Development under consideration for former Mountain Brook Inn site

The former site of Mountain Brook Inn on U.S. 280 could become the home of a hotel and office building.

Homewood city planner Vanessa McGrath said the initial proposal for the site includes a 10-story office building, a hotel between six and 10 stories, and a parking deck. She noted that the plan is still in its early phases and will still need to go before the Homewood planning commission for final approval before any construction can begin.

Graham and Company Commercial Real Estate is one of the firms working on the proposal. Dan Lovell of Graham and Co. said the company hopes to receive its final approval in February, but right now the details are still up in the air. He said that more information will be available in the next 30 to 60 days.

One hurdle facing the project is zoning. Currently, the Mountain Brook Inn site is zoned C4B, but McGrath said in 2007 the Homewood City Council removed hotels from approved C4B zoning uses. In order for the project to proceed, the council will have to amend the zoning rules to allow hotels again.

The Homewood City Council has set a hearing for Jan. 26, 2015, to consider this amendment.