Coston General Contractors won the Lake House job with the lowest of eight bids. The council also renewed the Bluff Park police substation lease for five years.

Hoover will build a new Lake House. The Hoover City Council on Monday, Oct. 12, awarded the construction contract to Coston General Contractors.

Coston’s base bid was $818,800, the lowest of eight bids. It was the third time the city had put the project out to bid. That is according to the city’s summary of the Oct. 12 meeting.

The same meeting kept a Hoover Police Department substation open in Bluff Park and added time and money to a federal training center expansion next to the Public Safety Center.

What the Lake House will have

The city said the new building will include:

  • a 900-square-foot main event room
  • a kitchen and food prep areas
  • restrooms

It is meant for small groups of 50 to 75 people, the city said. City Administrator Brian Muenger presented the item. The full discussion is in the meeting video, starting at 28 minutes.

The city’s summary does not give a start date or a completion date for construction.

Bluff Park keeps its police substation

Council members voted unanimously to renew a five-year lease with Harden Properties. The lease lets the Hoover Police Department keep its substation in the Bluff Park community.

The substation opened in December 2006. The city said residents pushed for more police presence that year after an armed robbery at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. The department did not have the money for a substation at the time.

Bluff Park business owner Ken Harden then let the city lease one of his storefronts for $250 a month. The city said he has kept that discounted rate over the years. The council recognized Harden after the vote. The presentation is in the meeting video at about nine minutes.

More time and money for the forensics institute expansion

The council accepted a change order on the expansion of the National Computer Forensics Institute. The institute is next to the city’s Public Safety Center on Valleydale Road.

The contractor, MJ Harris, asked for 44 more days and $116,407.31 to finish the work. The city said one reason was a large amount of unexpected rock on the site, which stalled the project.

Also at the meeting

  • Mayor Nick Derzis invited residents to Taste of Hoover on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Aldridge Gardens.
  • The mayor and council recognized the Alpha Beta Psi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, chartered in Hoover in 2023. The city said the chapter has given $10,500 in scholarships to students at Hoover and Spain Park high schools.

What it means for you

  • Want to rent the Lake House? It is not built yet. The city has not said when it will open or what it will cost to book. We will report both when the city publishes them.
  • Live in Bluff Park? The police substation stays for at least five more years under the new lease.
  • Want to weigh in? Council members hold a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the meeting room at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway. The city’s notice does not list a topic.
  • Next council dates: a work session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, and a regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, both at City Hall, 100 Municipal Lane.

Who to reach at the city is on our City Hall contacts page. For other city meetings, see our public notices page.