Leeds Steers Course To Being An Alabama Community Of Excellence

By Cary Estes

Leeds is a mere 15 miles east of the ever-sprawling Birmingham, and signs of big-city encroachment are steadily popping up along the way. Most notably, Exit 140 off Interstate 20 – also known as “the Leeds exit” – has been transformed in recent years by the addition of the Barber Motorsports Park and Museum, the Outlet Shops of Grand River and the 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops.

Yet, all this modern commercial expansion is just a short drive away from the historic buildings of downtown Leeds and the rustic countryside of the Leeds Scenic Byway. The task facing city officials is to have the best of both these contrasting worlds. They want to embrace the economic progress that comes with such growth while maintaining the small-town charm and rural tranquility that attracted many people to Leeds in the first place.

With the help of the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) program, Leeds has chosen to navigate these waters by adopting a Smart Growth planning approach to development. “This is a part of Jefferson County that still hasn’t really been developed yet, but it’s going to get developed at some point,” says Leeds Mayor David Miller, who has held that position since 2012. “So you can either steer the ship or you can get run over by it. What we’re trying to do is steer the ship and make sure it’s done in a good, positive way.”

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