Ross Bridge

Birmingham Alabama’s award-winning builder Signature Homes is coming to Chalybe in Ross Bridge! - 3/25/2010

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:53:35 -0400

Chalybe boasts three neighborhood parks all inter-connected by tree-lined sidewalks and is convenient to Ross Park and the Village Center.

Situated in the heart of Ross Bridge and the coveted Hoover School district; with easy access to amenities like the world-class Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort & Spa and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Golf Course; Signature Homes at Chalybe will deliver a new home value unmatched in the region.

Signature Homes’ driving principal is to build affordable, well-built homes with fresh architectural styles. The appeal of a Signature Home is obvious the moment you see one. With a variety of open, livable floorplans that appeal to every type of buyer; each carefully crafted home stands out in a sea of vanilla homes for which competitor builders are so well known.

Signature Homes will be unveiling brand new home designs for Chalybe and will begin writing contracts within the next 30 days. With only 60 lots available and pricing starting under $220,000, they won’t last long.

Contact Kelli Gunnells at (205) 281-8545 or Chris Wood at (205) 965-8594 today!

Ross Bridge 8K Run/Walk & Health Expo - 2/11/2010

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:23:45 -0500

DATE
Saturday, September 04, 2010 @ 8:00 AM

ADDRESS
Ross Bridge Welcome Center
2101 Grand Avenue

FEES
Online/Day Of: 8K $25/$30 Mercedes Kids Run $15

REGISTRATION CLOSING DATE
Friday, September 03, 2010 @ 3:00 PM

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The Ross Bridge 8K is a race experience like no other!
Our aim is to create a family friendly atmosphere, while at the same time conduct a competitive 8K run.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Packet pick-up will be Friday, September 3rd at the TrakShak in Homewood at 11am-5pm or at Ross Bridge on race day at 7:00 am. The Ross Bridge 8K is a race experience like no other! Our aim is to create a family friendly atmosphere, while at the same time conduct a competitive 8K run. Various entertainment, vendor booths, and a health exposition sponsored by Brookwood Medical Centere will be featured near the start/finish line and delicious snacks will be available as part of your race registration. Medals will be given away for the top 3 finishers in each age category, plus grand prizes for the top male and female. The professionally measured course includes a scenic route starting in the Ross Bridge Village Center, carefully patterned after historic resort style living of early America, crossing through the six distinctive neighborhoods of the classic American resort town. The route also takes advantage of just some of the five miles of activity trails that criss cross a slice of Civil War era history, with a grand finish at the vintage train station and welcome center! Please join us on September 4th for the Ross Bridge 8K Run/Walk & Health Expo! Proceeds from the events will benefit Alabama Teen Challenge. For more than 50 years Teen Challenge has been providing quality residential, low cost drug and alcohol recovery programs for individuals of all ages. Although many have benefited from their association with the Teen Challenge program, this run is not about those from its 50 year past - It is about the 19 million Americans who need help with their addiction today. For more information, please visit http://www.alabamateenchallenge.org/8k.php

Communities in Hoover Alabama - 12/02/2009

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:09:40 -0500

Birmingham is located in north central Alabama. This large metro area has many suburbs. Hoover is the largest suburb and has many options for upscale homes and planned communities. The Hoover area has a population of about 73,000 people as of the most recent census data. The area is forecasted to continue to grow over for many years to come.

Located among the beautiful Appalachian Mountains foothills, Hoover has become the home of many planned communities. The communities in the Hoover area offer amenities like golf courses, tennis and fitness facilities.

The forecast for the Hoover real estate market is bright. The median home price is up from the 2000 price of $176,400 and is currently experiencing a median home price of about $248,000. This number is down from the pre-recession median price of $363,800 but prices are expected to recover moving forward as the economy improves.

One of the premier luxury home and resort communities in Hoover is The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa. The community features luxury homes priced from $240,000 to over $1,000,000, town homes from around $220,000 to $260,000, and condos from $169,900.

Ross Bridge is known world wide as a premier resort destination. The resort offers a 259 room luxurious hotel and a 12,000 sq ft spa center. Other amenities include a championship golf course, outdoor pool and meeting center, and tennis courts.

The golf course at Ross Bridge has an 8,191 yard golf course that is the home of the Regions Charity Classic on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The New York Times said the course was “some of the best public golf on Earth.” The Hoover Birmingham area offers many entertainment, dining, shopping, and cultural activities.

Other featured attractions in the Birmingham area includes the Alabama Adventure theme park, the Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, Birmingham Museum of Art, the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame, and the famous Talladega Superspeedway.

About the Author:
Hubert Miles is the founder of Gated Communities USA which features the best Planned Communities in the USA and Internationally. Find information on Planned Communities in the South.

Lighting of the Green - Saturday, December 4th - Starting at 6pm - 11/30/2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:29:59 -0500

Ross Bridge presents the annual Lighting of the Green. Come and enjoy the holiday fun and frolic with the Grinch at the Who-ville Ross Bridge Christmas and the Lighting of the Green.

Every Who down in Who-Ville, the tall and the small; invite you to join them at the Ross Bridge Town Hall. There'll be mistletoe wreaths & Who-stockings hung, Christmas trees lighted and Christmas songs sung, where Who-elves will dance and Santa will sing and the Grinch will try to stop the whole thing!

Bring the whole family for one of the greatest Ross Bridge holiday traditions. Enjoy hot cocoa and delicious treats, have your picture with Santa, ride the holiday Carousel and Clydesdale drawn sleigh rides.

The merriment takes place this Saturday, December 4th beginning at 6pm at the Ross Bridge Welcome Center.

Call Jill Seals with any questions: 443-4809

Don't Miss THE Event of the Season at Ross Bridge "ARTS & MUSIC" on the Green - 10/1/2009

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:33:19 -0400

Saturday October 10th
9am - 5pm
Ross Bridge
FREE Admission

Click here for directions to Ross Bridge.

This is the regionally renowned event of the Fall combining the area's best Arts & Music Festival featuring Birmingham's most talented artist with the area's premier tasting event — "Uncorked" on the Green. It's a great day for the entire family and admission is FREE!

"Arts & Music" on the Green features fine arts, jewelry, pottery, crafts and a variety of musicians.

Bring the whole family and stroll across the green, take in the amazing art and listen to the likes of:

• Heather Marie - 10am
• Jon Vogel - 11am
• George & the G Men - 12pm
• One Night Stand - 1pm
• Garlend & Eric Duo - 2pm
• Justin Davis Band - 3pm
• Kip Tralor Band - 4pm

For more information, visit artsandmusiconthegreen.com or call Jill Seals at (205) 443-4809.

"Uncorked" on the Green at Ross Bridge is Birmingham's premier tasting event, celebrating the area's varied culinary artists along with a sampling of fine wines and boutique beers. The whole family will enjoy cooking demonstrations, sample delicacies prepared by the area's top chefs as they prepare their favorite wine-infused recipes at "Battle of the Chefs Uncorked".

"Uncorked" on the Green at Ross Bridge is from 11am to 5pm. Admission is FREE and in addition to all the amazing food and libations, there will be musical entertainment throughout the day provided by the Overflow Trio, Marge Lovelady Duo and the Carol Cole Jazz Duo.
For more information, please visit uncorkedonthegreen.com or call Jill Seals at (205) 443-4809. To view Photo Gallery, click here.

Barket Market at Ross Bridge on June 6 - 6/4/2009

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:53:39 -0400

If you are a pet owner who likes to get up on Saturday morning and shop the local Farmer's Markets then you will want to add the Fresh Market on the Green at Ross Bridge on your list this weekend for the Barkit Market.

Barkit Market is an outdoor market for pet lovers and will be held in conjunction with Fresh Market on the Green @ Ross Bridge in Hoover, Saturday, June 6 from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. Admission is Free.

Pet vendors include companies offering gourmet treats, training, boarding, safety, rescue and adoption. Vendor space is still available call 680-5372 for details.

Special Events for the Barkit Market:
- Puparazzi Parade at 10:00 a.m. prizes given for the best dressed dog
- BAMA Air Dogs Frisbee Exhibition @ 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

A few of the Vendors:
• Bama Air Dogs
• Basset Hound Rescue
• Canine Krunchies
• Creative Dog Training
• Cross My Heart
• Dixie Dog Diner
• Invisible Fence
• McDonald K-9 Academy
• TEARS
• The Puppy Lady
• Your Critter Sitter

The Fresh Market at Ross Bridge is held every 1st and 3rd Saturday offering Alabama grown fresh produce, hand-made gift and decor items, coffee cafe and baked goods from The Sweet Stop, and activities for the children.

Live Music guest for June 6 is Sam Pointer.

Click here for more information about the Ross Bridge Barket Market.

Host Of The Regions Charity Classic May 13 - 17 4/30/2009

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:56:16 -0400

The Regions Charity Classic is an official event of the PGA Champions Tour. Held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge in Hoover, Alabama, the event has donated more than $10 million to Alabama charities throughout its history. Annual contributions continue to be the tournament's greatest tradition, most recently with the Birdies for Charity program. Thousands of fans come out each May to witness the game's best golfers, such as previous winners Andy Bean, Brad Bryant and Hale Irwin, and their favorite celebrities tee-off in the Pro-Am.

Click here for more information and tickets: http://www.regionscharityclassic.com/index.php

Time to Get off the Fence?

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:01:12 -0400

Prices are down, but psychological factors may still keep buyers waiting.

It took four years and an unprecedented real estate downturn for Christopher Hertz to get off the fence and buy a house.

In the interim, the 32-year-old's search for the right property at the right price became nothing short of an obsession. He visited at least one open house a month. He researched the local market diligently, using an Excel spreadsheet to track the homes that interested him. He saw hundreds of places and made some offers, but all of them were rejected as too low.

So Hertz held on to the lease of his Dupont Circle apartment, a month-to-month deal he had signed in 2005 with the intention of staying for a few months.

Then, Hertz said, as the economic news grew increasingly dire last year and he expanded his search out of the District into the suburbs, he began seeing more opportunities. He got engaged. And last month, he and his fiancee, Colleen Fahey, made an offer on a three-bedroom, three-bath red-brick rambler in Bethesda. The owner, who received several offers, accepted the couple's bid. The two plan to move in April.

The overriding factor for making the commitment after such a long hunt? Price. The house was listed at $739,000, and Hertz's successful offer was $725,000. That was a good deal for a home so close to Metro and downtown Bethesda and for its size and condition, Hertz said.

“I did not feel comfortable buying, and I still had the opportunity that prices were going to keep falling,” Hertz said, explaining why he spent so many years looking. “Well, I have been vindicated.”

As home values continue their historic descent, understanding the psychology of home shoppers such as Hertz has become increasingly important for economists and housing analysts searching for a bottom. Buying a home has gotten much cheaper than during the years of the boom.

But just as speculative mania and a fear of losing out seemed to grip buyers during the housing bubble, the opposite appears to be occurring now amid the bust. Many would-be buyers fear getting caught in the downdraft and are waiting out the market in hopes of the best possible deal.

“People keep calling a bottom: for the stock market, for the housing market, it seems like every month there is a new bottom,” said Rom Brafman, a behavioral psychologist and co-author of the book “Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.”

Potential buyers think: “Why don't I just wait? Because maybe this house looks like a good deal, but maybe in a couple of months the nicer home down the street will be even cheaper.”

The deteriorating economy has only complicated matters. Many potential buyers are concerned about making a purchase as big as a home when job uncertainty remains so great. For those like Hertz, who are willing to make a commitment, a psychological barrier must still be breached: the possibility that a home's value may decline. Housing experts said that an important factor for a turnaround will come when shoppers shift to viewing a property more as a dwelling and less as an investment.

“There is, in part, a redefinition of what a home is,” said Nicolas Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. “What we may be starting to see happening is people are weighing more heavily the use value of a particular home. And they are beginning to think, 'Okay, is this the place that I want -- not so much to buy and sell -- but is this the sort of place close to the things that I find important?'”

Retsinas said he does not think this shift in attitudes has yet occurred on a wide scale.

“We still have a legacy of buying a home as an investment, and in this environment, who would buy a home as an investment?” Retsinas said.

As time passed and his life changed, such considerations of money, love and living for the long term came into play for Hertz. A native of the Washington area, he returned to the region in 2005 after finishing business school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to start an information technology consulting firm in the District.

As a young bachelor enamored with city life, his heart was set at first on finding a condominium in Dupont Circle. He yearned for a well-lit place with plenty of space, in a boutique building of no more than four stories and fewer than 15 units. He wanted it for less than $550,000, he said in a 2007 Post article about his search.

Months became years, and Hertz settled in. When he turned 30, he began thinking about finding a townhouse in the District, a place with more room, where he might one day raise a family. He found a two-unit town house in Logan Circle that he figured he could afford if he rented out half. He made an offer. On another occasion, he bid on a Dupont Circle townhouse in need of repairs.

In both instances, the seller refused to budge, Hertz said. In general, finding sellers who were willing to negotiate on price was difficult in the District, particularly in downtown locations, as renters remained plentiful despite the downturn, Hertz said. He began looking outside the city.

“Over my four years, my life has changed, and I actually started to shift,” Hertz said. “I felt the prices were softer the further you got out of the District.”

Still, he did not want to go too far. He cherished his morning commute: a 20-minute walk downtown or a two-station Metro ride. Life in the far suburbs scared him. He did not own a car. The search expanded to include Bethesda and Arlington.

His search spanned a period in which rising prices seemed to put homeownership out of reach for conservative buyers until a time when the equilibrium shifts toward owning. The National Association of Realtors said this week that the relationship between home prices and mortgage interest rates and family income is the most favorable since it began tracking affordability in 1970. Nevertheless, sales of new homes and existing homes, as well as pending home sales, declined in January. Economists blamed the dismal state of the economy as the overriding factor but said buyer psychology also comes into play.

A recent report by the real estate research firm Green Street Advisors in Newport Beach, Calif., found that the gap between the after-tax cost of a monthly mortgage payment and the cost of renting narrowed to below an 18-year average in 2008. That swings the relative cost of owning compared with renting back in favor of homeownership in some markets. In the District, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs, that ratio is below its 18-year average, according to the study.

“A purchase the size of buying a house is the biggest investment most of us will ever go into,” said Michael D. Larson, a real estate and interest rate analyst at Weiss Research. “If you are worried about losing your job or if you are going to buy a house for 20 percent down . . . and then house prices continue to depreciate, then it is not going to be long before you lose your money.”

Amol Singla, 32, a government contractor who rents in the District's U Street area, shares those concerns. While he feels secure in his job, the layoffs caused by the recession have unnerved him. He recently abandoned a year-and-a-half-long home hunt in the District after he could not find the right price in the U Street and Shaw neighborhoods and after looking at several Petworth properties that he thought might lose their value in the coming decade or so. Singla said he might resume his search if prices fall an additional 10 percent.,/p>

Hertz and Fahey, in contrast, are comfortable with their decision. She became part of the search in November, once they were engaged.

The place they are buying can easily house a family of four. It sits within the boundaries for Walt Whitman High School, which he hopes his children will one day attend. It has been “incredibly well” maintained, with well-functioning appliances and a landscaped yard. Large trees give the suburban street a sort of majesty, he said. And the couple is just a walk or bike ride away from downtown Bethesda. It's no Dupont Circle, but it has restaurants and nightlife, and both said they are ready to move on.

“It was my idea to put a bid on this particular house; I really liked that one,” Fahey said. “You kind of just get a feeling when you get into a place and it has a good vibe to it.”

Nonetheless, they will both miss the thrill of the hunt.

“I actually just find it an interesting hobby at this point,” he said. “I am a little addicted.”

“You get into search mode, and it's kind of hard to stop,” she said.

Ross Bridge Community Yard Sale April 4th!

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:22:47 -0500

Birmingham's hottest selling new home community is having the areas largest Yard Sale event of the Spring! Join us Saturday April 4th from
8am to 5pm on the green in front of the Welcome Center.

This is no ordinary yard sale.

• Thousands of items for sale including antiques, kids clothes, arts & crafts and much, much more — all at bargain prices!
• Fun activities for the kids: Bounce House, Face Painting, Crafts
• Food & beverages throughout the day by The Sweet Stop
• Music

PLUS: Enter to win a Two-Night Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort & Spa getaway!

Wine & Beer Tasting Festival

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:09:33 -0400

Uncorked! on the Green will offer samples of boutique wines, specialty beers, cooking demonstrations, food and beverage vendors and live music, said event organizer Audrey Alverson.

It will be on the green on Grand Avenue, across the street from the Arts & Music festival.

Alverson's company, Classic Events, is organizing the two festivals for Ross Bridge developer Daniel Corp. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.

"With this new event tacking on to Arts & Music on the Green, we're already assured of a good crowd that's already there," Alverson said. "We're right there in the middle of Ross Bridge, which is such a distinctive community. It's just going to be a perfect backdrop for that type event."

The Hoover City Council approved a request last week for permission to sell beer and wine at the event.

Alverson said she did not yet have a list of wines, beers and vendors that will be available, but she hopes to include wines from the Alabama Wine Trail and other Southern wineries and beers from Southern microbreweries.

Samples will be free, but vendors also will have their products for sale, Alverson said.

Chefs from the metro area will hold cooking demonstrations and explain how to pair favorite recipes with wines and beers, she said. The live music is expected to be mostly smooth jazz, she said.
Uncorked! on the Green will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude with a 6 p.m. movie presentation.

Alverson said Brookwood Medical Center will be the title sponsor of Arts & Music on the Green. The sponsorship will help enable the awarding of cash prizes to artists for the first time in the event's history. The prize for "Best in Show" will be $500, Alverson said.
The Hoover Arts Alliance is also a sponsor. Alverson said the festival hopes to have 50-60 artists this year, up from the 35 who participated last year.

Arts & Music on the Green will include children's activities and live music all day.

UNCORKED! ON THE GREEN:
Wine and beer tasting festival WHERE: In the field on Grand Avenue at Ross Bridge WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 25, starting at 10 a.m. and ending with a movie presentation at 6 p.m. MORE: It will be in conjunction with the third annual Arts & Music on the Green, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Town Hall. For more information, call 680-5372 or visit www.uncorkedonthegreen.com

Four Years in a Row for Ross Bridge Award at Prestigious International Builder Show

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:10:52 -0500

For the fourth year in a row, Birmingham, Alabama's hottest selling new home community Ross Bridge is a Silver Award Finalist from The Nationals – the largest and most prestigious award show of its kind.

Signature Homes antique reproduction home designs in the Ross Bridge neighborhood of James Hill were announced on Friday, Novemeber 21st as Silver Awards finalist in category 60 for Best On The Boards Single Family Detached Home and will compete for Gold at the International Builders Show© in January. This marks the third year in a row that Signature Homes has been a finalist for their work in Ross Bridge.

“Naturally, we're excited about the win,” says Dwight Sandlin for Signature Homes. “But what we hold even closer to our hearts is how many people are drawn to our home designs and the community of Ross Bridge,” adds Mr. Sandlin.

What's the builder's secret? Signature Homes' driving principal is to build affordable, well–built homes with fresh architectural styles. The appeal of a Signature Home is obvious the moment you see one. Each carefully crafted home stands out in a sea of vanilla homes for which competitor builders are so well known.

Add to that a variety of open, livable floorplans that appeal to every type of buyer, and all the amenities that Ross Bridge offers, including golf, a spa, shopping, restaurants and so much more; and it's no wonder the community of Ross Bridge and its award–winning builder, Signature Homes, is leading the market in sales.

The Nationals: Where Builders Shine.

From community and home design, to interiors, landscaping, sales, marketing, and other aspects of homebuilding, The Nationals showcases the best of the best homebuilders, developers, associates, and consultants. Gold Awards will emerge from the Silver Award Finalist in each category at the Nationals Gala on January 20th at Ceasars Palace, Las Vegas.

For more information on the award show, please visit thenationals.com.

Ross Bridge: A Classic American Resort Town.

Ross Bridge is Birmingham Alabama's hottest selling new resort home community featuring single–family homes and townhomes for sale by the areas finest homebuilders from the mid $200's to over $1 million.

Featuring the world–class Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa including the stunning 8,191 yard Robert Trent Jones Trail Golf Course, Ross Park, miles of historic trails, pool and clubhouse. The Village Center completes the picture with shopping, restaurants, services and entertainment.

For more information on Ross Bridge, please visit rossbridge.com. The James Hill Model is also open daily for touring

2101 Grand Avenue
Hoover, AL 35226
Phone (205) 443-4663

USS teams with Hoover for huge project

Sun, 18 Apr 2004 13:29:52 -0400

Originally posted at:
http://www.danielrealty.com/news.asp?id=50
Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Michael Tomberlin

The new Ross Bridge Parkway will open up much of the 1,600 acres in the Ross Bridge project for development. Plans include the golf course, hotel, resort and conference center, 1,770 homes, 600 apartments and more than 100 acres of commercial space, including the village center as depicted in the artist's rendering.

Ross bridge development to include homes, shops, resort, golf course

With the help of a $10.5 million road project, developers are ready to build Ross Bridge, a massive 1,600-acre development in Hoover that includes homes, shops, a resort, a conference center and a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Monday to officially kick off construction of Ross Bridge parkway off Alabama 150. Its connection with Shannon-Oxmoor Road will open up much of the USS Real Estate Land for development by Daniel Corporation.

The City of Hoover, Daniel Corporation and USS are paying for the new road, scheduled to be completed in one year. The Retirement Systems of Alabama ("RSA") is investing $55 million to develop the golf course and the Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Conference Center, complete with a 262-room hotel.

Even as the roadwork begins, grass and landscaping at the completed Robert Trent Jones course is going in. The hotel, resort and conference center are under construction and scheduled to open in April 2005.

By that time, a half-dozen neighborhoods with as many as 500 combined homes will be in various phases of development. The project calls for garden homes in the $200,000 range all the way up to estate homes starting at $700,000. Houses along the golf course are expected to start at $600,000 and go as high as homeowner's desire.

Over several years of development, Ross Bridge is slated to have 1,770 homes, making it one of the largest residential construction projects in Jefferson County history.

Also, under way early next year will be the development of an 80-acre village center, which will include shops, restaurants, offices and other commercial space. Residential projects such as apartments, condos and a combination of live-work units with business space on the ground floor and a loft upstairs will border the development. About 600 apartments are set to be part of the development.

Tom Howard, general manager of the Southeast for USS Real Estate said Ross Bridge is such a massive effort, it required the help of Daniel Corporation, the City of Hoover, RSA, Jefferson County and others to pull it off.

David Bronner, RSA's chief executive, said he was attracted to the Ross Bridge project because he had worked with USS before on the nearby Oxmoor Valley Robert Trent Jones courses and with Daniel Corporation on the Somerby retirement communities in Homewood and Huntsville. Adding hotels is something RSA has done around the Trails. RSA operates the Grand Hotel with a resort and conference center and golf course in Baldwin County. Bronner said adding a hotel, resort and conference center will serve to boost tourism and economic development for the area.

Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum agreed that the potential economic impact on her city, particularly as it relates to tourism, is the primary reason for backing the project.

Bronner said being located halfway between the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance and the Honda plant in Lincoln made Hoover the right spot for the Ross Bridge project, particularly when it comes to attracting new industry.

"You want to have classy spots," Bronner said. "If you're trying to make an impression to sell Alabama, you have to have places like this already there that show you're not just waiting for something to happen.

Ross Bridge Plan may define legacy of Mayor

Fri, 30 Jul 2004 13:29:15 -0400

Originally posted at:
http://www.danielrealty.com/news.asp?id=39
Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Eric Valasco

Mayor Barbara McCollum confidently climbed two boulders and stepped into the cab of a track hoe on a sunny morning last week.

She cranked up the heavy earth-digger and pulled levers to lift the dirt-filled shovel high into the air before dumping it on the tree-cleared ground.

It was the official start to construction of a $55 million hotel and conference center in the Ross Bridge community west of Shades Mountain.

"It's so exciting," McCollum said afterward. "I've come out here three or four times just to make sure it's happening. Today is the highlight."

But the first-term mayor's triumphant moment also was symbolic. While some credit her two years of hard work behind the scenes to bring the $1 billion development together, others seethe that she bulldozed it through the approval process.

The planned 1,600-acre Ross Bridge community is Hoover's biggest annexation in more than a decade. And it may be one of the main issues on which McCollum will be judged if she seeks re-election in 2004.

The mayor and her supporters tout the project as providing a method to reduce commuter traffic via a parkway that will be built there. For $12 million, the city will get the $10 million road and a $6 million convention center that meet urgent city needs, proponents say.

Meanwhile, they say, Ross Bridge will provide a projected $46 million in revenue for the city over its first 20 years. It should help Hoover lure tourists. And it will enhance the city's image if the development's golf course draws the televised professional tournaments it is courting, proponents say.

Opponents, however, have been critical of the way McCollum limited debate on what the annexation and development would cost Hoover.

When the original zoning plan listed prices and deadlines for the public improvements, McCollum had them taken out. She pushed the City Council not to discuss them while deciding annexation and zoning.

"It hasn't been thought through," said Councilman Jack Wright. "If it has been, no one has communicated it."

McCollum has seen setbacks since the project became public more than 1½ years ago.

Her push to include a performing arts center for school use failed when the school board said it wasn't interested.

McCollum's proposal to build a road down Shades Mountain to provide emergency service has alienated many residents in Bluff Park, her traditional political power base.

Supporters predict Ross Bridge will be, as McCollum put it, Hoover's "crown jewel." Opponents say it could be her political albatross.
Art of the deal:

During last week's Ross Bridge construction kick-off, McCollum was praised for her leadership and vision by both politicians and developers.

According to all sources, she was instrumental in bringing together USS and the Retirement Systems of Alabama to meld separate projects they had planned.

Soon after the 2000 election, McCollum started talking to USS about annexing land in the valley west of Shades Mountain.

USS wanted to build a mostly residential community, with offices and neighborhood shops.

Seeking to fulfill a campaign promise, she hoped to get an extension of Deer Valley Parkway built there to reduce commuter traffic on Shades Crest Road.

Then she learned RSA wanted to build a new Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course near its 54-hole Oxmoor Valley course. McCollum brought the two parties together.

Now the Daniel Corp. has become USS's partner to build about 1,700 houses, 600 apartments and the commercial aspects of Ross Bridge. RSA plans a 262-room hotel with full-service spa and a 25,000-square-foot conference center to go with its golf course.

"This is all here thanks to Mayor McCollum's leadership," said Charles Tickle, president of Daniel. "It took a leader like the mayor to hold us together."

McCollum has championed public-private partnerships. Tom Howard, general manager of USS Real Estate, said it was crucial for Ross Bridge.

"When you have that kind of partnership, you get things like this," Howard said. "This is a huge investment in this community. And we think it will be one of the best projects we've done around the country."

Lingering on the horizon, however, are vexing questions that opponents say will be political issues during the 2004 election if McCollum runs, as expected.

Opponents keep asking those questions: Did the city need to add a development that could bring in 5,000 more people, force the construction of a new elementary school and recreation fields on land USS is donating? Can it afford the extra police officers and vehicles to serve a community far removed from the city core?

They wonder if the mountain road will be built over some residents' objections, or will Hoover build, equip and staff a new fire station.

"How do you integrate something this huge into Hoover and do it the way Hoover has become accustomed?" Wright said. "You can't be all things to all people and spread yourself too thin."

Key jobs filled at Ross Bridge Resort

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 13:28:35 -0400

Originally posted at:
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2004/10/04/daily20.php
Publication: Birmingham Business Journal

Steve Miller has been named general manager of Ross Bridge Resort and Spa, the 258-room hotel now being built in Hoover. Miller comes from three years as manager of Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa in Arizona.

Other new hires at the facility, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, include Joe Saling, director of sales and marketing, and Laura Harper, sales manager.

The hotel and golf course are on schedule for an opening in May 2005.

Ross Bridge Attracts Two resort Veterans

Fri, 15 Oct 2004 13:27:57 -0400

Originally posted at:
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2004/10/18/story2.php
Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Gilbert Nicholson

Greenbrier in West Virginia. The Cloister at Sea Island. Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies. Ross Bridge in Hoover.

Placing the Retirement Systems of Alabama's new hotel and golf course alongside these illustrious resorts may seem a far reach for a property that hasn't opened. But not if you take a close look at the two men chosen to run the development under construction just outside Birmingham.

Steve Miller, general manager of the 258-room Ross Bridge Resort and Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, comes from the 218-room Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa in Arizona's Red Rock country. Joe Saling, director of sales and marketing, comes by way of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Why would these two men, both 43, leave landmark resorts to come to an untested development in Alabama?

"When you're looking at brand-new construction from the ground up, hiring your own staff, putting in your own practices where there are no habits, creating your own standards - from an emotional standpoint, it's fun to watch the whole thing come together," Miller says.

"This is going to be such a hospitality landmark that I wanted to have some involvement in that and help birth it, if you will, and help create it," Saling says. "In my career, I have not had that opportunity. I've always walked into an environment where the culture was already created and defined."
An insider, an outsider

To be sure, Miller and Saling will have their imprints on Ross Bridge, as they are currently hiring management personnel who will ultimately define its personality and character.

The 20-acre Ross Bridge Resort, snuggled up against Shades Mountain and part of a self-contained community under construction by Daniel Corp., will feature 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space; a 12,000-square-foot, full-service European spa; and the crown jewel: an 18-hole, 8,100-yard Robert Trent Jones public golf course.

Site work began in August 2003, and the $55 million resort is expected to be finished in April 2005. Landscaping is the only major bid still to be let on the resort.

The Retirement Systems of Alabama and the City of Hoover are financing construction of the resort and golf course. Daniel Corp. and USS Realty are funding the rest of the 1,600-acre project, which includes retail, offices, apartments and homes at the foot of Shades Mountain between Alabama Highway 150 and West Oxmoor Road.

Ross Bridge has 1st office builder

Fri, 26 Nov 2004 12:27:23 -0500

Originally posted at:
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2004/11/29/story1.php
Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Gilbert Nicholson

The first sale of land for an office building recently was closed for the huge Ross Bridge community project in the Oxmoor Valley.

And while most of the attention focused on the 1,600-acre development has highlighted the castle-like, 258-room Ross Bridge Resort and Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the residential aspects will start taking shape shortly after New Year's Day.

At that time, the developer, Daniel Corp., is hoping to secure building permits and begin construction for the first 100 garden homes, marking the first residential component of Ross Bridge.

Those homes, ranging from $190,000 to $600,000, should be finished and ready for occupancy in April, says Ross Bridge general manager Jason Tickle of Daniel Corp. Plans are to build 200 houses through the end of next year.

Ross Bridge is a mixed-use project just below Shades Mountain in the city of Hoover. Plans call for 1,778 home sites and 600 multifamily units.

The core of the community will be a village center with residential, retail stores, restaurants and small offices, all within walking distance.

The project, a joint venture of Daniel and USS Real Estate, a division of U.S. Steel Corp., will include an elementary school, parks and recreational areas.

There will be a park within walking distance of the neighborhood. Trails and sidewalks will connect the entire community.
Debut office

The first stage of the project will focus on houses, but the announcement that land for the first office building had been sold means that sector of commercial real estate sees Ross Bridge as a viable site.

Tickle declined to say who is building the office, only that "it is a company that is going to build a several-thousand-square-foot facility."

Meanwhile, the centerpiece of the Ross Bridge community will be finished this spring: a 9,000-square-foot welcome center patterned after a train station at a Southern resort town of yesteryear.

"It will be the signature building of the property," Tickle says, adding that it will be converted to retail space once the need for a welcome center for prospective homebuyers passes.

But it won't be your typical train station. Tickle says Daniel implemented the "Scottish castle-looking" design chosen for the hotel resort by its developer, Retirement Systems of Alabama.

In the 1800s, when they were opening up the American countryside, the Biltmores and Vanderbilts would build nice, resort-type properties on these railroad spurs," Tickle explains.

"The train station was symbolic as a gateway to the resort. It was the first impression you got when you arrived at the resort. We thought it would be fun to go with that theme."
Rooftops or retail?

As for the retail angle in the village center, Tickle says Daniel is facing the same quandary as similar projects around the country: whether to build retail stores first to attract homebuyers, or build homes to attract retailers.

"You run into the chicken-and-egg conflict," he says. "Retailers don't want to go in before there are rooftops. If you promise people the village, and after a year they move in and there is no village, it doesn't make the developer look good."

Daniel's answer is to start with lower-priced homes first.

The 200 homes projected for 2005 "should be adequate for retailers to start feeling comfortable about going in there," Tickle says. "We've had a lot of interest from boutique retailers, but we haven't signed them up."

But that's not to say the door is closed on emerging retail: "If someone came up tomorrow and said, 'I really want to put a coffeehouse in there and want to go right now,' we'd absolutely accommodate them," he says.

"But as far as the village residential (a mixed-use of retail and residential), and the lofts (apartments), we're not going to focus on that until 2006 unless somebody comes to us."

The five-mile Ross Bridge Parkway, the main road through the development, should be partially open in February and entirely open by March, connecting the Shannon-Wenonah Road with Alabama Highway 150, Tickle says.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Grows

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 12:26:48 -0500

Originally posted at:
http://www.800alabama.com/info/news/
Publication: 800alabama.com

Alabama's world-renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail continues its growth into the resort market with several new projects. The Fighting Joe course, first of the two new 18-hole courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals, opens in September. The second course, called the Schoolmaster, should be completed by spring 2005. The golf courses are being built in conjunction with a new RTJ hotel located next to the Florence Conference Center and the Renaissance Tower. The luxury hotel is scheduled to be completed by April 2005.

Construction of Ross Bridge, a new RTJ 18-hole championship golf course, is also underway in Hoover. The new course will be about two miles from the existing RTJ 54-hole course at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham. The stadium-style course is perfect for spectators and it's an open secret that the Trail is hoping to land a major event at Ross Bridge. The Ross Bridge Hotel and Conference Center complex will overlook the new course. This magnificent complex will feature a 262-room hotel and a 25,000-square-foot conference center. Ross Bridge will open in spring of 2005.

Daniel Corporation to build first 100 Ross Bridge

Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:26:07 -0500

Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Linda Parham

Shortly after the beginning of the new year, homes will start going up in Oxmoor Valley between Alabama Highway 150 and the Shannon-Wenonah Road.

The garden homes are to be constructed in the shadow of a $55 million resort that resembles a Scottish castle. Its developers say Ross Bridge Resort and Spa in Hoover is expected to rank as a world-class attraction.

Those houses, which will carry pricetags ranging from $190,000 to $600,000, are the first residences in a mixed-use project that will eventually stretch over 1,600 acres. Some 1,778 homes will be built. Another 600 multifamily apartment units are planned.

Birmingham-based developer Daniel Corp. plans to begin securing building permits and starting construction on the first 100 garden homes in early January.

Those homes should be ready for occupancy in April. Plans call for building another 100 houses through the end of 2005.

These first houses are expected to attract the retailers who eventually will serve both garden home residents and prospective buyers of planned luxury homes.

Daniel Corp. and USS Realty are funding the residential development, which is part of a project that includes retail, offices, apartments and homes at the foot of Shades Mountain. The core of the community will be a village center.

Also slated for spring is completion of the community centerpiece, a welcome center for prospective home buyers that eventually will be converted to retail space. The 9,000-square-foot center is designed to resemble an old-fashioned Southern train station.

Plans also call for a park within walking distance of the neighbrohood. Trails and sidewalks will link the entire community.

The main road stretching through five miles of the development, Ross Bridge Parkway, connects Alabama Highway 150 with the Shannon-Wenonah Road. The road is expected to be open by March.

Late this year came an announcement that the site for the project's first office building, which would total several thousand square feet, had been sold.

Daniel Corp.'s Jason Tickle hailed the sale as a sign of commercial real estate developers' recognition of the viablity of Ross Bridge as an office site.

Retail development will depend on completion of the first 200 homes, Tickle says.

Mixed-use retail and residential and loft apartment construction most likely will wait until 2006, he says.

Montgomery-based Retirement Sys-tems of Alabama and the City of Hoover are financing construction of the resort and golf course.

The castle-like Ross Bridge Resort and Spa on 20 acres will feature 258 rooms, 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space, a 12,000-square-foot, full-service European spa and an 18-hole, 8,100-yard Robert Trent Jones public golf course. Two tennis courts, five miles of hike-or-bike trails, indoor and outdoor pools, a water slide and a signature waterfall dropping 1,100 feet are featured amenities.

Work is expected to finish in April on the resort where site work was launched in August 2003.

Construction manager of the resort project is Birmingham-based Doster Construction Co. Inc. The architect is Montgomery-based Goodwyn Mills & Cawood Inc.

The design of the resort is similar to both the Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies and the Biltmore Inn in Asheville, N.C.

Two veterans of landmark resorts arrived in Birmingham this year to preside over the launch of the Ross Bridge Resort and Spa.

General manager Steve Miller came from the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa in Arizona, and director of sales and marketing Joe Saling has experience with the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., and the Biltmore Estate. Saling earlier worked at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.

Ross Bridge is expanding already

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:25:26 -0500

Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Barr Nobles

With a full four months to go before its soft opening in June and a grand opening in August, the 258-room Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa is in the expansion mode. Resort officials say advance bookings fueled a decision to expand meeting facilities from 20,000 square feet to 27,000 square feet.

"Having the extra room is like an insurance policy," says Joe Saling, sales and marketing director for the facility. "We found that some of the groups that are already booking needed more space, for exhibits by suppliers or vendors. And the wedding market has overwhelmed us."

Saling said the expansion will not delay the opening of the hotel, which is an investment property owned and developed by Retirement Systems of Alabama and managed by Marriott Hotels under its top-of-the-line Renaissance brand. "If we'd planned it, it couldn't have worked out better," Saling says. The additional space will come from converting a "small portion of an exterior parking lot - about 20 spaces - and two outdoor tennis courts."

"The connecting walls were not completed, so the timing worked pretty well," says Bill Lang, the Birmingham-based publicist for PCH Resorts, a division of Retirement Systems. "It is better to go ahead and do it now rather than later." The addition will be completed in September.

A small, outdoor courtyard will serve both of the two big ballrooms, one of which has a little less than 10,000 square feet and the other with 7,000 square feet of space. The larger room can seat 600 diners.

While Saling would not identify the early bookers, he did say that "we're expecting (Ross Bridge) to pay for itself pretty quickly."

One of the events that has been released is the Alabama Bureau of Travel and Tourism's Year of Alabama Food event, booked at Ross Bridge July 15-16. While the hotel has three high-end suites - named Cahaba, Vulcan and Sloss - that go for about $1,500 a night, the tourism weekend package costs $329 for a two-night stay with double occupancy and includes breakfast at the hotel restaurant Brock's.

"Given the quality of the resort and spa - and a PGA-quality golf course - we don't think the costs will seem extravagant. This is the kind of splurge you can do without mortgaging the house," Lang says.

The golf course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, is sited on 300 acres, about double the space of a typical course, and is 8,150 yards long, making it one of the five longest courses in existence. It is "designed for big spectator galleries," Lang says, "large enough to handle a Bruno's-type event."

The course is already drawing national attention. In the current issue of Met Golf, a magazine aimed for the New York-area golf market, there is a two-page spread illustrating the layout of the Ross Bridge course.

Ross Bridge residences already in high demand

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:24:47 -0400

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Dawn Kent

Ross Bridge is quickly becoming Hoover's hottest new address with preconstruction demand that is creating a buzz across the Birmingham area real estate market.

Potential residents of the developing community west of Shades Mountain have reserved about 90 of the 102 lots where Signature Homes plans to build houses.

Signature Homes' lots, for houses in the $300,000 range, are the first to open for reservations, and industry officials are impressed by the demand.

Bill Crawford, executive vice president for the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders, called the reservations response "phenomenal."

The closest he's seen to this type of demand was during development in Hoover's Russet Woods subdivision, when builders drew names out of a hat to secure lots, he said.

"This is hotter than that," Crawford said. "The difference here is this is not builders reserving lots. These are consumers buying them, before they even see a house."

1,600 acre development:
Ross Bridge, a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama, covers 1,600 acres that will feature a luxury hotel and championship golf course, as well as residential areas.

Long-range plans call for nearly 1,800 detached single-family homes, 600 multi-family units and a village retail center. To kick off the community, six neighborhoods with a total of 550 houses should be complete by the end of 2006.

Because of the high level of interest in the Ross Bridge houses, Signature Homes officials decided to contact everyone who had expressed interest and give them all the same opportunity to call and reserve a lot on a specific day, company CEO Dwight Sandlin said.

On that one day, April 6, 76 reservations were made. Sandlin said he has been in the homebuilding industry 20 years and "we've never had anything like that" on houses this size. Since then, the reservations have reached about 90.

A reservation requires a $2,500 refundable deposit. The first person on the reservation list will have the first chance to pick a lot once the lots are ready for sale, Sandlin said.

The lots are almost ready for construction, and Signature Homes will start building about 12 houses of various styles within the next few weeks, he said.

Signature Homes will build in the Greenside and Freestone Ridge neighborhoods. Meanwhile, HPH Properties plans to start taking reservations for its lots in the Abbeyglen neighborhood within three to four weeks, said Margi Ingram, vice president of sales and marketing for Daniel Homes.

Ingram said she expects similar demand for the other neighborhoods that will open in the coming months. Chalybe, Bellevue and Butler Springs are on that list, with options ranging from garden homes to custom single-family homes.

She attributes the high demand to the amenities Ross Bridge will offer, saying residents can build a lifestyle around the golf course and hotel, as well as parks and a planned elementary school.

Moving Memories

Thu, 19 May 2005 13:24:09 -0400

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Mike Perrin

The Bruno's Memorial Classic moves next year across town, leaving 14 years of memories for those most closely connected to the Champions Tour golf tournament that was born and thrived at Greystone Golf & Country Club.

Although negotiations are not yet complete, the event rated by golfers as No.1 on the Champions Tour will be held next year at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. The Ross Bridge course is a public golf course expected to open this summer and is the latest addition to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

"We think it's a great fit to combine the largest professional golf tournament in the state with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which has meant so much to golf in the state," said Gene Hallman, Bruno's tournament executive director. "It's a partnership that makes a lot of sense on many levels.

"We're down to the final details in terms of working out the agreement. We don't anticipate any problems."

Birmingham golfer Hubert Green has seen Ross Bridge and brings a unique perspective to the Bruno's as a former champion and the co-designer of Greystone.

"It's got a great hotel site, beautiful hotel and skyboxes out there," he said. "The holes kind of go out back and forth so it's not a hard walk for the gallery."

He will miss Greystone, of course.

"Greystone has been special for all the tour players because we have such a big gallery out here. Hopefully, we'll have big galleries out there (Ross Bridge). When you come down the road here on 280, everybody's got signs out and it makes it more like an event."

Hale Irwin, who set the Bruno's scoring record when he won in 2001, also praised the success the tour has had at Greystone.

"Greystone has been a wonderful host for us," he said. "It's proven to be an exciting venue. People who have witnessed some sadness for me, but I look forward to the new facility as well."

'Terrific Opportunity' Champions Tour rules official Joe Terry gave the Ross Bridge course high marks.

"I think it's terrific," he said of the course that reaches past 8,000 yards from the tips. "Our challenge will be what tees to play from to make it competitive. There are so many choices.

"The golf course itself offers a terrific opportunity for marketing, for spectators and staging."

Hallman was excited about the resort amenities that Ross Bridge brings. "The ability to have our players stay on site is extremely appealing," he said. "To have our players able to roll out of bed and walk to the first tee....The resort and spa aspects are nice, also.

"We remain in the city of Hoover, which is very important to us because they have been great partners for the first 14 years."

Economic realities forced the move, Hallman said.

"Despite the fact that the membership and the residents have been very supportive, we've simply run out of room. The lots that have been held off the market for 14 years for us to stage the golf tournament must be sold. It's an economic reality. We're not leaving for any other reason that.

"We just happen to be very fortunate that a first-class resort is being built in the same city that is tournament-friendly and receptive to hosting the event."

Bruno's 1994 champion Jim Dent said leaving Greystone is like leaving home.

"I've played here for a number of years and everything is so beautiful. I know we all hate to see it go. I hate to leave; this has been my baby. I love this golf course.

"It's like an old-fashioned golf course. You see everything right in front of you. You don't have any blind shots. You get to learn the golf course and enjoy it. It's just a beautiful place to play."

Tournament-ready

The tournament's new home in the Shannon area of Hoover is ready for golf now, although there is still work to do for the development to catch up to the course.

"The course is playable now, but it's not open simply because the infrastructure surrounding it is not ready," Hallman said. "It's not as if we're out there sodding grass today. The course has been playable for a while now. It will have matured and the grass will have knitted (by next year)."

While it's too early for all the logistics of hosting a tournament to be in place, Hallman said Ross Bridge will offer plenty of room for parking and convenient access for the public.

"There is plenty of land surrounding Ross Bridge. It's a relatively undeveloped area. From that sense, we're moving from a congested area of Hoover to a relatively undeveloped area. We don't have all the logistical details worked out, but we're not concerned about parking. There's plenty of land out there to make that work.

"You're 10 minutes from the Hoover Met," Hallman said. "Highway 150 will be the primary access, but it's less than 15 minutes from the Galleria, which is the heart of Hoover."

Another plus for the move, Hallman said, will be the pub licity the Champions Tour can bring to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which is owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

"The Trail, frankly, could utilize the national exposure of the event moreso than Greystone, a private club," he said. "The event being broadcast or written about in the state of Washington doesn't do anything for Greystone, but it potentially could do something positive for Ross Bridge."

Officials: Trail addition sets state as golf destination

Sun, 22 May 2005 13:23:29 -0400

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Kevin Scarbinsky and Doug Segrest

Put on your hard hat as you enter the lobby. Don't forget your protective goggles. The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Hoover isn't finished, but it had better be by Aug. 15.

A corporate event is booked at the hotel that day.

So hammers hammer away and saws buzz through wood to put the finishing touches on a luxury resort hotel/full-service spa/convention center at the heart of a first-class golf course that's ready for play.

The newest addition to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a work in serious progress. It's also a radical departure.

A year from now, if the final details are settled, the Bruno's Memorial Classic will be played there at the first Trail site planned as a resort destination, on the first trail course designed primarily for tournament golf.

It's also the longest trail course at 8,200 yards from the tips and the largest at 325 acres.

Thirteen years after it opened as the largest golf construction project in history, they're still working on the trail.

But is the trail still working?

The 10-site, 432-hole Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail was conceived by David Bronner, chief executive of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, as more than a collection of upscale public golf courses.

Bronner saw the project as a vehicle to bring tourists, businesses and positive publicity to the state. It also was an investment for the state pension fund, which owns the trail.

Bobby Vaughan has worked with Bronner from the beginning. The former president of SunBelt Golf, which runs the trail, is spearheading the Ross Bridge project. He tried to capture the big picture.

``This isn't just about money," Vaughan said. ``This isn't about every last almighty dollar. Yes, it is the Retirement Systems' money, and yes, it does need to show a profit. But it doesn't have to have the return of every last dollar that was ever invented.

``There's an intangible here. Name something else in the history of this state that's had as much positive benefit. There are other things, but you'd have to put this right there at the top of the list.

``And if that's the case, didn't we do what we were supposed to do?"

Golfing destination:

In the past, golfers would drive through Alabama on their way to such established golf vacation destinations as Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, S.C.

The Robert Trent Jones Trail has given those golfers a reason to stop, stay and play in Alabama.

``It's clearly made Alabama a destination for golf," said Bob Barrett, chief executive of Honours Golf, which manages a number of upscale courses in Alabama and beyond, competing with the trail for business. Barrett worked with Vaughan and Bronner on the trail for the first two years.

``It's amazing, when I travel around the country, how people talk about the trail," Barrett said.

Gene Hallman, executive director of the Bruno's Memorial Classic, was on a flight from Birmingham to Minneapolis in February when he noticed a group of men wearing sunburns and trail golf shirts. They were returning home to Minnesota after playing the trail for a week.

``I hear those stories all the time," Hallman said.

The view is similar from outside Alabama. Golf magazine called the trail "the golfer's equivalent of Disney World."

John Cannon, the current president of SunBelt Golf, said the trail, like many businesses, was affected by the terrorist attacks on New York City. Prior to 9/11, he said, 60 percent of the trail's players came from out of state. By 2004, less than 40 percent came from out of state.

That percentage matters, he said, because the trail charges higher greens fees for out-of-state players and ``we need those guys to pay the bills."

This year, Cannon said, the split is closer to 50-50.

The trail also has seen an increase in the number of rounds played on its courses. From an all-time high of 515,000 in 2000, rounds dropped to 468,000 in 2003. They increased to 484,000 in 2004, and Cannon projected that this year's total will set a trail record with the opening of Ross Bridge and a second course at The Shoals.

The trial continues to expand despite a nationwide saturation of upscale public golf courses. But that won't hurt the trail, Bronner believes.

"There is oversaturation nationally. But there's never been saturation in Alabama," he said.

Barrett suggested that Ross Bridge would take golfers away from the trail's Oxmoor Valley facility. Cannon said, with only one 18-hole course, Ross Bridge won't be able to satisfy the demand, and golfers who stay at the resort may not be able to play there three straight days. They then could travel the couple of miles to Oxmoor Valley.

Professional tournaments have been willing to travel to the trail.

It has hosted the LPGA Tournament of Championships since 1998 and the Nationwide Tour Championship since 1999. With the Bruno's Memorial Classic on the Champions Tour all but certain to move to Ross Bridge next year, the only major professional tour in this country that will not have visited the trail is the PGA Tour.

Playing host to tournaments shown on national TV works as a marketing tool for the trail. "Golfers love to be able to play a place they've seen on television," Cannon said. "It turns into sales."

Economic impact:

The true measure of the trail's impact on Alabama isn't tournaments or rounds played, said Steve Sewell of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Instead, the true measure is perception.

``It has changed Alabama's image worldwide," Sewell said. When a group of economic development officials in Alabama was asked recently to rank the most important Alabama development projects in the 1990s, they put the trail in the top four - along with the Mercedes, Honda and Boeing plants."

Ross Bridge, added Sewell, takes the trail up another notch. ``It provides a true destination where we can host (business) prospects," Sewell. ``This place will be a showcase, perhaps the first five-star (hotel) in the state."

A 2002 Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel study, conducted by the Center for Business Development at Auburn University Montgomery, found that the trail has helped non-traditional destinations.

In Autauga County, where the Capitol Hill site is located, 94 percent of visitors made the trip primarily to play golf, spending 1.9 nights in hotels. In Butler County, where the Cambrian Ridge site is located, 100 percent of visitors made the trip primarily to play golf, spending 2.5 nights in hotels.

Since Cambrian Ridge opened, three new restaurants and two hotels have opened near interstate exits in Greenville.

Bates House of Turkey in Greenville has been a popular stop for beach-goers since it opened in 1970. Manager Rebecca Sloane said peak golf seasons bring more customers. "And the way they're dressed, you know they're not driving to the beach."

Another trend, Sloane has noticed, is the influx of Asian customers. ``Before the golf course here, we rarely ever had Asian customers," she said.

Bronner and others believe the trail has boosted economic development in the state in forms beside tourism. It has helped to attract the attention of major corporations looking for sites, he said.

Bronner remembers when Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-Koo flew to Montgomery for the groundbreaking of the South Korean automaker's $1.1 billion plant. The two chatted about golf, which led to a tee time on the Capitol Hill facility's most demanding course, The Judge.

"Mung knew The Judge better than I did because The Judge was on Microsoft's computer golf game last year," Bronner said.
He added, "Companies aren't coming to Alabama to save (us). They want to make a profit. And they want a good quality of life."

Turning a profit:

While Bronner and others say the trail's benefits extend far beyond making some profit for the RSA, the trail does that too.

The RSA reported $2.5 million profit on the trail in fiscal year 2004 ending Sept. 30.

The RSA's holdings are widely varied, including the toney 55 Water Street building in Manhattan, RSA buildings in Montgomery, and investments in a newspaper chain and 64 television stations.

By comparison, the investment in the trail "is nothing more than a blip," Bronner said.

"In one day or two days, I can make more or lose more (in the stock market) than I have invested in the whole trail."

According to Bronner, all nine of the trail sites that are open make a profit or at least break even. The two most profitable venues are Birmingham's Oxmoor Valley and Prattville's Capitol Hill because of central locations and access to other tourist attractions, Bronner said.

The trail's greatest value, financially, may be on paper. According to RSA documents, the appraised property value of the trail stood at $136 million in 2004, an increase of 71 percent since 1997.

The unprecedented Ross Bridge development will add to that.

"We've done some crazy things but we've done some great things," said Cannon, the SunBelt president. "You don't have to be a golfer to totally appreciate what this (trail) has meant to the state."

Ross Bridge - Renaissance in building can be seen

Sun, 29 May 2005 13:22:35 -0400

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Sherry Womble

The plush resort towns that flourished around the turn of the last century were the inspiration for Ross Bridge, a mixed-use development now taking shape in Oxmoor Valley.

At the heart of the development is a 263-room luxury hotel, the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. When completed, Ross Bridge - which takes its name from a Civil War-era stone bridge on the property - will also boast a Robert Trent Jones golf course, shops and 1,800 homes.

"There has already been phenomenal interest in the homes," said Margi Ingram of Ingram and Associates, the company handling residential sales at Ross Bridge.

"We're planning to open up six communities in different price ranges," said Ingram.

"There will be both garden and single-family homes. Prices will range from the low $200,000s to the $700,000s.

"These traditional-style homes will be part of a unique town, offering a different way of living," Ingram continued. "The golf course, resort, parks, walking trails and other amenities will all be right there."

Neighborhoods include two communities of custom, single-family homes - Butler Springs and Bellevue - and four garden-home communities called Abbeyglen, Chalybe, Freestone Ridge and Greenside.

Construction in Butler Springs is being handled by what Ingram described as "a select guild of custom builders."

Vintage Homes is the builder for Bellevue. The builder for Abbeyglen and Chalybe is HPH Properties. Signature Homes is doing the construction in Greenside and Freestone Ridge.

Homes will range from 1,600 to around 3,000 square feet.

Ingram described the homes' amenities as "ranging from very basic to very luxurious."

"Buyers can have almost anything they want in these homes," she said.

Typical features in the garden homes include kitchen islands, high ceilings and arched doorways. Upgrade choices are numerous and include plasma TVs.

"HPH Properties allows buyers to have almost any upgrade and amenity," said Ingram. "Signature Homes also has a large amenity package."

In addition to a host of custom features, Bellevue homes will have a stunning view of the valley and the resort. And buyers in Butler Springs can opt for a lot overlooking the golf course.

House plans must be approved by an architectural review committee, ensuring that all homes are compatible with the overall design of Ross Bridge.

Plans are also in the works for a new school, Ross Bridge Elementary, to be built in the neighborhood. Children living in Ross Bridge are zoned to attend the Hoover schools.

For more information on homes at Ross Bridge, call sales manager Dorothy Tayloe at the information center, 443-4663.

Ross Bridge Parkway to give Hoover drivers relief

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 13:21:54 -0400

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Dawn Kent

A new road in western Hoover will open later this month, providing easier access to the developing Ross Bridge community and an additional route for commuters to downtown Birmingham.

Ross Bridge Parkway, a $10 million project that runs 3.7 miles, will serve the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, as well as residential neighborhoods planned for the area.

At the same time, the parkway will relieve a traffic burden on surrounding arteries in western Hoover, particularly Shades Crest Road, City Engineer Rodney Long said.

It will connect Deer Valley Parkway and Shannon Road, funneling cars from Alabama 150 to West Oxmoor Road and Lakeshore Parkway.

Since the parkway is opening in the summer, Long and his staff does not expect major traffic changes until motorists return to their regular routines when the new school year begins.

"People modify their patterns over time, and it may be three months before we see a difference," he said.

Growth planned:

Ross Bridge, a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama, covers 1,600 acres west of Shades Mountain.

The luxury hotel and championship golf course are scheduled to open this summer, and long-range plans call for nearly 1,800 detached single-family homes, 600 multi-family units and a village retail center.

Potential homebuyers have been traveling to the community to look around, and officials say the new parkway will make those trips easier.

"Right now, it's not the easiest place to find," said Ross Bridge General Manager Jeff Boyd of Daniel Corp. "To have the direct connection with the 150 corridor of Hoover is going to be very exciting."

Long said the need for a road to the community matched another need city engineering staff previously had identified in a long-range transit plan: a road that runs parallel to Shades Crest Road.

Commuters now use Shades Crest Road as a corridor to the Alford Avenue interchange on Interstate 65, or as a route to West Oxmoor Road and Lakeshore Parkway, which also lead to the interstate.

Traffic has built up steadily over the years to more than 8,000 cars per day now, raising the ire of residents who live along Shades Crest Road.

Ross Bridge Parkway should divert part of that traffic, especially motorists who live in subdivisions in extreme western Hoover, such as Lake Cyrus, Long said.

Those motorists would simply make a left turn off Alabama 150 onto Deer Valley Parkway, which would lead them to the new route.

However, motorists who live in subdivisions off South Shades Crest Road may prefer to continue traveling Shades Crest Road, because getting to the new parkway would require a left turn onto Alabama 150.

Long said the city may consider improvements at the intersection of South Shades Crest Road and Alabama 150 to facilitate easier left-hand turns.

Long-term financing:

The Hoover City Council approved the contract for building Ross Bridge Parkway in spring 2004, committing about $6 million. Ross Bridge developers are paying about $4 million.

Jefferson County plans to reimburse the city $5 million over a 10-year period, and the city will then reimburse the developers for the construction of the road, City Finance Director Robert Yeager said.

RaCon Inc. of Tuscaloosa is the contractor and is now cleaning up the site as the road nears completion.

Ross Bridge Parkway is predominantly a two-lane corridor that flares into four lanes through the Ross Bridge village center. The parkway also has four lanes at its connection point with Deer Valley Parkway.

It includes a bridge over Shades Creek and one over railroad tracks. The bridges are equipped with a pedestrian walkway that will feed into a walking trail and park that are in the area's future plans, Long said.

ExpoDisplays designs interior of Ross Bridge

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 13:21:12 -0400

Publication: Birmingham Business Journal

ExpoDisplays, a Birmingham-based company specializing in designing and building tradeshow displays and custom exhibits, is working with the Daniel Corp. on the design of the welcome center at Ross Bridge in Hoover.

Ross Bridge is a new resort and residential development that replicates the look and feel of American resort towns that emerged near the railroads around the turn of the 20th century. The area will feature the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, and a town center is also being built to complete the resort town atmosphere.

Located in the heart of Ross Bridge is The Train Station, the town's custom-designed welcome center. ExpoDisplays designed the interior features of the building to create the feel of a classic train depot.

Jeff Boyd, general manager at Ross Bridge, said design of the displays for the center "perfectly captures the spirit of the classic resort town that we are trying to convey to future residents of Ross Bridge."

Top 10 Things You Must See

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 13:20:32 -0400

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Kathy Seale

Catch your first glimpse of Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, and you might be tempted to say, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Alabama anymore."

But you're not in Scotland, which is where, just for a moment, you think you might be when you see what appears to be a Celtic castle rising from the edge of an emerald golf course set amidst rolling, wooded hills.

Ross Bridge, like the other resorts along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, was built to complement the world-class golf course, says Bill Lang, the resort's director of public relations.
"The golf was great, but the hotels weren't," Lang says.

The $75 million resort and golf course are investments of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, and the resort is one of 130 Renaissance properties worldwide in the Marriott family of hotels and resorts.
"

To be a Renaissance, the design has to be unique to an area," Lang says. In other words, a cookie-cutter, you-could-be-in-any-city-anywhere look is a no-no, so they incorporated Birmingham-area materials, such as iron, and depictions of landmarks, such as Vulcan.

The resort opens Monday, so if you're hankering for a hot-stone massage, a swanky dinner sans kids or a night away from your home sweet (but perhaps occasionally frantic) home, check out the must-sees we saw at the Hoover resort, billed as the first destination resort in the Birmingham area:
1. The view - There's much talk among Ross Bridge personnel about their "back yard," an 8,200-yard golf course.

"It just so happens that our back yard is the third-longest golf course in the world," says Bill Lang, the resort's director of public relations.

One of the best views of the back yard is from a turreted balcony on a sixth-floor suite, where Joe Saling, the director of sales and marketing, says he hears the most oohs and aahs from out-of-state visitors.
"Most people walk out and say, `This is Birmingham?'" he says.

2. Brock's - You'll feel oh-so-Hollywood if you snag one of the high-backed, blue banquettes in the resort's main restaurant.

Executive Chef Robert Kamm, who trained in Switzerland, oversees the restaurant where the dinner menu is Mediterranean-inspired and features as much local food as possible.
"More than half will be Alabama product in the summer," Kamm says.

A sneak peek at the menu reveals entrees such as grilled pork tenderloin ($16.95), rosemary stuffed quail ($18.95) and dry aged New York strip ($28.95). Brock's is open daily for breakfast (6:30-11 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.-6 p.m.) and dinner (6-11 p.m.).

3. The "couples room" at the spa - Two sheepskin-covered massage tables sit side-by-side, where you'll also find a jetted tub for a post-massage soak. A couples massage, called Beaus and Belles, costs $175 for 60 minutes, or $255 for 90 minutes.

A sampling of other services includes the Reflexology Massage ($55, 30 minutes), Alabama Mineral Scrub ($105, 60 minutes), Head in the Clouds scalp treatment ($40, 30 minutes) and Glamour Girl make-up application ($50, 30 minutes). The spa is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, and the salon is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

4. Suites - At $375 to $1,500 a night, not everyone will see the interior of a suite, including the top-of-the-line Cahaba Suite, which has a wooden cathedral ceiling, a full kitchen, dining room and a double-sided fireplace that separates two seating areas. The master bathroom features a commode and bidet, double shower (with rainfall shower heads, natch), and a Japanese soaking bathtub.
"Here's the coolest part," Lang says, as he turns on a faucet that sends a stream of water from the ceiling into the tub.

5. Signs of the Magic City - You'll see touches of Birmingham, such as limestone floors, iron sculptures and prints of Vulcan, throughout the resort property. The bar J.T.'s is named after Civil War era landowner J.T. Ross, and there's a story behind the restaurant's name, too.
"The land around the golf course was named Brock's Gap, so we named the restaurant Brock's," Lang says.

Meeting rooms, spa treatment rooms and suites also feature Birmingham-area names such as Bessemer, Homewood and Mountain Brook.
"We don't let people forget where they are," says Ross Bridge general manager Steve Miller.

6. Wine cellar - Don't expect to choose your dinner wine while sitting at your table.

"Instead of getting a wine list, you'll be asked to come inside the wine cellar for a tasting," Miller says.

The circular 860-bottle wine cellar is decorated with soft shades of gold and green, and lit with a striking brushed stainless-steel and glass-raindrop chandelier. The wine list includes top-of-the line champagnes such as Dom Perignon and an extensive array of California wines such as Ridge Zinfandel.

7. Waterfall at the outdoor pool - The waterfall, which is a smaller version of the one on the golf course, begins at a stacked-stone mill with a cedar-shake roof and a 6-foot iron wheel. From the mill, water cascades 100 feet down a series of boulder landings and ends at a curved, stacked-stone bridge beside the pool.

8. Terrace - You'll find street lamps, fire pits and umbrella-topped tables on the 12,000-square feet-terrace overlooking the outdoor pool. Bagpipers will play daily at sunset.

9. Gazebo - A winding staircase inside a two-story, stacked-stone gazebo takes you from the terrace to the pool area. The gazebo is topped with wood, glass and a copper spire.

10. Lobby library - After 18 holes, a dip in the indoor pool and dinner at Brock's, you might want to grab a book from the wooden shelves surrounding the plush furniture and enormous fireplace in the library and settle in for the evening.

An 18-foot, copper-relief overmantle tops the fireplace, which is inset with tiny, iridescent mosaic tiles. A brick-red sofa, a pair of yellow-gold side chairs and four terra-cotta leather chairs provide seating.

And even though you're not in Scotland, you might feel like you're living the Highland life.

E-mail: kseale@bhamnews.com

Charity Boosting Event Moving to Ross Bridge

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:19:53 -0500

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Michael Tomberlin

Regions Bank will announce today it will be the new title sponsor of the former Bruno's Memorial Classic as the Champions Tour golf tournament moves from Greystone to the Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

Sources close to the event Monday confirmed the involvement of Regions Financial Corp., parent company of Regions Bank, in the tourney at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course that opened at the resort Sept. 1. .

A Regions spokeswoman said she had no comment when asked about the company's role in the event. Tournament officials also would not confirm the title sponsor change. .

The sponsorship and venue changes are significant for what has been one of the most successful and popular events on the Champions Tour of the Professional Golf Association. For 14 years, the tournament was sponsored by the Bruno's grocery chain, which was once based in Birmingham. .

The tournament was held at Greystone Golf & Country Club each year. It has raised $8.3 million for charities in the state over the years. .

The Bruno family founded the tournament. However, on Dec. 11, 1991, three weeks after announcing the tournament, Angelo Bruno, his brother Lee Bruno, five other company executives and two pilots were killed in a crash of a company plane near Rome, Ga. .

The Bruno's Classic then added "Memorial" to its name. It maintained the name and Bruno's lead sponsorship through several ownership changes of the company. Recently, Bruno's was acquired by Mauldin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo LLC. .

The new owners continue to operate Bruno's, Food World and Food Fair stores but the company is no longer based in Birmingham. The company's future role in the tournament is unclear. .

Ronnie Bruno, the last of the family to manage the supermarket chain, is now head of the Bruno Event Team, which runs the tournament. .
Gain for Ross Bridge:

Hosting the tournament will be a big boost for the new golf course as well as for the Ross Bridge Resort & Spa. Retirement Systems of Alabama owns the course and the conference center through its subsidiaries. .

RSA head David Bronner on Monday said the Ross Bridge development was created for such events as the Champions tournament. .
"

I think it will be a spectacular setting," he said. "I don't know of a better course that exists in the country for a tournament because it was designed so the viewing public can see so much. It's extremely viewer-friendly." .

Bronner said he expects the entire area to get an economic boost from the tournament being in the Ross Bridge area, not the least of which is RSA's Robert Trent Jones Oxmoor Valley, a group of three golf courses about two miles away. .

"It's going to bring in thousands of people who not only like to watch golf but like to play golf," Bronner said. "It generates excitement and that's what you're looking for." .

Bronner said because Ross Bridge is still a young development, it will give a different feel from Greystone, where most of the residential lots along the golf courses already have houses in place. .
"You have all of the components of new growth," he said.

A media advisory issued Monday for today's news conference at Ross Bridge does not refer to the tournament as the "Bruno's Memorial Classic," but calls it "the 2005 Birmingham-Hoover Champions Tour event." .

Scheduled to be on hand for the announcement today are Champions tour pros and Alabama natives Hubert Green and Jerry Pate, Champions Tour President Rick George and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos. .
Ross Bridge is in the city limits of Hoover, as is Greystone.

Charity Boosting Event Moving to Ross Bridge

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:19:07 -0500

Developers Cross Ross Bridge Goals Faster Than Expected

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:18:33 -0500

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Dawn Kent

Tempie Brunson knows a hot real estate market when she sees it.

She recently sold her home of 29 years in Homewood's Hollywood neighborhood, less than a day after she put it on the market. Then she bought in Hoover's new Ross Bridge community, where brisk demand for home sites has accelerated the development plan.

Brunson made the move because she knew she could make a profit on her Hollywood house, and she likes what Ross Bridge has to offer. Her new house is about the same size as her old one, and she doesn't have to worry about upkeep on an aging structure.

Empty-nesters like Brunson are among the people now living in the developing neighborhoods of Ross Bridge, a 1,600-acre area west of Shades Mountain that is a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

Other new homeowners include families and a lot of young professionals who are single or newly married, said Ross Bridge General Manager Jeff Boyd.

He expects 50 closings by the end of this month, as well as an additional 250 closings during 2006, which means there could be 300 occupied homes in Ross Bridge in one year.

Those numbers are higher than officials had expected, leading them to speed up their business plan by a year or two, he said.
"

The home sales is really the engine that's driving the machine," Boyd said. "In an effort to keep that momentum going, we're having to accelerate our plan somewhat."

Meanwhile, city and school officials in Hoover are closely watching the numbers, too. More people living in Ross Bridge means more responsibility in the area of services, including police, fire and schools. Ross Bridge now has six neighborhoods under development, ranging from garden homes with an average price of $250,000 to custom homes that top $1 million.

The six neighborhoods have a combined total of 500 lots, and 300 of those are fully developed and have been sold to builders, Boyd said.

In addition, work has begun in areas that were not slated for development until later.

Land in the Village Center area is being cleared for 200 home sites, as well as retail stores and offices. Officials also are finalizing plans to begin land development for two additional neighborhoods that will have a combined total of nearly 200 homes.
June start:

Ross Bridge's home construction began in June, and sales got a boost with the opening of the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa a few months later, Boyd said.

The castle-like structure and its amenities generated a lot of buzz around the Birmingham area, and that translated into an instant recognition factor for the nearby homes.

"It kind of gives you that iconic building, and everybody knows where you're at," Boyd said.

Other reasons people are drawn to Ross Bridge, Boyd said, include its proximity to the hotel's golf course, which is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Another trail site, Oxmoor Valley, is nearby.

Also playing into the demand is a development style that features sidewalks, walking trails and parks, as well as the quality reputation of Hoover schools, he said.

The Ross Bridge developers are donating land for an elementary school in the community, and Superintendent Connie Williams said the construction timetable will depend on the number of students moving into the area.

For now, students living in Ross Bridge are zoned for Deer Valley Elementary, Simmons Middle and Hoover High.

Williams said there is space for extra students at Deer Valley and Simmons.

At Hoover High, work is about to begin on a separate freshman campus that will give the high school more breathing room. The completion date is scheduled for summer of 2007, and Williams said there should not be too many high school students living in Ross Bridge before then.

Along with student numbers in Ross Bridge, enrollment at Deer Valley will be an important factor in the decision to begin building the new elementary school, Williams said.

"That will be the one that we'll watch and will trigger the construction of the elementary school at Ross Bridge," she said.
Police, fire protection:

From the city's standpoint, Ross Bridge will create a need for more police and fire personnel.

Mayor Tony Petelos said the new city budget provides additional positions in both departments, including enough police officers to create a beat for the Ross Bridge community.

The city also has ordered a firetruck to serve the area, and it will be parked at Station 6 near Deer Valley after it arrives. The developers are donating land for a fire station in Ross Bridge, but Petelos said the city is not ready to begin building it.

Long-range plans for Ross Bridge call for nearly 1,800 detached single-family homes and 600 multi-family units.

In addition to home construction, talks are under way to bring several small-scale retailers to the Village Center, Boyd said. Officials would like to see a coffee shop, bank, florist and small restaurants.

Signature Homes also is preparing to break ground on a new corporate headquarters in Ross Bridge. The company, which is building homes in the community, is relocating from Pelham.

Boyd said he expects five of the six inaugural Ross Bridge neighborhoods to be sold out by the end of next year, adding more neighbors for Brunson, the empty-nester from Homewood.

She said she likes the community's location, between Alabama 150 and Lakeshore Drive. She's also looking forward to the amenities planned for the various Ross Bridge neighborhoods.

"This is supposed to be a great area," she said. "The camaraderie is going to be great."

E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com

City Gets Property for Park & Fire Station in Ross

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:17:46 -0500

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Dawn

The City of Hoover has received the deeds to 37 acres of undeveloped property in the new Ross Bridge community that will be designated for parks and a fire station.

The Hoover City Council accepted the deeds during its meeting last week, a move that fulfills the requirements of the Ross Bridge annexation agreement, officials said. The land lies west of Ross Bridge Parkway and south of the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa and six developing neighborhoods that have a total of 500 lots. A landscape architect's rendering of the property shows an environmental education amphitheater, playground and picnic pavilions, as well as a pedestrian tunnel under Ross Bridge Parkway.

The fire station and a 36-space parking lot sit in the center of the property. Mayor Tony Petelos said he likes the ideas, but the rendering is only a conceptual design of what could be done with the property. The city has not made any plans or set a timetable for the park development, he said. Officials also are not ready to proceed with building a fire station at this point, he said.

Ross Bridge, which covers 1,600 acres west of Shades Mountain, is a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The deeds for the Ross Bridge property became an issue during the summer when council members balked at paying a $6 million bill related to the development.
Councilman Jack Wright said he wanted the city to have deeds in hand for a list of land parcels due the city and its Board of Education, as set aside in the joint development agreement between the city and Ross Bridge developers.

The city later paid the bill after a review of the agreement showed the city was bound to pay the money, which was a grant the city agreed to make as a contribution to the construction of a conference center
.

The developers also are working with school officials regarding property in Ross Bridge. The developers are donating land for an elementary school in the community, and they have agreed to sell the board land for a high school there if the school board decides it wants to put its third high school in Ross Bridge.
E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com

Marker Points Out History of Ross Bridge and Creek

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:17:11 -0500

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Liz Ellaby

Before Daniel Corporation's unveiling of the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge resort and residential community, few people knew about the namesake creek or Confederate-era railroad bridge at the base of Shades Mountain.

The Hoover Historical Society installed a marker Feb. 13 at the site, which is just off Ross Parkway, formerly Deer Valley Parkway.

The marker briefly notes that James Taylor Ross settled there in 1858 and provided land for a rail line that spanned the creek. Details provided by a society-published history describe the bridge as a survivor of a Union Army mission to destroy Southern munitions supply lines - including mines, furnaces, factories and railroad bridges - led by Gen. James H. Wilson in 1865. "Wilson's Raiders," as they were called, destroyed two Oxmoor Valley blast furnaces but didn't disturb the unfinished railbed used to move wagonloads of pig iron from the furnaces through Brock's Gap and eventually to the Confederate Arsenal in Selma.

The North & South Railroad line was completed after the war and eventually sold to the L&N, according to "A History of Hoover, Alabama and Its People," a 1991 local history by Marilyn Davis Barefield. The culvert, built with slave labor and funded by the Confederacy remains intact.

Barefield's book says the culvert is made of the same locally-quarried sandstone used in the furnaces and in Birmingham's first jail and courthouse. The blocks in the arch are held in place with a keystone instead of mortar, perhaps explaining its longevity.

The Ross property was purchased in 1907 by the Tennessee Coal Corp. (TCI, later U.S. Steel Corp.) whose real estate division is a partner in the current Ross Bridge development with Daniel Corp. and the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

Historical appeal:

Residential Sales Manager Dorothy Tayloe said the little-known Confederate history adds appeal to the growing Ross Bridge community.

"We love to tell people there is a history to this place," she said. "We point this out to lifelong residents of Shades Valley and they're absolutely stunned. They didn't have any idea," she said.

When fully developed over the next decade, the residential community, anchored by the luxury Marriott resort hotel and Robert Trent Jones Trail golf course, will have 1,800 houses, Tayloe said. Currently, 118 houses are under construction in five neighborhoods, with 174 additional sites under contract. A sixth neighborhood with 200 sites will be ready to build in April, she said.

The scarcely noticeable culvert is to the west of the parkway entering the Ross Bridge development. Tayloe said the Civil War-era structure was just one of name sources developers considered.

Ross Bridge is the 10th historic marker installed by the Hoover Historical Society, said Vadie Honea, the society's research director. The 11th marker will be placed at the Hoover First United Methodist Church on Patton Chapel Road. The church has already taken delivery of the marker, but is waiting to see how a proposed road project would affect its placement, she said.

E-mail: eellaby@bhamnews.com

Winner Overall- Ross Bridge Resort

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:16:30 -0500

Publication: Birmingham Business journal
Author: BBJ

Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

Both the resort and golf course have been featured in national publications like the Robb Report and New York Magazine, drawing tourists who otherwise might not have visited our state. Events are flocking to Ross Bridge, such as the annual Champions Tour event known as the Regions Charity Classic, formerly the Bruno's Memorial Classic, which brings the world's best golfers to Alabama. And industries contributing to a growing central Alabama economy are grateful, says Bronner, to be able to send their visitors to a hotel resort that rivals those in Tokyo or New York. Bronner says before Ross Bridge, the only hotel-resort that came close to high-class luxury in Alabama was the Grand Hotel across the bay from Mobile, currently undergoing an RSA makeover. "There was sort of a vacuum there," he says. "People thought nobody would ever pay world-class hotel rates here, when in fact now, because of the Barber (Motorsports) track, Mercedes, Honda and the world-class people that UAB brings, they will. It's almost turned into a no-brainer." Another economic boon directly linked to Ross Bridge is the quickly growing community taking shape on more than 1,000 acres leading to the course and resort that will consist of a town center, homes and offices. They are being co-developed by Daniel Corp. and USS Real Estate. Besides bringing recognition to Alabama, Ross Bridge has also put Hoover on the map, says the city's director of development Virginia Williams. She says RSA's, USS Real Estate's and Daniel's grand plans for the property led the city to annex it. "It gives us a new, more sophisticated identity that we haven't had in this community before," Williams says. That new identity promises to be enhanced even further thanks to the new Ross Bridge Institute, a group of individuals focused on bringing cultural and community events such as the Pompeii exhibit, to Ross Bridge, and therefore draw more visitors. Williams credits the Jefferson County Commission with providing much of the infrastructure that paved the way for the resort. Lee Sentel, director of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel in Montgomery, calls Ross Bridge the "crown jewel" of Southern resorts and the "icing on the cake for the golf trail that Dr. Bronner started 12 years ago." The Robb Report, he says, calls the course one that will challenge any golfer, even a Tiger Woods, to play their very best game. Greatest challenge: Bronner is justifiably proud of Ross Bridge, and says getting its look precisely right was a huge challenge. He rejected about five designs before approving the castle-like one ultimately used. With a stone exterior and interiors boasting soaring ceilings and finishes such as limestone floors, cherry wood and hammered copper, it draws inspiration from the stately resorts of the Canadian Rockies, such as The Fairmont Banff Springs. Developer: Retirement Systems of Alabama Location: Hoover's Oxmoor Valley, accessible from Lakeshore Parkway and Alabama Highway 150; easy access to The Riverchase Galleria and Birmingham International Airport Size: Covering 330 acres on the rolling, wooded hills of Oxmoor, Ross Bridge boasts a 259-room hotel, 10,000-square-foot ballroom and additional meeting space, 12,000-square-foot spa, and golf course spanning 8,200 yards. The resort building encompasses 333,000 square feet. Project value: $75 million New jobs created: 65 at golf course, 350 at the hotel. Demand for business, according to Ross Bridge, upped the initial forecast of 250 hotel employees by 100. General contractor: Doster Construction Co. Inc. Architect: Goodwyn Mills & Cawood Inc. Date ground broken: July 2003 Completion date: August 2005

Economic impact on surrounding community: RSA chief executive David Bronner gets a thrill every time he learns about someone being blown away by their Ross Bridge experience. People simply don't expect such world-class luxury in Alabama, he says. The new Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, which opened in August, is a big step toward changing the state's image.

Both the resort and golf course have been featured in national publications like the Robb Report and New York Magazine, drawing tourists who otherwise might not have visited our state. Events are flocking to Ross Bridge, such as the annual Champions Tour event known as the Regions Charity Classic, formerly the Bruno's Memorial Classic, which brings the world's best golfers to Alabama. And industries contributing to a growing central Alabama economy are grateful, says Bronner, to be able to send their visitors to a hotel resort that rivals those in Tokyo or New York.

Bronner says before Ross Bridge, the only hotel-resort that came close to high-class luxury in Alabama was the Grand Hotel across the bay from Mobile, currently undergoing an RSA makeover. "There was sort of a vacuum there," he says. "People thought nobody would ever pay world-class hotel rates here, when in fact now, because of the Barber (Motorsports) track, Mercedes, Honda and the world-class people that UAB brings, they will. It's almost turned into a no-brainer."

Another economic boon directly linked to Ross Bridge is the quickly growing community taking shape on more than 1,000 acres leading to the course and resort that will consist of a town center, homes and offices. They are being co-developed by Daniel Corp. and USS Real Estate.

Besides bringing recognition to Alabama, Ross Bridge has also put Hoover on the map, says the city's director of development Virginia Williams. She says RSA's, USS Real Estate's and Daniel's grand plans for the property led the city to annex it. "It gives us a new, more sophisticated identity that we haven't had in this community before," Williams says.

That new identity promises to be enhanced even further thanks to the new Ross Bridge Institute, a group of individuals focused on bringing cultural and community events such as the Pompeii exhibit, to Ross Bridge, and therefore draw more visitors.

Williams credits the Jefferson County Commission with providing much of the infrastructure that paved the way for the resort.

Lee Sentel, director of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel in Montgomery, calls Ross Bridge the "crown jewel" of Southern resorts and the "icing on the cake for the golf trail that Dr. Bronner started 12 years ago."

The Robb Report, he says, calls the course one that will challenge any golfer, even a Tiger Woods, to play their very best game.

Greatest challenge: Bronner is justifiably proud of Ross Bridge, and says getting its look precisely right was a huge challenge. He rejected about five designs before approving the castle-like one ultimately used.

With a stone exterior and interiors boasting soaring ceilings and finishes such as limestone floors, cherry wood and hammered copper, it draws inspiration from the stately resorts of the Canadian Rockies, such as The Fairmont Banff Springs.

Ross Bridge Earn AAA's 4 Diamonds

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:15:50 -0500

Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Tiffany Ray

The American Automobile Association has added a little shine to Alabama's developing profile as a travel destination with news that the state's newest luxury hotel, the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, has received the association's coveted four-diamond rating. It is only the third hotel in Alabama to earn the distinction.

On the heels of that news, AAA officials in Alabama say three Birmingham restaurants also have received the four-diamond rating: Ocean, Cafe DuPont and Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar & Grill.

Previously, Stitt's Bottega restaurant was the only Alabama eatery with a four-diamond rating, which it received last year.

"I think it says a lot, not just for Birmingham but for the entire state of Alabama," says Clay Ingram, a spokesman for AAA in Alabama.

"The process to be approved for a four-diamond facility, it's a very stringent process. It's done at the national level, and it's a very difficult level of achievement."

The state's latest four-diamond additions will be included in the AAA's 2007 tour book for Alabama, which will be published late this year, and listed on the association's Web site.

In its 2006 publications, AAA listed 1,086 four-diamond hotels and 739 four-diamond restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas.

Ratings, which run from one to five diamonds, are published annually. Five-diamond properties are exceedingly rare; the AAA lists only 150 - 88 hotels and 62 restaurants - throughout its coverage area.

Ingram notes AAA's Alabama office is not involved in the rating process. To maintain consistent standards, all evaluations are done on a national level; to ensure objectivity, the AAA does not charge a fee for rating properties.

Ross Bridge, which opened for business in August 2005, is the newest addition to the Retirement Systems of Alabama's network of luxury hotels and golf courses, an investment that is helping to fuel business and leisure travel within the state.

Of the two other four-diamond hotel properties in Alabama, one, the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear, also is an RSA property. The Wynfrey Hotel at Riverchase Galleria also has a four-diamond rating.

Bill Lang, a spokesman for PCH Hotels & Resorts Inc., which manages the RSA's hotel properties, says the Ross Bridge rating demonstrates "that we really are building quality products."

It's also a marketing boon for the new resort that Lang says will help encourage out-of-town business and leisure travelers to take a chance on Alabama and will also help attract locals to the facility.

Steve Miller, general manager of Ross Bridge, says the resort will tout the rating on its Web site and even on its letterhead.

"You know what you are getting in a four-diamond property," he says, "and a lot of people covet that level of service to make sure their meetings or their functions go smoothly."

Farther Afield

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:15:06 -0400

Publication: Birmingham Business Journal
Author: Kija Wilkinson

Whether seeking old-world luxury or a peaceful, reasonably-priced place to retire or raise a family, Birmingham-area house hunters have a wealth of options.

In some markets, however, land is getting scarce, so those dead-set on a single-family home in or near the city limits had better act fast, real estate watchers say.

And it's not only land in Birmingham, Homewood and Mountain Brook that is dwindling. Some fast-growing suburban cities are likely nearing the end of their new-home lifecycle. In some developments, homes are selling almost as soon as they hit the market.

Helena, for example, is seeing fewer home starts. According to Huntsville-based research firm Southern Exposure Information Co., there were 334 new homes built in Helena in 2004, and only 245 last year. And with 40 new homes built in the first three months of 2006, the city is on track to log only 160 this year, less than half the number from two years ago.

"They are surrounded by Pelham and Alabaster and really can't annex any more land," says Buck Barnhill, owner of Southern Exposure. "They will stop growing altogether in the next few years."

As Helena prepares to max out on new-home construction, homes within certain centrally located developments are going fast.

The example most often cited is Ross Bridge in Hoover, where nearly all the homes that have been put on the market have sold. Considering the fact that the community hit the market less than a year ago, it's an outstanding record, says sales manager Dorothy Tayloe.

Hoover housing starts have been strong overall, with 864 new homes in 2004, 684 in 2005 and 178 so far this year, which would translate to 712 for 2006 if the pace holds steady. Ross Bridge has been a big contributor to those numbers.

At Ross Bridge, 89 of 97 patio homes, which start in the mid-$200,000s and are being built by HPH Properties LLC, are under contract at Abbeyglen, and 53 have been completed.

In Signature Homes' Greenside and Freestone Ridge, which will ultimately have more than 100 homes that start in the low $300,000s, 88 houses are under contract and 37 have been finished. "They have bought more lots and will be bringing more product on in the summer," Tayloe says. Indeed, Signature plans to develop an undetermined number of homes in Ross Bridge's Village Center and will build more than a dozen homes along the prominent Grand Avenue entrance to the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

These will echo the grand Victorian houses of turn-of-the century San Francisco, says Signature senior vice president Barry DeLozier. Prices have not yet been set, but none are likely to reach the seven-figure mark, he says.

DeLozier says the appeal of Ross Bridge, one of the "last frontiers for infill," is a no-brainer. "There's a buzz about it," he says, noting the development's proximity to downtown, Homewood and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Signature, one of the first developers to build at Ross Bridge, plans to move its headquarters there in fall 2006, making it one of the first commercial residents of the town center. The new-urbanist, mixed-use style of the vast development, along with its world-class resort and golf courses, are a big part of the development's appeal, says DeLozier.

He says throngs of potential homebuyers are drawn to the train-station style sales center each week. "It's like a tourist destination in Birmingham already," DeLozier says. "With it being written up in places like the Robb Report, people realize there's this whole part of town they've never been in, and they want to go out there and see it."

There will soon be plenty more to see as several custom builders are building spec homes within the Butler Springs community, which will ultimately have 67 houses that start in the mid- to high $500,000s. Fifteen are under contract so far. Tayloe says she is looking forward to seeing the spec homes.

"It's nice to have all these sales, but it will be great to put some product on the ground that people can come and actually tour."

Ross Bridge options are steadily expanding. Based on the response to homes in Bellevue, where 11 homes in the mid $400,000s are under contract and 13 are under construction, a community called Haddon will be unveiled later this year. It will consist of about 130 single-family homes with basements and will likely include several builders. These homes will be located across from the historic bridge that gives Ross Bridge its name. As in all Ross Bridge developments, a park will be incorporated into the Haddon design.

In-town luxury, for a price Closer to town, several new projects offer old-world style and modern comforts at a premium. Among them: Highland Crescent, 20 $1 million homes in Highland Park being developed by Jack Fiorella; Hollywood Manor, nine homes in Homewood just off U.S. Highway 31 ranging from $750,000 to $1 million-plus, a project by Jay Moss; Abbey Road, nine carriage-style houses that start at $850,000 on Red Mountain just below Vulcan Park being developed by Dungan Nequette Architects that will also house the firm's headquarters; and Highland Heights, a development slightly larger than Abbey Road that is a joint venture of Dungan Nequette and The Carroll & Green Group Inc.

All the homes in these projects were designed by Dungan Nequette.

Says Carroll & Green principal David Green: "If the dirt wasn't so expensive the no-brainer would be to find some landlocked area, buy a piece of it and put some even $300,000 homes there. That would sell all day long, but the land really dictates price on these projects." That means bargain hunters typically buy in the suburbs. For them, there is a growing number of homes to choose from east, south and north of the city center.

RE/MAX Southern Homes agent John Mejia sells houses throughout Shelby County and down the U.S. Highway 280 corridor and says buyers who want more for their money look to Chelsea, which he says is home to roughly 10 new subdivisions.

But prices there are inching up. Three-bedroom, two-bath houses that had price tags in the $190,000s two years ago now sell for the low to mid-$200,000s. The trend has pushed some home hunters farther out, he says.

Custom homebuilder Clay Branum, who left a career as an engineer with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration nine years ago to start his company, Clayssic Home Innovations Inc., is building as far out as Harpersville in east Shelby County.

Homebuilders head south

New development is also pushing farther south, with Calera continuing to rank among the fastest growing municipalities in the state in terms of home starts. Southern Exposure figures show that Calera had 232 home starts in 2004, with the number nearly doubling in 2005 to 419. So far this year, Calera has reported 132 starts, and that number will grow to more than 500 by year's end at its current pace.

HPH Properties is part of the trend, with The Reserve at Timberline and Savannah Point steadily growing.

Garden homes at The Reserve, which is off Interstate 65 at the Calera-Montevallo exit, are priced from about $140,000 to $215,000. Sales manager Scott Underwood says phase one, which consists of 150 home sites, is "the first of many to come."

Adjacent to a Jerry Pate-designed golf course, all but 30 to 40 phase-one lots have been completed and about 50 have already sold. They range from 1,400 to 2,800 square feet. "If you do the math, it's a great price per square foot in a master-planned community like that," Underwood says.

In Savannah Point, a more established HPH development in south Shelby County two exits north of The Reserve, 53 homes are being added to the 375 that have been built and purchased. Sales have just started on the newest homes, which range from $140,000 to $215,000. And with HPH acquiring land for 1,000 additional home sites, the community is poised to grow exponentially.

Affordability north of town

Buyers seeking a less brutal commute might want to look northward, where several communities are blooming, though to a lesser extent than those in the south and east. Trussville saw home starts drop to 311 in 2005, down from 455 the year before. But the city seems to be back on track with 205 so far this year.

In addition, Gardendale, directly north of Birmingham, is seeing considerable activity, with 204 new homes in 2004 and 167 last year. The city has reported 57 so far for 2006, on track to top the two previous years.

Only 15 minutes from the city, Gardendale "has been that sleeper community, that hidden treasure," says Underwood.

Some buyers are realizing this; approximately 60 buyers have snapped up homes in HPH's Lexington Park development there. About 100 houses have been started, and 40-50 are occupied by their new owners. Prices range from the $140,000s to $220,000.

With 900 acres off Interstate 65's Fieldstown Road exit, Lexington Park has lots of room to grow. There are more than 400 home sites in the first phase alone. HPH also has plans for a pool and nature trails.

These grand plans aren't based on pipe dreams. "We hardly have been able to get them on the market before they're sold," says Underwood.

"There are beautiful views; you can see for 30 miles in some places. It's got a lot of green space and hills that make it real interesting."

kwilkinson@bizjournals.com • (205) 443-5637

Bruno's folks know how to put on a tournament

Mon, 08 May 2006 13:14:23 -0400

Publication: Birmingham News
Author: Kevin Scarbinsky

Bruno's folks know how to put on a tournament

They changed the name. They moved the game. They did something you're never supposed to do. They fixed what wasn't broken. They messed with success. Advertisement And they didn't make a mess of things.

On the last day of what used to be the Bruno's Memorial Classic at Greystone, the first Regions Charity Classic at Ross Bridge went back to the beginning.

Jim Thorpe shot a 63 to set the course record, just as Jack Kiefer did on the first day of this event's first year in 1992. There's a moral there somewhere in that parallel.

The more things change, the more the local organizers, volunteers and spectators prove one thing. They know how to do a golf tournament.

With or without a five-star resort hotel in the middle of the property. With or without a big name at the top of the leaderboard. With or without Chamber of Commerce weather.

Despite the uncertainty of new surroundings and threatening skies, the only real drama happened where it belongs on a Sunday afternoon, on the final holes in the final round.

Mark McNulty got all wet at 17 and 18. Brad Bryant, the grinder known variously as Mr. Dirt, Dr. Dirt and the Commander of All Dirt Forces, finished high and dry in first place.

"You gotta hand it to Brad," McNulty said in a classy concession speech after he'd done just that.

You also have to hand it to the Bruno Event Team and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the Champions Tour. They worked together - a unique concept around here - to change a lot of the details surrounding this tournament without altering the bottom line.

Ross Bridge: Retail chases rooftops

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:13:46 -0400

Signature Homes senior vice president Barry DeLozier stands on the future site of the $3 million headquarters. View Larger Signature Homes' groundbreaking this week on its new $3 million headquarters represents a milestone for the commercial component of Ross Bridge - the huge development tied to the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

The residential arm of the development has been surging for months. About 100 families are living in the Hoover community now.

Naturally, those residents want nearby sources of basic goods and services, such as dry cleaning and child care, restaurants and grocery stores, coffee shops and beauty salons.

All that is coming, says Daniel Corp., which joined with the Retirement Systems of Alabama to develop Ross Bridge. Along with the world-class golf course and hotel, the expansive area includes neighborhoods, a town center with space for commercial development, and outlying retail.

RSA's resort opened in summer 2005, and the neighborhoods' first residents moved in this past fall.

"A few years ago, when we started on this project, interest (in commercial development) was slow," says Charles Carlisle, a senior vice president with Daniel Corp.

But, because the houses have been so well received, Daniel is moving "much more rapidly than expected" to attract the businesses needed to serve the new residents.

So far, representatives of businesses such as coffee shops, sandwich shops, bakeries and bank branches have spoken with Daniel about locating in Ross Bridge.

Office space there is attracting more interest now, too. A Birmingham architectural firm is seriously considering locating there, although Daniel Corp. managers declined to identify the firm.

Room for walking At 15,000 square feet, Signature Homes' Dungan-Nequette-designed office building, which will take shape adjacent to the development's sales and welcome center, more than triples the square footage the builder has at its existing headquarters in Pelham. And completion of the Signature Homes office is expected to spark further development. There is plenty of room for it, Carlisle says.In the town center, where Signature Homes and the welcome center are located, about 186,000 square feet of multistory, mixed-use space will be available. Taken together, Ross Bridge will have about 1.3 million square feet for office and retail development, Carlisle says. Commercial development will encompass more than 115 acres.

In the town center, 60,000 square feet of commercial space is on the ground floor, so it will likely be used mostly for offices.

Exactly how the proportions of residential, office and retail components of the development will play out remains uncertain, says Carlisle.

Designed by Memphis architectural firm Looney Ricks Kiss and Birmingham land-planning firm Holcombe Norton & Pritchett Inc., the town center follows New Urbanist principles that stress walkability and the prominence of residential over retail.

"We're going to have the very best of the New Urbanist elements without being so beholden to that that we are unable to respond to the market of what people really want," Carlisle says. "So the market will dictate how much of each we have."

The town center is being graded now, says Holcombe Norton & Pritchett president Tommy Holcombe, and he expects buildings to start coming out of the ground late this summer.

Rather than the pastels of Seaside, Fla. (a New Urbanist beachside landmark designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co.), the town center at Ross Bridge will incorporate brick and earth tones that echo the older sections of Mountain Brook and Birmingham.

Alleys will have parking in the rear, meaning no garages will be visible from the street.

Looney Ricks Kiss also designed planned communities Celebration and Baldwin Park, both in Florida.

Although shopping areas of Hoover are relatively close, current residents of Ross Bridge may be wondering when they will get a grocery store in their neighborhood.

Grocers typically require a certain number of rooftops, such as 1,000, within a one- or two-mile radius, before they will consider opening a new store. But a lot of other factors can come into play as well.

Some retailers, such as Whole Foods, do extensive studies that include in-depth demographic profiles.

Regardless of which grocer lands at Ross Bridge, residents can rest assured that one eventually will, says Carlisle. In fact, Daniel is reserving a 20-acre site along Ross Bridge Parkway that it feels would be ideal for a grocery-anchored development.
"It will be a few more rooftops before that happens," Carlisle says.

In the meantime, Signature Homes senior vice president Barry DeLozier says the company hopes to be in its new headquarters before year's end, putting Signature's sales force in a better spot from which to put residents under those new rooftops quickly and easily.

The company's office, which resembles a European-style house, showcases the Signature style. But, "If people want to see examples of things we've actually built," DeLozier says, "it's literally out our back door."

Signature recently committed to building at least 200 houses in addition to the 100 called for in the initial phase.

kwilkinson@bizjournals.com (205) 443-5637

Fresh Market - On The Green At Ross Bridge

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 13:13:06 -0400

One of Hoover’s newest attractions is quickly gaining popularity, drawing 600 to 700 shoppers and sightseers in a single morning. Fresh Market on the Green in the Ross Bridge community made its seasonal debut in May and will remain open through October on the first Saturday of each month.
Hours are 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
“It’s just been fabulous for the residents of Hoover,” said Audrey Alverson, producer of the event for Daniel Homes, Ross Bridge developer. “Everyone is looking for the hometown feel, and we can offer this market in our hometown rather than having to go into another area or city.”
Shoppers will find everything from freshly picked vegetables, herbs and flowers, to honey, free-range eggs and handcrafted jewelry – all Alabama grown, produced or crafted. But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The lively atmosphere of the fresh-air market is a social event for the entire family featuring live music, umbrella tables for sitting and sipping coffee and munching freshly baked goods. You’ll see local chefs preparing their signature dishes.
Alverson said there are fun activities for children at every market event, which have included painting pots, planting flowers, tie-dying T-shirts, moonwalks, a dog Frisbee exhibition and more. Every month, Alabama beekeepers, one dressed as a queen bee, bring demonstration hives for hands-on education about how bees benefit our lives.
Booths feature hand-embroidered, hand-smocked children’s clothing, embellished flip-flops, handmade jewelry, hand-hammered ice buckets and teacup birdfeeders.
Cedar Creek Nursery offers quality shrubs and trees, while Heavenly Fudge features mouthwatering confections. Adriana’s Finest, a supplier for area chefs, brings herbs, gourmet salad greens, heirloom tomatoes and such. Angel’s Cakes and Confections Café cooks peanuts and pralines onsite.
Norton’s florist offers floral design demonstrations while shoppers choose their favorite fresh-cut flowers for on-the-spot arrangements or for taking home free style.
Coming September, the market will feature Oakview Farms Granary whole-grain breads, jams, jellies, grits, flour and pancake mixes.
August features Chef Rob Kamm, executive chef for Renaissance Ross Bridge. September’s chef is Bill Tsantes of The Olive Tree and October features Bernard Tamburello of La Dolce Vita.

Directions: I-459 S. to exit 10 (Alabama 150, Hoover/Bessemer). Turn right on Alabama 150 for 1.6 miles to Ross Bridge Parkway. Turn Right and 4 miles to Grand Avenue on left.

Hoover on the move

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 13:12:26 -0400

Taylor Hicks might be a recent cause of the City of Hoover's place in the spotlight, but the 2006 American Idol winner isn't the only reason his hometown of more than 67,000 has taken center stage through the years. This former bedroom community - now a bustling city in its own right - recently was touted as one of the country's "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family" by Kathleen Shaputis, author of the so-entitled book, and this month was ranked 75th in Money magazine's 2006 list of "100 Best Places to Live in America."

Hoover not only is home to a growing residential population and award-winning schools but also is a place with loads of shopping venues and a variety of outdoor activities. The new planned community of Ross Bridge offers homes, a spa, resort and golf course. It also is providing residents with a popular Saturday morning farmers' market, known as Fresh Market on the Green. "It's just been fabulous for the residents of Hoover," said Audrey Alverson, producer of the event for Daniel Homes, Ross Bridge developer. "Everyone is looking for the hometown feel, and we can offer this market in our hometown rather than having to go into another area or city." Shoppers will find everything from freshly picked vegetables, herbs and flowers to honey, free-range eggs and handcrafted jewelry - all Alabama grown, produced or crafted.

There also are fun activities for children at every market event, along with cooking demonstrations and entertainment. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of each month through October. Hoover residents also can enjoy numerous parks, including Aldridge Botanical Garden and Moss Rock Preserve. The Hoover Met is home to the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team and other events, including SEC baseball, professional beach volleyball and family reunions.

It is also home to Riverchase Galleria, one of the largest shopping malls in the Southeast, and Alabama's most-visited tourist destination. Additionally, residents of Hoover have a lot to crow about when it comes to their school system. Later this month, Sports Illustrated is expected to name Hoover High School as the top high-school football program in the state, according to Pat Morrow, public relations coordinator for Hoover City Schools. That honor is just the beginning of student/parent and staff accomplishments. Morrow said the system expects "good things" from Spain Park High School's new head coach, John Grass, and that Spain Park's band is already preparing for its trip to New York City, where it will march down Broadway in the city's Veterans Day Parade. Morrow said the system is also expecting continued academic success. About $34 million in scholarship funds were distributed to Hoover High and Spain Park High School seniors last May. Test scores continue to rank these schools among the top four systems in the state. And, Cameron McKinley, an Integrated Technology teacher at Riverchase Elementary School, is the 2006-2007 Alabama Teacher of the Year. McKinley was cited by State Superintendent Joseph B. Morton for her "commitment to education, zest for technology and infectiously cheerful spirit." Those looking to move to Hoover have numerous housing choices. Existing neighborhoods continue to offer rising home values, and new communities continue to open.

HPH Homes in Chalybe

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:11:46 -0400

Great ideas inspire yet more great ideas. With the success of its Abbeyglen neighborhood in the highly acclaimed Ross Bridge community now close to completion, HPH Homes, Birmingham’s largest home builder, has set its sights on building a new, magnificent Ross Bridge neighborhood — Chalybe. Like Abbeyglen, Chalybe will be the product of the same successful design-build concept implemented by HPH for Abbeyglen, but with an upscale slant and some exciting embellishments.

When HPH’s Abbeyglen neighborhood first hit the market last year, it was the embodiment of a new design-build concept developed by HPH that included 97 lots with private fencing, a central park, and 20 different full-brick house plans from which home buyers could choose. Set in the master-planned community of Ross Bridge and priced from the low $200s, Abbeyglen homes also offered optional amenities such as granite counter tops, surround sound, special flooring, security systems, and various exterior packages.

The extent of custom features offered at such low prices, and in such a premier community, proved a revelation to home buyers. The market reaction to HPH’s new design-build technique was instantaneous — in just a short year, only two homes remain available. If the success of Abbeyglen is any indicator, Chalybe will be a huge hit with home buyers as well.

HPH Homes has risen to become one of the top home builders in the region by way of incorporating into every aspect of every project its basic philosophy that home buyers should never sacrifice the quality and integrity of their largest lifetime purchase, whether it’s an entry-level home or a unique luxury residence.

A full-service design and construction firm, HPH Homes has over 14 communities in the Birmingham area with several more now in the Huntsville market. HPH specializes in building homes with upper-end amenities, custom techniques, and superior quality at prices ranging from the $90s to the $400s.

“It’s more than simply offering what the market demands”, said Clark Parker, partner at HPH, “we’ve actually had a hand in shaping the perception of design-built homes — we’re at the front of a rapidly growing trend in home building technique.”

HPH’s design-build concept is a new approach to building homes that was developed through the cumulative experience of HPH’s partners. Presented under the slogan “Build It Your Way”, the technique is best summarized as a hybrid between purely custom-built homes, and the ever-fading and inflexible mass-produced homes that offer little or no options.

“The cookie-cutter approach to home building has outlived its usefulness,” said Parker of HPH. “More and more, home buyers are expecting custom options suited to their lifestyle needs to be built into the design process — which is exactly how it should be.”

Indeed, the success of this technique at Abbeyglen is more than encouraging, not only for HPH Homes, but for home buyers looking to get more value from their investment. Chalybe represents yet another great opportunity for home buyers interested in living in the spectacular Ross Bridge community.

Located in Hoover’s desirable Oxmoor Valley, Ross Bridge is a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The 1600-acre development features a world-class luxury resort and a championship golf course, as well as residential communities, parks, and a town center.

HPH’s Chalybe neighborhood will include 200 lots, many of them corner or private lots, with private fencing, three parks and an extensive walking trail. Home buyers will have the opportunity to choose from over 20 different imaginative plans at Chalybe, nine of which are brand new floor plans, with the largest at over 3,000 square feet. Set on 55-foot-wide lots, these gracious homes will include features such as tray ceilings, a great room with fireplace, a covered porch, hearth room and a large two-car garage, with available options such as granite counter tops, surround sound, security systems, and range of other unique option packages.

Larger homes with more than 3,000 square feet and hearth rooms, Chalybe also enjoys a prime location. Backing to the future Ross Bridge Elementary School, Chalybe is within a short walking distance to the Village Center with sidewalks, green spaces and multiple access points to the community trail.

HPH Home buyers have a multitude of finishing options that they can select from at the HPH Design Studio. This 8,000 square foot center is staffed with the very best interior designers allowing home buyers to choose everything from interior and exterior color combinations to kitchen and lighting details, creating the look and feel that is all their own.

Said Parker, “We set out to offer what home buyers want in an extraordinary community and have succeeded in redefining both the market and the range of possibilities open to home buyers — it’s been very rewarding.” Already 20 of the coveted lots at Chalybe have been sold.

HPH Homes owes its success to preserving the elements that are important to home buyers —quality and choice. “We believe it’s imperative to stay abreast of new products, technologies and amenities in order to provide the best product at the best price in such an ever-evolving industry,” said Parker. With these guiding principles at the foundation of HPH, it’s not surprising that their commitment to innovation and sound industry practices is earning HPH a solid reputation as one of the best builders in Alabama.

All sales in Chalybe and other Ross Bridge communities are exclusively by Daniel Homes. For information on Chalybe please call (205) 941-1669.

Village Center Construction Races On, Against The Clock

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:11:05 -0400

Million-dollar homes are expected to line the road leading into the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa by next spring, as development continues at a heady pace in the western Hoover community.

Residential construction has begun in Ross Bridge’s Village Center, where plans call for a park, retail and office space and about 200 homes, including 14 individual designs called the Estates of Grand Avenue.

With features such as pools, terraces, wraparound porches and a tower, each of the Grand Avenue homes will be among the most showcased homes in the community, said Ross Bride General Manager Jeff Boyd.

“The are inspired by some of the old homes in (Birmingham’s) Forest Park and homes in historic resort towns,” he said. “They’re designed to have an individual story.”

Designed by Dungan Nequette Architects and built by Signature Homes, the houses will range in size from 4000 to 6000 square feet and in price from $800,000s to more then $1million.

Although no typically a custom builder, Signature Homes signed on for the product because of the rare opportunity to create something outside of its daily routine, said Jonathan Belcher, president of the company’s Birmingham division.

The challenge, he said, will be time constraints because the homes are supposed t be completed in time for the Regions Charity Classic golf tournament at Ross Bridge in May.

“Our goal is to start one a week as the plans are ready,” he said, adding that architects are still working on the homes’ interior details. “Within three or four weeks, we should be able to finalize the pricing and start offering them to the public.”

Signature Homes is busy elsewhere in the Village Center too. The company, now based in Pelham, is building all of the Village Center homes, as well as a 15,000-square-foot corporate headquarters on Ross Bridge Parkway.

The 1,600-acre Ross Bridge community is a joint venture of Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Long-range plans call for nearly 1,800 single-family homes and 600 multifamily units to join the hotel and spa that opened last year.

Real estate choices range from garden homes with an average starting price of $250,000 to custom homes that top $1million.

Since home construction began in June 2005, Ross Bridge has had 196 closings, a pace that exceeded the developer’s expectations and accelerated their business plan, Boyd said.

Now, three of the community’s inaugural neighborhoods-Abbeyglen, Freestone Ridge, and Greenside-are nearly sold out, while construction continues in the others: Bellevue, Butler Springs and Chalybe.

Home sites also are being prepared in two new neighborhoods: Glasscottt and Haddon.

In the Village Center, work is expected to begin by the end of the month on Ross Park, which will include a pool and playground. More office and retail space also is planned possibly including a coffee shop, dry cleaners, and pharmacy, Boyd said.

Ross Bridge Residential Sites Hot Property

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:10:07 -0500

Mark and Mary Jo Kovacs were so determined to claim a lot for a new home in Hoover's Ross Bridge community, they camped out to do it.

The newlyweds from Bessemer ate a sushi dinner and slept in their car parked outside a sales office one stormy night earlier this month, before lots were made available the following day.

They weren't alone. Two other buyers were parked alongside the couple, evidence of the continued popularity of Ross Bridge, where home construction began more than 18 months ago.

Now, development in the 1,600-acre community is moving past the inaugural neighborhoods into new sectors, and officials with developer Daniel Corp. expect demand to remain high.

Ross Bridge's new neighborhoods include Glasscott, where construction recently began. Most of the 37 custom homes will sit on the golf course of the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, and prices will start in the mid $700,000s.

Haddon, which is off Ross Bridge Parkway, is another new neighborhood. Plans call for 136 homes with basements, priced from the low $400,000s, and lots will be made available in about two weeks, said sales manager Dorothy Tayloe.

"We think that will be an excellent seller, because it hits a gap in the market we have at Ross Bridge," she said.

So far, a little more than 300 homes have sold in Ross Bridge, where real estate choices range from garden homes with prices that start in the mid $200,000s to custom homes that top $1 million.

Long-range plans call for nearly 1,800 single-family homes and 600 multifamily units.

Among Ross Bridge's first neighborhoods, Abbeyglen has sold out, while Greenside and Freestone Ridge are nearly sold out. Meanwhile, about half of the homes have sold in the neighborhoods of Bellevue and Butler Springs.

Construction also continues in the Village Center, where Signature Homes is building on about 200 home sites. The variety includes million-dollar homes that will line the road leading to the resort and craftsman-style homes elsewhere.

The Kovacses spent the night at Ross Bridge waiting to reserve a lot for one of the craftsman-style homes. Fourteen of the 19 lots made available were reserved that day, and now those reservations are up to 17. Buyers get to pick their lot according to their spot on the reservation list.

Mark Kovacs said he and his wife like Ross Bridge for sentimental reasons - they were married at the resort last summer - but they also have practical reasons for wanting to live there.

It's a good location and good investment, he said, since the community is in its early stages. They also both previously lived in Florida and became familiar with the master-plan community concept there.

"It seems like a fresh slate," Kovacs said. "They've got a lot of land to work with."

Ross Square Planned for 2008

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:09:29 -0500

Developers plan to build 30,000 square feet of commercial space in Ross Bridge's Village Center, a $7.5 million project that is expected to bring neighborhood businesses and professional offices to the Hoover community.

Ross Square at Market and Grand will consist of two 15,000-square-foot buildings, and the first building is set for occupancy in the first quarter of 2008, developers said Tuesday.

Southpace Properties Inc., HarrisTynes Realty Group Inc., Lighthouse Investments and Daniel Corp. are involved in the project. Closing on the property is expected late in the first quarter of this year, said Jonathan Lindsey of Southpace Properties.

There are no tenants yet, but developers anticipate businesses such as a coffee shop, hardware store, florist and pharmacy on the lower level of the buildings.

The upper floors will be reserved for professional office space. Lawyers, accountants, insurance agents and a medical clinic are anticipated tenants.

Home construction in Ross Bridge started in 2005, and a little more than 300 homes have sold since then.

Long-range plans call for 1,800 single-family homes and 600 multifamily units.

The community also is home to the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

Elsewhere in the Village Center, Signature Homes is completing a 15,000-square-foot office building. The company is moving its headquarters from Pelham to Ross Bridge.

The new office will open Feb. 19, said Jonathan Belcher, president of Signature Homes' Birmingham division

Golf Gourses Add Fun, Value To Neighborhoods

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:08:51 -0500

When Dorothy Tayloe was a little girl in the 1960s, life along the 14th hole of the Birmingham Country Club was a lot different than in today's golf communities.

"The golf course was in our frontyard," Tayloe said. "You'd see people walk up to our house with their golf shoes on, looking for their balls. And our Labrador retriever, Mister, would bring home tee markers that we'd have to return."

Tayloe is now the residential sales manager at Ross Bridge in Hoover, one of the metro area's 13 residential developments that include golf, according to figures from the National Golf Foundation. Many have plans to build additional homes for years to come because of the popularity.

With a total of 52 public and private places to play golf, the Birmingham-Hoover metro area has 999 holes - or one for every 1,098 residents.

Alabama has a total of 250 places to play golf, including 47 residential golf developments, with many having been built during the last 10 to 15 years. That puts the state at about the middle.

By comparison, Florida leads the nation with 520 golf course communities.

At one of the area's newest and most expansive developments, Ross Bridge has more than 300 homes already occupied, and 1,800 units are planned over the next decade. There's also the existing luxury hotel, spa and eight traditional residential neighborhoods with outdoor movies, a farmers market and holiday events.

"It's a lot different today," Tayloe said of the eight subdivisions that comprise the Ross Bridge community. "People love the planned-out development, the pool, the walking trail, the parks. Kids in one neighborhood can cross the street and go play in another neighborhood. That's what I did when I was a child."

More homes are being built near existing courses, golf analysts and developers say. Buyers are having no trouble paying several hundred dollars a year in association fees, and abiding by rules and covenants. Their lifestyle choices range from quiet country living to neighborly interaction reminiscent of Andy Griffith's Mayberry.

In Birmingham, some of the top golf course developments remain major golf venues for events such as professional women's and seniors' tournaments. Ross Bridge residents can walk outside and enjoy the Regions Charity Classic. For 14 years, residents at Greystone Golf and Country Club could watch the Bruno's Charity Classic.

"Having a golf course in your backyard increases your property values by about 8 percent in the Southeast, and up to 20 percent in other parts of the country," said Frank Limehouse, an economics professor at the University of Georgia and researcher with Sportometrics sports consulting.

While golf-course communities may conjure up ideas of devoted golfers, that actually isn't the case. Many people just like to be part of the golf environment.

"I'd say at least half of the residents don't play golf," Limehouse said. "The demand isn't so much for golf, it's for the residential development and the contractual assurance that your backyard will remain pretty."

Kevin Trimm, who handles sales and residential management for Limestone Springs in Oneonta, a part of Honours Golf management and development company with 12 golf communities around the Southeast, shares similar statistics.

"I'd say about 65 percent of our residents don't play golf," Trimm said.

Jim Murphree moved into a house on the second hole at Limestone Springs nearly two years ago - though he hasn't touched a golf club in about 15 years.

"I'm from the area, and I really like the tranquillity," Murphree said. "I think the golf course adds to the beauty. I think it was an excellent value, and the people who play golf are nice neighbors."

The Jerry Pate-designed golf course was completed in 1999, and Limestone Springs' houses first went up in 2000. Construction continues, and Golfweek magazine has named it the 60th best golf community out of the top 100 in the nation.

"People like it because somebody else is taking care of your backyard," Trimm said. "The type of people coming into the golf market have changed, and so have golf course communities. It used to be a white-collar sport, and it has changed, thankfully, in large part to Tiger Woods. Now, you don't have to have a million-dollar home to live on a golf course."

While people like Tayloe recall plenty of nostalgic stories about golfers, more sophisticated development plans minimize the interaction.

Rare are the cases of golf balls crashing into windows, or kids overhearing the colorful rants of frustrated players.

The norm now includes 35 to 75 or more feet of trees that buffer houses and yards from the courses.

"Balls do hit into yards, but there are so many trees, it's not a problem." said Jack Olmstead, a 10-year resident on the first tee at Eagle Point off U.S. 280 in Shelby County.

Olmstead is president of the homeowners' association and a starter at the golf course, designating when players can tee off behind other groups.

"I have deer in my yard almost nightly, and all kinds of nature," Olmstead said. "I go through Eagle Point, and it is such a wonderful community; I don't think I selected it just for the golf course."

GOLF FACTS

The Birmingham-Hoover metro area has 13 of Alabama's 47 planned golf and housing developments. Florida leads the nation with more than 520. The metro area has 999 golf holes, one for every 1,098 residents. Alabama has 250 public and private places to play golf. Source: National Golf Foundation, Jupiter, Fla.

Ross Bridge Sweeps MAME Awards!

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:08:12 -0400

Spring Home Tour MAME award winners

Every year, the Spring Home Tour honors its best entrants with Marketing and Merchandise Excellence (MAME) awards.

The neighborhoods compete against other communities of similar size, price and amenities for awards that include:

# Best All Around Community
# Developer of the Year
# Best Entrance Design
# Best Amenities Package

The communities are divided into three groups, so there are three prizes in each category. Separate prizes are given to competing condominium communities.

The big winner for 2007 is Ross Bridge in Hoover. The neighborhood swept first place for its division in every prize category!

Visit the Spring Home Tour website for more details.
http://www.springhometour.info

Signature Homes Continues To Lead The Way with Sales at Ross Bridge

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:07:43 -0400

Last week Signature Homes released six townhomes along Ross Bridge’s famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Golf Course. They sold all six homes the day they were released!

They also released 18 other townhomes surrounding Ross Bridge’s Ross Park and Pool located in the coveted Village Center. They sold 10 of those 18 homes the same day they were released!

Together, Signature Homes sold 16 homes in one day.

The community of Ross Bridge and Signature Homes has been leading the market in sales since they opened their doors in July of 2005. Despite a decline in real estate sales nationally and regionally, Ross Bridge has continued to be successful. What’s their secret?

“The homes available today at Ross Bridge appeal to every level of the home buying market. From first time home buyers to custom estate homes, they all take advantage of the wonderful amenities and convenient location,” States Dorothy Tayloe, Director of Sales and Marketing for Daniel Homes. “This unique combination will always be appealing to home buyers regardless of market conditions.”

The appeal of a Signature Home is obvious the moment you see one. They are dramatically different than the typical, vanilla homes available to buyers at a similar price-point. Signature Homes driving principal is to build affordable, well-built homes with fresh architectural styles.

“We’re constantly evolving and improving our designs with interesting, yet livable floor plan layouts and exterior elevations that are the epitome of curb appeal,” boasts Dwight Sandlin, President of Signature Homes. “Variety is the spice of life and we season every one of our models with copious amounts to ensure our home buyers love everything about their home. It seems to be working.”

Leading New Home Sales for Master Planned Communities in 2007

Ross Bridge located in Hoover, Alabama continues to be Birmingham’s hottest selling new home community. Featuring single-family homes and townhomes built by the areas finest homebuilders from the mid $200's to over
$1 million.

Home to the world-class Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa including the stunning 8,191 yard Robert Trent Jones Trail Golf Course, Ross Park, miles of historic trails, pool and clubhouse and The Village Center; complete with shopping, restaurants, services and entertainment — it’s no wonder why Ross Bridge has lead the market in sales for the past two years.

Despite recent news about the housing market, Ross Bridge continues to lead the industry in sales and settlements in 2007 with 186 contracts and 152 settlements prior to last week’s activity.

“With this latest flurry of activity from Signature Homes we have already met our projections for 2007 sales with two more months to go. We will sell and settle over 200 homes this year,” states Ms. Tayloe.

To date, the next three largest master planned communities in the market have only settled 121 new homes combined.

And the good news just keeps coming. Ross Bridge has just completed the sale of their newest neighborhood, James Hill, representing the largest commitment to date. Signature Homes will continue to build single family homes and townhomes in James Hill adding to their existing collections in other Ross Bridge neighborhoods including Freestone Ridge, Greenside, The Village Center and the fantastic show homes lining Grand Avenue leading towards the Resort. As always, Signature Homes plans to introduce new, stunning architectural styles at affordable prices in the James Hill neighborhood of Ross Bridge.

Ross Bridge Continues to Add More Amenities

In addition to the opening of Ross Park and Pool this past summer, plans have been announced for the Historic Ross Bridge Park across from Haddon, Ross Bridge’s newest neighborhood currently under development and another community pool.

Ross Bridge is showing no signs of slowing down.

Welcome Center 2101 Grand Avenue, Hoover, AL 35226
Phone (205) 443-4663
Open: Monday-Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday 1pm-5pm

www.rossbridge.com

Ross Bridge to get 240 apartments

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:07:07 -0500

Daniel Corp. will begin construction next month on a $38 million apartment community in Hoover's Ross Bridge that could be occupied as early as October of this year.

The Birmingham-based developer said it will build 240 upscale apartments on nearly 20 acres near the front entrance off Ross Bridge Parkway, with units ranging in size from 1,200 square feet to 1,500 square feet and in price from $900 to $1,600 per month.

The apartments are part of the first phase of multifamily dwellings for the fast-growing community of Ross Bridge and executives at Daniel said there is capacity to build up to 360 more units on an adjacent property.

Daniel President Christopher A. Brown said the combination of few new multifamily construction in the area, particularly high-end, and Birmingham's job growth fueled the demand for the development.

"Birmingham is of the size now that high-end will do well, especially in Ross Bridge," he said.

Since its opening in 2005, the Ross Bridge community has grown to exceed expectations in a short period of time. According to Daniel, roughly 1,000 of the 1,600 homesites have been sold, about 500 finished homes have been sold and 175 homes are in various stages of construction.

Birchall at Ross Bridge, named to evoke the European arts and crafts era, will feature eight buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as four, two-story carriage buildings with eight units.

Both Brown and Charles Carlisle, senior vice president of commercial development at Daniel, believe adding 240 more families to the community will accelerate nearby retail development.

As of now, Ross Bridge's commercial Village Center has only office space, including Signature Homes' 15,000-square-foot headquarters. Signature is a home builder in the development.

Developers also plan to build 30,000 square feet of professional office space nearby.

Carlisle said apartments have always been in the master plan for Ross Bridge, with three parcels of land originally zoned by the city of Hoover for multifamily. The city put a cap at 600 apartments back when the overall development was approved.

Last year, it was reported that Daniel attempted to move the site for the apartments within the development, but was halted by Hoover city officials. Some city council members even suggested building condominiums instead of apartments.

The city was eyeing one of the multifamily parcels for a school to accommodate the fast-growing area, but Carlisle said the city is now looking at other sites, none of which are zoned multifamily.

Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos said he is confident the high-end apartment community will do well. However, he acknowledged it goes against one of the main platforms he used during his race for mayor three years ago - no new apartments in Hoover.

"I felt we didn't need any more, but these had already been approved," he said. "But I'm confident it will be as upscale as all the other projects in Ross Bridge."

Petelos believes adding 240 families to the neighborhood will serve as a catalyst for retail development and possibly fulfill the need for rental housing in the wake of a slow real estate market and the subprime lending fiasco.

He referred questions regarding a school at Ross Bridge to Hoover City Schools officials. Superintendent Andy Craig did not return calls in time for press.

Daniel's Brown said despite the stigma apartment communities carry in most cities, the upscale dwellings should be well received by those who live in Ross Bridge, some of which paid up to $1 million for their homes. The apartment dwellers will be in the same demographics as those in single-family homes and the amenities and the architecture will blend well with its surroundings, Brown said.

The clubhouse will feature a pool, with an arbor and outdoor kitchen, and a state-of-the-art gaming center, which was designed by a technical architect.

Birchall is the second high-end apartment community to be announced in the Birmingham area in less than a month.

Focus Development Inc. of Atlanta is planning River Ridge Apartments - 324 "class A" units behind Target on U.S. 280, also featuring a higher-than-average price point and nicer amenities in the units and the clubhouse. Rent will range from $825 to $1,250.

According to Rock Apartment Advisors' 2007 mid-year apartment survey, the average rental rate in Birmingham is $688, with an average of 68 cents per square foot.

Daniel, which co-developed Ross Bridge with USS Real Estate, will manage and lease Birchall. A general contractor hasn't been named, but Walter Schoel Engineering Co. Inc. will serve as civil engineer.

Looney Ricks Kiss Architects Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., designed the development and Dix Lathrop and Associates Inc. of Longwood, Fla., provided landscape architecture.

lbcooper@bizjournals.com | (205) 443-5635

See HPH Homes Amazing NEW: Pricing, Plans, Lots & Opportunities!

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:06:18 -0500

As Birmingham’s largest homebuilder, award – winning HPH recognized early on that your home is a reflection of who you are and that you should be able to create the look and feel that creates just that. With that in mind, HPH has just introduced a newly designed series of 3 and 4 bedroom home styles specifically for Ross Bridge, all certain to win your heart and help you create the individuality that you deserve.

Features like trey and volume ceilings, interior columns, island kitchens, lofts, soaking tubs, first floor master suites, 2-car garages, even 3 ½ baths, if you choose. But what is truly unbelievable is that all of these quality features, great home designs and beautiful neighborhood of Chalybe, can be yours from just $239,900.

That’s part of the HPH philosophy - that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice quality in your new home – at any price. We invite you to visit Ross Bridge today and see for yourself.

“We’ve started 2008 where we ended last year – leading the Birmingham area in sales”, said Dorothy Tayloe, Director of Sales and Marketing for Daniel Homes. “It’s no wonder. You need to see what our builders are doing here. HPH ‘s newest release of home designs epitomizes what I’m talking about. Unbelievable features and quality for the money. They are a must see”, Tayloe said.

James Hill Reservation Party Friday, April 11 at 6 p.m.

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:05:35 -0400

Location: Signature Homes Office
3545 Market Street at Ross Bridge pkwy

Doors open at Noon.

Reservations made on a first-come first-served basis.
Come early to get the best spot in line!

You won't want to miss the first opportunity to purchase a home in the exciting Signature Homes’
community of James Hill at Ross Bridge, perhaps the best new home community to come to
Birmingham in decades.

Choose one of sixteen antique reproduction home plans designed with the classic curb appeal of the 1920s with
wonderful, modern living spaces. Homes are affordably priced from the $230s and packed with charming design elements.

Only 37 homes will be offered in this Phase.

2008 Parade of Homes at Ross Bridge - Visit 16 homes!

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:04:48 -0400

March down to Ross Bridge and visit 16 homes all in one stop.
April 26-27 | May 3-4 | May 10-11

HPH Homes in Chalybe - $328,390

HPH Homes in Chalybe - $331,390

HPH Homes in Chalybe - $351,490

Gibson & Andernson in Haddon - $466,210

Newcastle Construction in Haddon - $469,900

Gibson & Andernson in Haddon - $478,512

Newcastle Construction in Haddon - $482,900

Stacy Alliston in Butler Springs - $559,900

Infinity in Butler Springs - $649,000

Beachum in Butler Springs - $649,900

Simpson & Davis in Butler Springs - $689,000

Beachum in Butler Springs - $699,000

M.A. Frazier in Glascott - $1,050,000

Signature Homes on Grand Avenue - $1,079,900

Signature Homes in James Hill - Model Home

Signature Homes in the Village Center - Model Home

Ross Bridge Sells 500 Homes in 31 Months!

Fri, 30 May 2008 13:03:36 -0400

Today marks another amazing milestone at Ross Bridge — Birmingham Alabama's hottest selling new home community — with their 500th settlement in a mere 31 months from their first settlements in November of 2005. That sales pace works out to one closing every other day and over 16 homes a month!

The success of Ross Bridge is no secret. Simply combine a wonderfully conceived master-plan by developers USS Real Estate and Daniel Corporation; mix generously with the areas finest sales team lead by Dorothy Tayloe of Daniel Homes; flavor with a wide variety of home-styles from which to choose, built by the areas finest homebuilders and finally, top off with a world-class amenity — The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa. Voila.

Homebuyers know a great thing when they see it. They also understand value in todays ultra-competitive home buying market. Ross Bridge delivers on all counts. With spacious townhomes and enchanting single family homes from the low $200's to exquisite, custom estate homes over $1 million, there's truly something for everyone at Ross Bridge.

The consistent sales pace at Ross Bridge is counter to everything the buyer is being told throughout the general media. The reality is that there's never been a better time in history to buy a new home. Interest rates are at historic lows, home prices are as competitive as they've ever been and the selection is awesome. What are you waiting for? Visit Ross Bridge today and see for yourself how wonderful life is at the area's hottest selling new home community!

Wine & Beer Tasting Festival

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:02:58 -0400

The Ross Bridge community is planning a wine and beer tasting festival in conjunction with the third annual Arts & Music on the Green on Oct. 25.

Uncorked! on the Green will offer samples of boutique wines, specialty beers, cooking demonstrations, food and beverage vendors and live music, said event organizer Audrey Alverson.

It will be on the green on Grand Avenue, across the street from the Arts & Music festival.

Alverson's company, Classic Events, is organizing the two festivals for Ross Bridge developer Daniel Corp. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.

"With this new event tacking on to Arts & Music on the Green, we're already assured of a good crowd that's already there," Alverson said. "We're right there in the middle of Ross Bridge, which is such a distinctive community. It's just going to be a perfect backdrop for that type event."

The Hoover City Council approved a request last week for permission to sell beer and wine at the event.

Alverson said she did not yet have a list of wines, beers and vendors that will be available, but she hopes to include wines from the Alabama Wine Trail and other Southern wineries and beers from Southern microbreweries.

Samples will be free, but vendors also will have their products for sale, Alverson said.

Chefs from the metro area will hold cooking demonstrations and explain how to pair favorite recipes with wines and beers, she said. The live music is expected to be mostly smooth jazz, she said.
Uncorked! on the Green will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude with a 6 p.m. movie presentation.

Alverson said Brookwood Medical Center will be the title sponsor of Arts & Music on the Green. The sponsorship will help enable the awarding of cash prizes to artists for the first time in the event's history. The prize for "Best in Show" will be $500, Alverson said.
The Hoover Arts Alliance is also a sponsor. Alverson said the festival hopes to have 50-60 artists this year, up from the 35 who participated last year.

Arts & Music on the Green will include children's activities and live music all day.

UNCORKED! ON THE GREEN:
Wine and beer tasting festival WHERE: In the field on Grand Avenue at Ross Bridge WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 25, starting at 10 a.m. and ending with a movie presentation at 6 p.m. MORE: It will be in conjunction with the third annual Arts & Music on the Green, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Town Hall. For more information, call 680-5372 or visit www.uncorkedonthegreen.com