ROEBUCK SPRINGS LOCAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION
FINALLY! After greater than 5 years of effort and with patience and diligence, the Roebuck Springs Historic District was designated a local historic district within the City of Birmingham by a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday March 26th. This will put into place the Roebuck Springs Preservation Plan which hopefully will be available on this website in the coming months. There was quite a bit of discussion including support and opposition to the designation in the end, the resolution passed by a vote of 7 to 0 with two Councilors absent from the meeting due to illness.
The members of the Board of Directors would like to thank all of the fine neighbors in the area who were present in person or in spirit for their support of this project and hope that those in opposition will continue to love their neighborhood and seek to further improve and preserve the architectural history that is such a valuable asset to the district. Certainly if this district is like others in the nation, property owners should enjoy increased property values and renewed interest in the neighborhood that we call home and will be able to all work together on positive projects in the future.
The designation was supported by speakers from the neighborhood as well as representatives from the Birmingham Historical Commission, Birmingham Historical Society, the Alabama Preservation Alliance, the Alabama Historical Commission, and other neighborhood representatives from South Eastlake and Highland Park. Council members voting for the designation included Councilors Abbott, Reynolds, Miller, Loder, Smitherman, Sykes, and Hendrix and each are deserving of our thanks for their support and vision. It seems to truly represent a new day in Birmingham leadership and pride in our history and the quest to preserve our architectural and landscape heritage.
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