The groundwork has been laid. Now comes the follow-through. In 2026, watch how a new administration settles in, how big projects cross city lines and how infrastructure dollars translate into visible change. These five storylines point to a year where decisions — and relationships — will matter more than announcements.
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Graham Smith is set to become Mountain Brook's mayor in November, following Stewart Welch, who did not seek re-election.
New administration, first moves: Mayor Graham Smith and City Manager Steve Boone settle in, sequence priorities and set tone.
New 1-cent sales tax takes effect: April 1, 2026 is the go-live. Watch earmarks translate into visible capital — sidewalks, drainage, corridor fixes — and how the city communicates project queues.
Staff photo
Brookwood Village today
Motorists travel along Shades Creek Parkway toward U.S. 280 in Homewood past Brookwood Village.
Brookwood Village: phase-by-phase: With Andrews Sports Medicine going in the former Belk on the Homewood side (approximately 135,000 square feet), the broader 57-acre puzzle requires tight Homewood–Mountain Brook coordination — traffic agreements, trail connections and a tenant mix that balances medical, retail and true mixed-use.
Partnership mechanics with Homewood: The intergovernmental framework is in place; 2026 is execution. Expect shared problem-solving on access, cost sharing and communications as Brookwood and corridor projects stack up.
Photo by Lexi Coon.
Construction along Shades Creek Parkway for both sidewalks and the U.S. 280 exit has been impacted by recentl weather and previous delays.
Shades Creek Greenway connections: The Birmingham segment linking Mountain Brook’s Irondale Furnace Trail to Flora Johnston Nature Preserve is funded and under Freshwater Land Trust project management. The payoff is regional — a continuous Lakeshore-to-Irondale experience as segments come online.
