$9.2 million renovation planned to turn vacant hotel into services and housing for veterans

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The Tunnel to Towers Foundation said remodeling of a vacant hotel off Highway 280 is expected to begin by the end of summer with construction set to wrap by the end of the year and a ribbon cutting planned for early 2027.

The national nonprofit has acquired the hotel at 4300 Colonnade Parkway and plans to convert it into what it calls a Veterans Village — offering up to 110 studio apartments for veterans to stay as long as they need.

‘Long-term sustainability model’

Gavin Naples, Executive Vice President of Tunnel to Towers, said many existing transitional programs fall short because of their limited timeframes.

“A lot of transitional programs that exist throughout the nation are of a finite nature, their government subsidizes for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months, nine months, and then you have to go somewhere else and then somewhere else and then somewhere else,” Naples said.

Naples said the Veterans Village concept is designed to address the root causes of homelessness.

“What we’re trying to achieve in the gap we’re trying to fill is a long-term sustainability model, which we think really does not exist or does not exist in the rate in which it needs to,” Naples said.

Hotel stripped to the studs

Naples said using an existing building speeds up the process, but the hotel will be gutted entirely.

“The first floor already has banquet halls, meeting rooms, things like that; we blast all that out, and we make all of our dining rooms, lounges, libraries, game rooms, rooms, multipurpose rooms, screening rooms, workforce development areas, all the facilities for our veterans,” Naples said.

Community partners, wraparound services

Naples described the facility as a hub for community organizations focused on veteran support.

“It’s in the financial literacy groups, the PTSD groups, the cooking classes, the art therapy. The music therapy. People will come out of the woodwork to funnel services and resources to our building. It makes it the most comprehensive place possible; it really makes veterans feel a part of the community, which is very therapeutic,” Naples said.

On-site services will include job training and employment support, mental health and PTSD counseling, addiction recovery services, educational resources, medical care access, and help navigating VA benefits.

The $9.2 million project is the latest expansion of Tunnel to Towers’ national Homeless Veteran Program, which launched in 2022. Since then, the foundation said it has helped more than 15,000 veterans and their families through its Veterans Villages and National Case Management Network.

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