Trussville Approves Two Big Land Deals: What Happens Next?

What did the Trussville City Council approve?

At its Tuesday meeting, the council passed two separate land measures, each by a 4-1 vote. The first sells roughly two acres of city-owned land along Watterson Parkway to Actus Development LLC. The second approves a transaction with developer B4 Development LLC tied to the old Gold Kist site in Paine Industrial Park. Councilor Jim Miller cast the lone no vote on both, and Councilor Brian Jackson later posted a detailed explanation of his yes votes on Facebook, as reported by the Trussville Tribune.

What is the Watterson Parkway deal?

The city agreed to sell about two acres to Actus Development for $200,000 – roughly $100,000 per acre. Jackson said a 2024 appraisal on the same parent property came back around $97,000 per acre, and other commercial land nearby has ranged from about $49,000 to $230,000 per acre. In his words, the question was whether the price falls in a reasonable market range, and he concluded it does.

One important detail for neighbors watching this one: the sale is contingent on approval of a planned unit development (PUD), so the specific project on that land still has to come back through the public process before anything is final.

What is happening at the former Gold Kist site?

The bigger deal involves the long-vacant former Gold Kist chicken-processing property in Paine Industrial Park. Under the agreement, about 48 acres would be conveyed to B4 Development as part of a transaction that includes around $764,000 in demolition and site-cleaning costs at the old facility. The city would keep about 94 acres for future industrial redevelopment.

Jackson walked through his math publicly. He valued the 48-acre tract at roughly $25,000 per acre – about $1.2 million – because of its rough terrain, lack of clearing and the cost of getting it ready to build. After crediting the demolition work, he figured the gap at around $436,000, and said tearing down the old plant could add about $1.4 million in value to the land the city still owns.

Why did one councilor vote no?

Councilor Jim Miller said he wanted a current 2026 appraisal before selling the Watterson Parkway land. Jackson responded that a new appraisal could offer another professional opinion, but he did not see enough concern about the prior valuations to delay the deal. Reasonable people can land on either side of that one – it is the kind of healthy debate that comes with a fast-growing city.

What does this mean for Trussville homeowners?

Trussville has been one of the busiest growth stories in the Birmingham metro this year. These two votes come on the heels of the scaled-back Riggins property plan off Camp Coleman Road – we covered that in our post on the Riggins development. Cleaning up an old industrial eyesore and putting idle city land back into private hands generally means more jobs, a stronger tax base and steady housing demand over time.

If you are thinking about buying in the area, our Trussville community guide covers neighborhoods, schools and what your money buys right now.

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