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The Birmingham City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on Tuesday to repurpose a historic school building into affordable housing for seniors.
The city council’s budget and finance committee endorsed the proposal earlier this month to lease the Graymont School property to developers for $1 a year for 30 years. The proposal also cites that the city will provide $3.5 million from its remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act distribution.
Graymont School was an elementary school originally built in 1908, and it was the first Birmingham school to be integrated in 1963. From 1996 until 2021, the building served as the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity headquarters.
Construction is slated to begin in late October, but the city hopes to preserve the exterior and only remodel and update the interior. The Veranda at Graymont School project will create 101 rentable units.
While around 50 units will be located within Graymont School, an additional structure will be built on the premises to pay homage to the site’s history and house the rest of the units.
The revitalization of the Graymont School represents the early phases of Birmingham’s Choice Neighborhoods grant that the city received last summer. Graymont School is located in the Smithfield Court neighborhood, the targetted area of the administered grant.
One concern raised by residents about the neighborhood was the vacant land and property. Repurposing the Graymont School will allow Birmingham to extend the life of its historic buildings by commemorating its past while providing for those in the area.
Assistance from the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District and added funds from the city as the project develops will streamline construction. Developers will also seek help from the Alabama Housing Finance Authority to subsidize rent.
