What’s Next for Montgomery’s Oldest Community, Cottage Hill?

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For people living in the Cottage Hill neighborhood, a vision is finally becoming a reality as they see a transformation of their area, which they believe highlights the historical district that has been forgotten.

This quiet neighborhood overlooking downtown Montgomery, is gaining life.

“There are a number of things that represent about fifty or sixty million dollars,” says Mayor Todd Strange.

It all starts with adding to Montgomery’s history- the construction of a lynching memorial, a project by the Equal Justice Initiative and just blocks away the Hilltop Arms Building.

While no plans are set in stone for the Hilltop Arms that towers over Montgomery, the property has been purchased, which could add value in the future just as other renovations in the Cottage Hill area.

“We’ve spent a million or so dollars in that five points area, hoping that the private sector would in fact come in,” says Strange.

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange says that private sector has indeed come in. City leaders have spent several years to make their vision a reality.  That reality consists of turning this area of abandoned buildings located in the heart of Cottage Hill into an arts and cultural district.

“The community is really excited about things that are going on. This has really been a community led development not a top up development or top down development,” says Chase Fisher of the Five Points Cultural Commission.

The efforts to transform this area-that also represents the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March into an arts and cultural district, enhances what the “Sanctuary and Jubilee Center” has already accomplished.

“There’s everything from yoga classes to church meetings to singer-songwriter nights and concerts,” says Fisher.

While Cottage Hill is known for its unique Queen Anne homes built from the 1800’s Fisher says adding a touch of the arts gives people another reason to visit the area. One of those areas that could see redevelopment is just blocks away, where the old Capitol Inn Hotel once stood. Some question why the hotel was torn down earlier this year. Jim Bohanan says it was the only feasible thing to do.

“The hotel was older and it was very difficult to get clientele to come in for the hotel so the hotel was really a loser so we thought after a lot of time and effort and thought by the owner, that it needed to be shutdown and most people that looked at this property felt. That redevelopment was better,” says Bohanan.

What’s next for the space? Whether it’s another hotel or retail, Bohanan says there wouldn’t be any restrictions for development in the historic district.
Joey Brackner has lived in his historic home for 30-years and says it’s refreshing to see the changes around him.

“I’m really happy to see the commercial front on Goldwaithe as well old Hilltop Arms come along and contribute,” says Brackner.

The homes around Brackner are much like his, either renovated or maintained to keep their structure.

“Before they would just come in and just demolish these nice houses and don’t realize the value and historical part of it and some things are meant to be preserved and I think it’s a great thing of what they’re doing,” says resident Kenneth Odom.

In addition to preserving of these cottages, the Winter Place Mansion is currently being renovated. Some believe the mansion will soon become a bed and breakfast. It’s something they hope will add value to the area as well.

“Somebody has to be taking care of it and using it and I think we see that going on here and we’re very happy about it,” says Brackner.

It’s not just these homes and abandoned buildings that catching on to change but just a few blocks away, also over looking downtown Montgomery, A soon to be biergarten.

“We want to be known as an innovation hub on this end, says Warnke.

Adam Warnke and others part of the project are hoping to make the biergarten as original to a German style biergarten as possible.

“We’ll have string lights and we’ll have a fence coming up right here and then we’ll have seating. People will be able to sit on this back patio and the actual back patio we’ll have tables and chairs and we’ll have a deck that goes. Around and ties in,” says Warnke.

Once completed, Warnke believes the biergarten will blend in with what leaders are already creating for the future of Cottage Hill.

“We think if we start revitalizing these commercial cores and parts of Montgomery that have typically been abandoned that that really offers the opportunity for those neighborhoods start coming back and houses to be revitalized and people having wealth and enjoying their community once again and having their part of montgomery that they’re really proud to call home,” says Fisher.

Jim Bohanan, who represents the owner of the old Capitol Inn Hotel space says  he hopes to know more about what that space could possibly be by July of this year.