Author: Gina Clifford

A little doodle here, a little color there, and voila! – the perfect logo takes form. If only it were that simple. Designing a logo may seem relatively easy, but it’s deceptively difficult to achieve. A memorable logo involves research, much deliberation and a capable designer.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts found just the right designer – Anna Carter of AMD Creative in Birmingham – to create a logo for Celebration of the Alabama Arts, the Council’s biennial event that shines a spotlight on arts and creativity in Alabama and individuals who make significant contributions to the state’s rich cultural landscape. The previous logo had been around for 20 years, so it was time to update and modernize the program’s logo to better reflect its mission.

“For the Council on the Arts’ 2022 Celebration of Alabama Arts, we wanted to feature a new logo design that is cohesive and adaptable to diverse usages and speaks to Alabama’s vibrancy and creativity element,” explains Council on the Arts’ Executive Director, Dr. Elliot Knight. “The rebranding effort also included an updated name for the awards program, which, along with the logo, allowed us to highlight our appreciation for the art and creativity that abounds within our state – and the people who make it possible.”

When Carter, AMD Creative’s head graphic designer, first met with the Alabama State Council on the Arts she was happy about their excitement in re-branding and willingness to let her explore her creative side to see what she could come up with. Carter says this freedom allowed her to let her creativity flow to explore all design possibilities.

Typically, Carter spends most of her time before she begins designing looking to nature for guidance.  Nature provides the simple lines and geometric shapes that drive her design aesthetic which can be seen throughout most of her creative work. Her inspiration for the icon began when she started thinking about the word celebration. Her combination of modern sleek lines with geometric shapes brought about the firework icon that provides an eye-catching and memorable mark for those passing by it. Colors play an important role in determining a brand’s message and do so with this logo.

“When approaching this logo design, I wanted to make sure to give the Alabama State Council on the Arts a design that would remain as a timeless mark for the organization to be able to use for many years to come,” Carter explains. “Taking time to sit down and establish a cohesive look for any program you put on as an organization is important. Branding helps your audience to better understand your event’s mission and allows viewers to better connect with the values of the organization.”

As Carter began her design process, she worked with the Alabama State Council on the Arts to create three different logo options. This gave the Council the opportunity to “see a wide range of ideas and get their brains turning on what designs catch their eye,” she adds.

This process helps clients quickly determine what they like and do not like. From this process, and a few edits in between, she was able to narrow it down to the option that was selected. This logo was chosen because of its clean, sleek modern look while also maintaining fun elements that could be used all together to recognize the brand as a whole or be separated.

Her combination of rounded geometric forms and the script CA design brought together the playful, eye-catching icon. She also included the radiating lines coming out of the top of the icon to evoke a feeling of excitement. Lastly, she chose an energetic yet calming color palette to pair with the branding to complete the overall look.

“When people view this logo, I hope they will be inspired by the whimsical beauty of the arts and feel a creative spark ignite inside of them,” she says. “This logo should be an encouraging beacon for those making an impact on the Alabama arts community.”

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Anna Carter of AMD Creative

When thinking about historic Mobile homes, antebellum mansions likely come to mind. Those multi-story Greek Revival structures with massive columns, elaborate friezes and cast-iron balconies.

There’s another type of mid-19^th century home that is important to the history of the Port City, the Creole cottage, which today is appreciated for its minimal stylistic features and functionality.

One of Mobile’s earliest examples of Creole architecture is the Chinaberry Cottage completed in 1862. The main structure and two outbuildings, long derelict, have been renovated to retain their original character while being adapted for today’s commercial use. Just under 800 square feet were added to the original home.

Dakinstreet Architects in Mobile was the architecture firm of record and Burton Property Group was the developer. McNair Historic Preservation served as the lead historic preservation consulting firm and secured federal and state Historic Tax Credits, assisted with design and materials, and monitored historic easement compliance.

Retaining the original character of a building while adapting it for a new function can be challenging, as project architect Steve Stone of Dakinstreet Architects discovered.

“When committing to retention of the historic character, you need to balance it with modern codes, accessibility, and the owner’s desires,” Stone explains. “There was also a significant amount of irreparable damage to the rear of the home, so that had to be recreated using photos and a lot of back-and-forth design.”

Stone identifies two Creole-style features that dominate the original home – the full front porch, pulled relatively close to the street despite having a deep lot, and the large gabled roof turned toward the street instead of 90 degrees to it. 

“A handful of details throughout the building including dual interior fireplaces, lattice brickwork crawl space vents, and abundant wood shutters all pitch in to the overall feel,” Stone adds.

One of the outbuildings was originally a kitchen, which was common in those days to keep separate from the main house. The other outbuilding is commonly referred to as the chapel.

“But only because of a stained-glass window that was inserted into the building from a local church that was demolished,” notes Stephen McNair of McNair Historic Preservation. “In reality, it was a garden shed for tools and gardening.”

The main house is currently occupied as office space by an engineering firm. The kitchen will also be a single office. The chapel will remain a storage building.

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the Chinaberry Cottage includes characteristics common to the vernacular “Creole cottage” type of house that was common along the Gulf Coast, with most of structures found in southern Louisiana eastward to Mobile. A 1½‐story building with a basic four-room plan, gabled roof and no central hallway. A style influenced by both French and Spanish construction methods and the local climate. 

Though hard to imagine now in their renovated state, the cottage and its two outbuildings were so neglected that vines were taking over and the rear addition of the main house was collapsing. Yet the extensive work did not detract from the original character of the structures, which was necessary to keep intact to be eligible for tax incentives.

“In order for the project to remain within compliance with the historic easement and also meet the standards of the Department of the Interior to receive Historic Tax Credits,” says McNair, “all of the character defining features of the structures and grounds were retained with intentional detail.”

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Dakinstreet Architects

The Cahaba River is Alabama’s longest free-flowing river and one of the most biodiverse waterways on Earth with more species of fish than any river of its size in North America. It’s also home of the aquatic Cahaba lily with its dazzling three-inch-wide, star-shaped white flowers.

So, it comes as no surprise that the Cahaba River is a popular canoeing destination.

Listed as one of Alabama’s Seven Natural Wonders, the Cahaba River meanders through the greater Birmingham area including Irondale where a new parking area recently opened at Moon River Canoe Launch to provide better access to this remarkable waterway. This new launch area is part of the greater Cahaba Blueway.

Moon River Canoe Launch opened in 2013, but getting a canoe into the water at this spot was difficult without a way to drive up to the launch. The project was spearheaded by Freshwater Land Trust, a Birmingham-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve, connect, and care for land and water in Central Alabama, as a result creating dynamic green spaces for future generations.

Locating the gravel parking lot on the Alabama Department of Transportation right-of-way protects the area’s native habitat, notes Sam McCoy, Land Stewardship Director for the Freshwater Land Trust. The new parking area is designed to accommodate seven vehicles.

“There are floodplain wetlands located closer to the Cahaba River,” McCoy explains. “If we put the parking lot on FLT property, closer to the Cahaba, then we would’ve had to clear those wetlands to build the parking lot.  By putting the parking lot farther from the Cahaba, on the ALDOT right-of-way, those wetlands didn’t need to be cleared in order to construct the parking lot.”

Funding for the Moon River Canoe Launch parking area was provided by the following partners: the City of Irondale, The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, Alabama Power Foundation, Jefferson County Department of Health and Vulcan Materials Company.

The canoe launch was named for a roadhouse called Moon River Beach, a one-stop gas station, fish camp and dance hall that operated from the 1930s to the early 1950s along the Cahaba River on U.S. 78. Painted on the two-story log structure was a sign: Swim Dine Dance. These early roadhouses were the original mixed-use buildings.

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Freshwater Land Trust

Called the “Crossroads of North Alabama,” Priceville is expected to double in size within the next five years. In keeping with this projected growth is the Priceville Event & Recreation Center now under construction. Montgomery-based Chambless King Architects has designed the 25,000-square-foot facility to house fitness, sports and banquet space inside its modern, clean lines.

The Priceville Event and Recreation Center is the first step in the city’s plan to expand its downtown area known as Priceville Commons. The long-term goal is to create a mixed-use, walkable area surrounding the city hall. Located on Marco Drive near Priceville Town Hall which houses city hall and the courthouse, the center consists of a primary gymnasium and two single-story, multi-purpose fitness support wings.

The 10,100-square-foot gymnasium design includes an elevated walking track and tiered seating for 320 spectators. The floor can be configured for one full-size or two youth basketball courts, one futsal court, one volleyball court, or banquets accommodating up to 400 guests. The multi-purpose fitness wings feature a cardio and strength training room, along with additional spaces for small-scale banquets and virtual fitness training.

Chambless King Architects note that the center’s exterior visually complements city hall through matching brick and cast stone veneers, while introducing a playful aesthetic reflective of the energy a recreation center needs through multi-colored panels and translucent glass. That energy extends to the interior where an abundance of natural light and soft, comfortable materials help define and support the multi-use facility.

Plans also include pedestrian connections between the recreation center and city hall with ample lawn space designed to enhance activities at both locations and encourage community gathering.

“We feel a responsibility to truly serve and invest in the communities where we live and work,” said Michael Shows, lead architect on the project and principal at Chambless King Architects. “Open communication with the city council has allowed us to develop design solutions that address not only the current needs of the community but help plan for future growth of the Priceville Commons development. We are proud to be part of a project that will have such a lasting, positive impact.”

Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin wants Marco Drive to be “our new downtown city center,” with the center setting a standard for what the city wants future development to look like.

The project is expected to be completed in mid-November.

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Chambless King Architects

Ways to make improvements to the Twin Beech/Houstonville community near Fairhope, which predates the city itself, was addressed at a DesignVision workshop. DesignAlabama, along with Design Initiative and Auburn University’s Urban Studio, joined members of the Baldwin County planning department and community members in a two-day charette.   

The focus was the entire Twin Beech community, which is not so much geographically defined as it is defined by the people and places that have resided there for generations, explains Marshall Anderson of Design Initiative, who served as facilitator.  Some areas considered part of the community have been annexed into adjacent jurisdictions, including the City of Fairhope.  The specific areas of focus included the Rotary Youth Club and the historic Anna T. Jeanes school site, as well as the major intersections within the community.

“The issues that were brought to our attention were mainly centered around current and future development and how that is eroding the community’s sense of place and identity,” Anderson notes.  “Property that was once rural and agricultural in nature is being purchased and developed into multi-family housing.  Because it is in the unincorporated county, there is no strict zoning and land-use to limit nor guide development, and you don’t have the same design standards that a city like Fairhope has to help govern what gets built.  The community also feels like it does not have a voice nor a seat at the table when discussions are had and decisions get made that directly impact their collective future.”

A solution the group presented was to focus on better definition of the existing networks, including streets.  Information about Complete Streets was provided as a way to begin to enhance existing infrastructure (the street network), making it not only safer but multi-modal for cyclists and pedestrians. Recommendations included walking trails and sidewalks along major arterials connecting existing nodes (Rotary Youth Club, school site, local churches), and bike lanes to add accessibility. Also reduce vehicle travel widths and encourage reduced speeds, crosswalks at major intersections, bioswales to incorporate effective stormwater management at critical locations, as well as buffer pedestrians and cyclist from vehicles, shade trees and street lights.

“Finally, we made recommendations to look for community gathering nodes, taking advantage of current and planned community venues,” Anderson says. “The Rotary Youth Club was used as a space for community gathering in the past, but has been developed as a school in its current life.  There are ways to keep the school function while providing more community access to the site for recreational use (basketball court, baseball field, community playground, walking trails).  Our recommendation gave them an example of how the two different uses could mutually coexist.”

The DesignVision team also proposed a long-term aspirational goal of giving new life to the Anna T. Jeanes school site as a new K-8 grade school for the county, with a focus on life-sciences and the arts. Owned by Baldwin County Board of Education, the school served Black students first through ninth grades beginning in 1913. When schools in the Fairhope area were desegregated, the campus became the Fairhope Intermediate School in 1970.

“The community has historic ties to this site as well, with Anna T. Jeanes schools being built all across the southeast, especially in rural communities, for African American children,” adds Anderson.  “The site holds the potential to bridge this historic use with the future, taking advantage of the site’s unique topography and hydrology.  Outdoor classrooms, science labs, as well as dual-purpose spaces that can serve the communities interest in arts and education.”

Clarice Hall-Black, a member of the City of Fairhope Planning Commission who participated in the DesignVision workshop, grew up in South Fairhope and is a member of the Houston family who founded the community. She is also a founder of Fairhope Unite, a nonprofit that has proposed an option to turn the Anna T. Jeanes school into a community center. Among the popular ideas that came out of DesignVision, Hall-Black says, include extending sidewalks and using traffic calming techniques such as placing a statue or large planters in certain areas in the middle of the street.  

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of DesignAlabama

A well-designed office space motivates employees and conveys the appropriate image to clients and customers – key ingredients to help a company prosper. Birmingham-based Hoffman Media has found the right place to achieve those objectives. The special-interest magazine and book publisher purchased a building in downtown Birmingham that is being transformed into its new headquarters.

Williams Blackstock Architects and the construction firm Robins & Morton have begun an interior renovation of the property at 2323 Second Avenue North, formerly the law office of Waldrep, Stewart and Kendrick. The existing building was demolished to the exterior wall to allow for a complete interior redesign. Plans for the two-story building include the addition of video and photography production studios, test kitchens and office space. Target date for completion is August 2022.

“The design of the interior provides a beautiful blend of brand reflection with highly functioning media space to support their creative efforts,” explains John Beason, who is recognized as an interior design leader at Williams Blackstock.  “An existing spiral staircase and skylight serve as a central visual axis while providing open access between floors.  The layout of the overall floor plan prioritizes spaces that support all their printed and digital media efforts, which includes a sewing studio, 12 recipe development stations, filming and photography studios.” 

The interior consists of approximately 20,000 square feet with predominately exposed stained concrete and patterned modular carpet tile for flooring, paint and decorative tile for walls, painted decorative wood base and trim and a good balance of both painted exposed and finished ceiling types.

Beason describes the office space as very efficiently designed to provide a “hybrid” approach where employees work from home and at the office.  Most employees will not have a dedicated office or workstation.  Strategic integration of technology and lighting throughout the building is key to the functional success of the space. The interior is being designed to support all of the company’s printed and digital media efforts that will result in a facility that is versatile, highly efficient and that supports their highly collaborative creative efforts, adds Beason, who believes this, along with the unique design features incorporated into the space, will attract and retain top talent to continue to grow their business.

Hoffman Media specializes in publications targeted to the women’s market. Founded in 1983 and renamed Hoffman Media in 1998, the company is the No. 70 largest private firm in Birmingham and is the No. 4 of the top women-owned businesses, based on total revenue in 2012, according to the Birmingham Business Journal’s List. Victoria, Cooking with Paula Deen and Taste of the South are among the magazines published by Hoffman Media.

“Thoughtful application of color and pattern on construction materials and furniture will be seen throughout the building which speak to their media efforts which focus on the interests of women,” Beason says. “The interior purposely departs from the look of historical mundane office space.  This approach is not new to the commercial office industry, but is very relevant to the aesthetic success of Hoffman Media.” 

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Williams Blackstock

Each spring, the Alabama League of Municipalities (ALM) hosts its Annual Convention and Expo providing timely general and concurrent sessions, access to municipal vendors and state agencies as well as outstanding networking opportunities for municipal officials and employees. This multi-day event is the largest event hosted by the League and is carefully planned to maximize the time and attention of attendees. League leadership is also elected each year at the Annual Business Session held during Convention. This year’s Annual Convention and Expo will be held in Tuscaloosa May 11-14 and will feature keynote sessions by Coach Nick Saban as well as Brittany Wagner, academic athletic counselor, author and breakout star of the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U. Concurrent sessions will include topics such as Short-Term Rentals, How to Have Constructive Conversations with Citizens, Opportunity Alabama, Law Enforcement Hot Topics, Grant Writing 101 and Broadband Initiatives. For more information about ALM’s convention, click here and for a convention Quick Guide click here.

 

Alabama is among the five states whose natural heritage, culture and economy have been shaped in large part by bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Encompassing over five million acres, the Gulf’s rich habitats help make it one of the most ecologically and economically productive bodies of water in the world.

In 2018, the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability was founded in Gulf Shores to promote sustainable tourism, environmental awareness and stewardship of the Gulf Coast’s natural resources. Its activities and programs will be enhanced with the new Gulf Coast Eco Center. This ecotourism and experiential learning facility is set to be constructed on city-owned property using funds from the RESTORE act, penalties resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill allocated for restoring and protecting the Gulf Coast. Construction is estimated to start summer 2022 and a grand opening projected for March 2024. 

A range of camps, classes, workshops, and environmental leadership programs for student groups, families, hospitality industry partners, residents, and tourists will be available at the new Center, explains Travis Langen, executive director of the nonprofit Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability. Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment programs will also be part of the new Center. These programs include educational camps, retreats, family camps and excursions.

The city of Gulf Shores partnered with Birmingham-based ArchitectureWorks and Fairhope-based WATERSHED to design a sustainable facility that reflects the mission to protect the natural resources of the Gulf Coast. Gulf Coast Eco Center will include a great hall and dining area, classrooms and outdoor learning The infrastructure, ropes courses and team-building areas, accessible trails and pathways and administrative spaces, organic gardens and greenhouses, learning laboratories, housing for instructors, interactive sustainability offices.

 “Our design approach to the Center focused on preserving the site and integrating the buildings into the forest. Sustainability design focused on orientation of the buildings as well as local resources for building materials,” explains Jay Pigford of ArchitectureWorks.

“Water collection not only serves the buildings and farming, but also becomes an overt educational tool for programs. Open air circulation in the buildings and screen porches keep the visitor engaged with the environment while fans and deep overhangs provide cooling in these spaces. Expansive glass connects the interior spaces to the surrounding forest and floods the buildings with natural light. The buildings are scaled to nestle into the site using natural wood finishes and colors to blend with the environment.”

WATERSHED is the local architect on the job and is working with ArchitectureWorks, the architect of record for the project. “They bring a lot of experience with experimental education to the project and we are bringing our knowledge of sustainable design for the gulf coast, but both firms bring more than that of course, and in the end it just all goes into the mix with the client’s vision and needs,” notes WATERSHED Principal and co-founder Rebecca Dunn Bryant

WATERSHED initially developed a conceptual design for the camp with the city of Gulf Shores and helped them to secure Restore Act funding for the project, which will be going out to bid this spring.

“This facility will be an important part of the growing ecotourism market for the Gulf Coast, and will provide incredible experiences in nature for school children from Gulf Shores, Baldwin County and around the region,” Bryant adds. “We always try to seek out projects that have the potential to create positive change for a community. The Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability has the potential not just to create positive environmental impacts with the sustainable design and regenerative landscape, but to impact every person who visits.”

Alabama boasts many distinctive towns that radiate a special quality and identity. One that tops the list is Tuscumbia, part of the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area. Incorporated in 1820, it’s one of Alabama’s oldest communities whose charming downtown is noted for its large inventory of historic buildings.

Yet even the best communities can make improvements. That’s what brought a team of designers to Tuscumbia to brainstorm ideas and generate solutions through DesignPlace, a local design and planning initiative sponsored by DesignAlabama. Residents and community leaders joined forces with design professionals to find ways to make Tuscumbia an even better place to live, work and visit.

Jason Fondren, an urban designer with KPS Group, served as team facilitator. He and his team identified several noteworthy assets that can be built on in Tuscumbia’s revitalization efforts. Its historic downtown, small town atmosphere and Helen Keller’s birthplace. In addition, its green space known as the Commons and Spring Park, a downtown attraction featuring a 51-foot fountain and a waterfall constructed with over 2,000 tons of sandstone.

Fondren says Tuscumbia citizens expressed interest in boosting tourism and accelerating private investment in their downtown in retail, restaurants and residential development. 

The team recommended improving community gateways so visitors know when they have entered Tuscumbia and also as a means to foster civic pride. Therefore, a top priority is to develop a new brand identity to help market Tuscumbia to potential visitors and a wayfinding signage system to lead visitors to all destinations Tuscumbia has to offer, Fondren explains.

Such a plan would begin by creating the new brand identity with associated graphics and then prepare a wayfinding master plan. The new community brand would be incorporated in the design of wayfinding signs. Fondren says the sign system would likely be fabricated and installed in phases due to cost.

Develop the north section of the Commons for passive recreational use was also recommended. The Commons green space, Fondren believes, was intended to surround the original city limits. It was laid out as a large rectangle, but only the north side of the rectangle ended up as a linear green space, he adds, and the east and west sides became streets.

To increase downtown residential development, the team suggested moving the public works department out of its present location between the downtown and historic district and replace it with housing. And complete a private project to turn the adjacent former board of education building into additional housing.

A major benefit of DesignPlace is community involvement, notesTuscumbia Mayor Kerry Underwood, who appreciates the forum DesignPlace provided that allowed citizens to express their ideas.

“Tuscumbia has many historically significant assets that are not only locally important, but internationally as well,” he points out. “One of the ideas we presented was how we can better connect those assets and make them more of a part of our everyday lives. This is true not only for those who live here, but for our tourism guests as well.  The project that I was most intrigued by was their designed use of our Commons area on the north side of the city.”

What remains of the Commons is the best example of the grassy square that was laid out around the entire city when originally platted in 1817, he notes.  Set aside for public use, it is predominantly undeveloped green space that would be better served as usable green space. 

“The design team envisioned a beautiful space connected by walking trails and sculpture gardens that allow for all citizenship to enjoy outside activities at an area that is uniquely Tuscumbia.  The funding and completion of this area would be of high interest to me because of it’s linking to our past while enabling current use as a quality-of-life improvement.”

Councilman William Foster agrees that DesignPlace was a good fit for Tuscumbia, and he also appreciated how the team found innovative ways to implement the citizen’s ideas. Also, how the design professionals managed to identify problems and suggest solutions that were “not even in our radar.”

Citizens want to increase connectivity and make their town accessible to all, along with attracting more businesses and customers to the downtown district while maintaining its historical significance. The Tuscumbia Historic District contains 461 contributing properties and covers about 232 acres of the town’s original boundaries. The oldest houses in the district are Tidewater-type cottages, a style native to the Middle Atlantic. The district also contains some of the oldest commercial buildings in Alabama and a block known as Commercial Row developed in the mid-1830s.

Foster says Tuscumbia is one of only two cities in the United States — Boston being the other – with a Commons that surrounds the entire city.  Tuscumbia is also noted for Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller, and an annual Native American gathering called Oka Kapassa held in Spring Park. Tuscumbia is also where the Alabama Music Hall of Fame is located.

“We have such a great town and the people of Tuscumbia are great,” Foster says.  “Simple things as in signage, branding, and use of space is key to bring it all together and make us noticeable. Tuscumbia is a small city of less than 9,000 in population.  We are one of four cities that makes up the Shoals, so it is hard to compete with other cities in the same area.  Getting our own Identity without disrupting what we have is tough.” 

Foster embraced the idea of creating a logo for branding purposes, likely to be implemented early and to include waypoints and signage throughout the city.  He also favors the proposed use of green space and walking trails, and would like to see these enhancements implemented soon.

Working with the city to help make DesignPlace a success was Carson Brite​, a senior at the University of North Alabama in Florence who serves as an assistant to Mayor Underwood. Brite assisted with logistics such as scheduling and making arrangements for the design team’s visit.

“Additionally, I had the opportunity to participate in several brainstorming sessions regarding Tuscumbia’s unique opportunities. This included a visit to Montgomery to strategize with the DesignAlabama team, as well as multiple site visits.”

Brite says he gained a unique perspective on the relationship between local governments and the range of services and organizations they partner with to deliver improvements to their constituents.

“Being able to assist Mayor Underwood in this process has certainly improved my ability to navigate complex projects while remaining consistently effective throughout,” adds Brite, a senior majoring in political science with a minor in public administration.

On the design team with Fondren were Amy Smith, a landscape architect with Studio A Design; Andrew Bryant, an architect with Design Initiative; Stephen Schrader, a landscape architect with Renta Urban Land Design; and Nathan Willingham, a planner with Rural Innovation Strategies.

Challenges are part of any ambitious endeavor.  For Tuscumbia, this includes securing funding for proposed public projects and gaining control over a key downtown building, which until recently housed an essential downtown business but is now vacant, notes Fondren.

Another challenge is finding effective ways to increase tourism. Tuscumbia and its neighboring towns collectively contain many interesting places and activities that can attract significantly more visitors. By working together, the communities in the Shoals can significantly increase tourism. A win-win for the entire region. 

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of DesignAlabama

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The Civilian Conservation Corps work relief program offered millions of jobs on environmental projects during the Great Depression and was among Roosevelt’s most successful New Deal programs. The CCC planted more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide and helped shape today’s national and state park systems.

One of two stone lookout towers built by the CCC in Alabama is on Flagg Mountain located in the Weogufka State Forest in Coosa County. The stair to the historic Flagg Mountain Tower is undergoing restoration and a near half-mile accessible approach trail to the tower designed by Macknally Land Design was recently constructed. An Alabama Trails Foundation project in partnership with the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Once the tower restoration is complete, visitors will again be able to climb the stairs to the cab, or top viewing enclosure, for panoramic views of the Talladega National Forest and Coosa River Valley. The tower area is closed until renovation is complete this year.

The intent of the approach trail design was to create a gentle trek from the trailhead to the tower, explains Lea Ann Macknally of Macknally Land Design. The layout of the trail was planned initially with available grades to determine length necessary to achieve accessibility compliance. Macknally worked closely with the contractor, Landscape Services, to field layout the trail to meet desired viewing areas and work around boulder outcroppings. Site fieldstone was used to armor turns and to create a ‘baffle’ edge to the trail to minimize visual impact of the paved surface from the tower. The trail was laid out to preserve existing trees and site vegetation such as native blueberry masses.

“Material for the accessible trail was highly vetted and integral color concrete with an Alabama ochre stain was determined to be the most suitable for the location and intent, considering consistent surfacing for accessibility, durability for minimal maintenance, and forest management activities, such as prescribed burns,” adds Macnally. 

The trail head parking area was designed to work with the grade to minimize earthwork, she said, to preserve existing vegetation and create a low-impact amenity for visitors to the Pinhoti Trail and Flagg Mountain.

“We didn’t plant any vegetation along the trail, other than a native seed mix that Lea Ann prescribed for the disturbed areas,” explains Cindy Ragland, executive director of the Alabama Trails Foundation Inc.  “The Foundation, along with the Alabama Forestry Commission, felt strongly that the trail should feature the native vegetation.” 

The location of the tower is significant in that it is situated atop the southernmost peak at over 1,000 feet elevation in the Appalachian Mountains, observes Will McGarity, project architect of the tower stair restoration, a project he began while employed with ArchitectureWorks. Though he is now founder and principal of Stick Architecture, he remains in the role of project architect as a contract worker for ArchitectureWorks while the project is completed.  

The tower is historically and architecturally significant. Materials for its construction, specifically the stone, seems to have come from or near the site of the tower, McGarity says. The stone for the tower is 4-feet thick at the base and steps up to 16-inch thick at the top.

“Though built mostly by hand, the tower remains roughly 1/16 inch out of square at its base,” notes McGarity. “Which is an impressive tolerance for this type of construction. This was built by a builder who knew how to build and build well.”

The scope includes removing the existing stick-built staircase and replacing it with glue-laminated timber stair, replacing and repairing windows and doors, and other interior and exterior work . Once complete, the tower will be the starting and southernmost point of the Pinhoti Trail.

McGarity says the trail to the tower meanders up the hillside to provide an accessible slope, but it also affords many vistas to the valleys beyond. It is a little over 1/3 of a mile walk from the parking area to the tower base.

“The tower is ‘unveiled’ slowly as you walk up the trail,” McGarity explains. “Catching glimpses of it along the walk and then unveiling itself fully as you crest the top of the hill. The path and parking lot provide a more organized approach to the tower. Vehicular traffic near the tower is limited to maintenance vehicles only.”

One of the state’s oldest longleaf pines is living near the tower, adds Ragland.  The plan is to take the seeds and seedlings from that original genetic stock to reestablish longleaf in areas to use as parking barriers and along the trail.

Mountain Longleaf Pine is an important ecosystem. Longleaf pine once extended over a vast area in the Southeast, but only in Northeast Alabama and Northwest Georgia did forests extend beyond the Coastal Plain, through the Piedmont and into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The most damaging impact has been from the curtailment of fire. Without fire, longleaf pine seedlings fail to regenerate, hardwoods encroach on the forest, and the land is eventually transformed into an upland deciduous forest. A prescribed fire was recently executed in the Flagg Mountain area.

Vistas make the new trail particularly inviting, and Ragland notes that Flagg Mountain is between the Coosa and Tallapoosa valleys.  “In particular, on the Tallapoosa side, the switchbacks of the trails are located so that you can see the last hills of the Appalachians as they roll into the floodplain,” she explains.  “On clear days you can pick out some of the antennas on the buildings in Montgomery.”

*Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Macknally Land Design and Will McGarity