In the next four years, Tuscaloosa will see development projects in poverty-stricken areas and construction overhauls, according to a plan released by Mayor Walt Maddox on May 23.

A large portion of the plan concerned the improvement of lower-income areas throughout Tuscaloosa. Maddox plans on tackling this issue with his “Invest West” proposal, which would revamp parts of West Tuscaloosa which the government believes are worthy of taking a second look at. Although specifics of the plan are not yet finalized, the Invest West proposal would review all the areas in question block-by-block to decide what is best for the residents.

Another point of emphasis was the redevelopment of areas destroyed by the tornados on April 27, 2011. Plans to revitalize these areas have recently been interrupted by high prices being requested by property owners. The mayor and city council plan on tackling this issue by contributing to the growth.

“We want to do our part to incentivize that rebuilding,” Maddox said. “Right now, those vacant pieces of property are generating very little in terms of revenue for our city.”

The mayor also outlined his extensive road project plans for the next four years. This plan was accented by a massive construction plan for Lurleen Wallace Boulevard and Skyland Boulevard. The project for Lurleen Wallace will cost roughly $23 million and will focus on improving the safety of this street with the addition of more sidewalks and removal of parallel parking. The Skyland Boulevard plan will cost around $60 to $70 million and will lead to the construction of a bridge to allow the Highway 69 traffic to go over Skyland undisturbed.

Maddox emphasized the importance of retaining employees who work for The University of Alabama and Mercedes, and wishes to do so by increasing Tuscaloosa’s pay plan. Other projects for the future include improvement of communication systems for the police department and scholarships for secondary education for the underprivileged.