Two New Hardware Stores for Vestavia Hills – and Hoover Library Goes Viral

Not every week brings a $76 million shopping center sale. Some weeks, the news is quieter – a hardware store, a library video – but it is exactly this kind of news that tells you a community is healthy. Here is what is happening in Vestavia Hills and Hoover right now.

What is coming to The Bray at Liberty Park?

The family behind Compton Ace Hardware in Crestline Park is opening a second location at The Bray at Liberty Park in Vestavia Hills, according to Bham Now. They opened their first store at 4500 Montevallo Road in 2022, and after four strong years they are expanding. The new store will be about 12,000 to 15,000 square feet – larger than the original. Construction begins before the end of 2026, with an expected opening in fall 2027. For Liberty Park homeowners, that means no more cross-town runs for a can of paint or a spare bolt – and one more sign that The Bray is filling out into a true neighborhood hub.

When does Ace of the Hills open on Olde Town Road?

Vestavia’s hardware boom does not stop there. Ace of the Hills is opening at 680 Olde Town Road, with a grand opening set for September 11-13, 2026. Two new hardware stores announced for one suburb in the same week is the kind of everyday retail investment that follows rooftops – retailers go where households are growing and homes are being cared for.

Why is the Hoover Public Library in SPIN Magazine?

Because its staff might be the most entertaining librarians in America right now. Since May, the Hoover Public Library team has been posting videos that match popular song lyrics to book titles pulled from its shelves, with staff lip-syncing along. The series took off – first a feature on Good Morning America, and on September 1 a shoutout from SPIN Magazine, which called the library’s R.E.M. video (“It’s the End of the World as We Know It”) “an absolutely delightful watch.” That clip alone racked up more than 41,000 views in its first days, per Bham Now. It is a fun story – and a reminder that Hoover’s library system is one of the best amenities any Birmingham-area suburb offers.

What does this mean if you are buying or selling here?

Steady retail investment and strong public amenities are two of the quiet forces that hold up property values Over the Mountain. Liberty Park keeps adding daily-needs retail on top of new construction; Hoover keeps proving why its schools, parks, and library draw families. If you have been watching the area, catch up on more local momentum in our recent Vestavia Hills business roundup and Hoover and Trussville openings guide.

Vestavia Hills & Hoover FAQ

New to the area, or about to be? Our relocation guides for Vestavia Hills and Hoover cover the property tax math, utilities by provider and how school zoning actually works in each city.