It unifies every department in the building. It doubles the space we had before. More functionable, serviceable and better," Gardendale Mayor Othell Phillips said.

The space is more than 19,000 square feet. The city hopes to rent another 23,000 square feet to generate income and tax revenue to help pay off the debt.

Gardendale citizens took a tour of the new jail Thursday as well. Police Chief Mike Walker says the new facility is far more secure than the old jail.

"In the old jail if we had a prisoner we would bring them in same door as you or anybody else would come in. That is not the case now," Walker said.

Some in Gardendale objected to the new jail being moved so close to nearby homes but Mayor Phillips says that came about because some feared it would become a regional jail.

"This just a muncipal jail. We are not having any felons. The only thing we have are misdemeanor speeding tickets things like that. We don't have felons they are transferred to the county," Phillips said.

The city plans to build a new city hall and green space behind the recently opened Buffalo Wild Wings. The mayor hopes this spurs more busineses to the city. The city jail is set to open next year.

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