Hoover's Plans For Riverchase Middle School Property

HOOVER, AL - The Hoover Board of Education is looking at what it will do with the recently purchased property that was once Riverchase Middle School. In August, Hoover City Schools purchased the more than 90,000-square-foot campus from Pelham City Schools for $4.2 million. The campus is located on 41 acres on Willow Oak Drive.

After Pelham built a new middle school, the property was supposed to be sold to Heritage Christian Academy, but that deal fell through over concerns that the private school would not be able to fulfill the financial obligations of the contract. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

However, Hoover is looking to build a career innovation center at a newly-acquired school property. The center would house skilled trade academies such as building construction, computer science, culinary arts and hospitality, emergency and fire services, industrial automation systems and landscape management, in addition to a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Plans are still in the beginning stages and nothing has been finalized yet, but the plan has been supported by members of the school board.

Photo By A.J. Wright