From The Tribune Staff Reports
TRUSSVILLE — The future look of Trussville Gas and Water’s headquarters will draw on the city’s past and visually tie downtown to the Greenway and the historic Cahaba Project.
Exterior remodel and new landscaping guided by history and sustainability (Photo courtesy of Dix.Hite+Partners)
Trussville Gas and Water General Manager Mike Strength announced the upcoming renovations at Thursday’s State of the City Address and showed off renderings of the site.
Strength said the building exterior and landscaping would take several cues from the surrounding area. The gazebo across the street inspires stacked rock. The silver roof is inspired by the houses in the 1930s Cahaba Project nearby. The windows connect with the more recent renovations such as Edgar’s Bakery and Hitchcock Maddox Financial Partners.
More importantly, the new landscaping will be guided by the city’s “2040 Plan,” which calls for sustainable development practices, in part to protect the groundwater and city water supply. This includes the use of native plants that require less irrigation once established and the use of local materials where possible.
“The redesign should not only give us credibility when we ask others to implement similar practices but should serve as a demonstration and educational site for sustainable practices,” Strength said. “If someone is interested in possibilities for permeable parking surfaces, they’ll be able to see those products in use up close.”
Landscapers will remove sod in front of the building, replacing it with a feature that captures rain and allows it to recharge the groundwater. The level of the water features will change depending on recent rainfall, revealing more or less of the landscaping across different seasons.
Strength said work on the project will begin in the second half of 2022. The new design is part of a master plan to rework the entire municipal campus downtown. This plan includes connecting Railroad Avenue to Parkway Drive.
