Neighborhoods plan next move after storm

Cedar Crest

By Jasmine Cannon

When the tornado pummeled down 15thStreet on April 27, much of the Cedar Crest community was hit and damaged. Now the area is in its cleaning up and rebuilding phase.

Melissa Powell, along with her daughter Meghan and husband Richard, who works for the University, received damage to the back of their house, while the front remained untouched. Powell recalls large amounts of glass and gravel from the surrounding buildings being in her backyard. They have been working to repair the damages sustained by their home. 

“It’s been a stressful three months, and everything has changed, but also now we should be excited about the changes,” said Powell, who has lived in the neighborhood for 14 years. “The city’s come out with a new city plan, so this is going to be like a village neighborhood; it’s going to be mixed with some residential and some retail.”

There were some houses in the neighborhood that were left without a scratch. Others received slight damage, and some residents are in the process of rebuilding their homes from the ground up. Powell said she thinks the area will be rebuilt as a residence and business establishment community. Some of the businesses that were located on the outskirts of Cedar Crest include Express Oil Change and Krispy Kreme Donuts.

“It’s good to see people building back, and now I’m just anticipating seeing what’s going to become of our neighborhood,” Powell said.

Some of the houses in Cedar Crest are rented and lived in by students. Cedar Crest Apartments, which also housed fellow UA students, was one of the landmarks of the community that was ruined.

Construction and clean-up crews have been working to clear away the area where the apartments once stood, as well as areas outside of Cedar Crest.

“After they tear it down, we pick it up,” said Marcus Jones, one of the members of the crew. “It’s a good thing that people are trying to [get the city back together].”

Once crews clean up the areas, rebuilding can begin.

According to the new Tuscaloosa Forward plan, there will be changes such as improved bicycle and walk lanes, as well as a greater variety of retail establishments in and around Cedar Crest as it is rebuilt.