From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — A Birmingham-area developer is proposing a $33 million luxury senior living development on approximately 12 acres of city-owned property behind Food City in Trussville.
The Dobbins Group has submitted an offer to purchase the property for $1.2 million, with the proposed sale set to come before the Trussville City Council during its meeting Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s consideration will be a first reading only, meaning the council is not expected to take final action on the proposed sale. Under the current schedule, a final vote would not occur until October at the earliest.
According to documents associated with the proposal, The Dobbins Group plans to develop a 129-unit, 55-plus luxury residential community featuring a combination of flats, duplexes and cottages. The overall private investment associated with the project is estimated at approximately $33 million.
Luxury cottages, duplexes and apart
The property is part of a larger tract the city purchased several years ago.
According to public records In March 2022, the City of Trussville acquired 525 Main Street, consisting of two parcels, for a combined purchase price of $275,000.
The city is currently under contract with Blackwater Development for the sale of one of those two parcels, while the City Council is now considering the proposed $1.2 million sale of the remaining parcel to The Dobbins Group.
If both transactions are completed, the city would receive a combined $2 million from the sale of the two parcels, compared with the original $275,000 acquisition price in 2022. That would represent approximately $1.725 million more than the city’s original investment in the property.
Before the council considers final action on the Dobbins sale, the city expects to receive an independent appraisal of the property. The appraisal is anticipated to be completed prior to the October council meeting and would provide the council with a current valuation of the land before a final decision is made.
The proposed agreement includes more than just the sale of the property.
Documents related to the transaction require the developer to construct a greenway trail system along the edge of the property, adding pedestrian connectivity as part of the development.
The proposed development would be behind Food City.
The developer would also be required to construct a public roadway across the property to provide future connectivity to adjoining parcels not currently owned by the city. The roadway could ultimately provide access to those parcels should additional development occur in the future.
The proposed Dobbins community would sit next to the development being completed by Blackwater Development on the other portion of the property originally acquired by the city in 2022.
The Blackwater development is expected to be anchored by a new grocery store, although the identity of the grocer has not been officially announced.
Previous reporting by The Tribune has linked Blackwater with Publix, but no official confirmation that Publix will occupy the site has been announced as of this article.
If completed as proposed, the Dobbins project would add a significant new residential investment alongside the Blackwater commercial development, while also introducing a housing option specifically designed for residents age 55 and older.
The Trussville City Council is expected to consider the proposed Dobbins land sale during its Tuesday meeting, with the item receiving its first reading. No final action is expected until October at the earliest, and the city expects an independent appraisal to be completed before the council considers a final vote.
