Zach Zahariadis was appointed to the Alabaster City Council in May 2022 when his friend Seth Gandy had to step aside, and he had a quick learning curve. “Being on the council has been a good learning experience for me,” Zahariadis says. “I’m blessed to be part of an amazing team of councilors who helped me get up to speed. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that things take time.”
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Zahariadis has lived in Alabaster since 2010. Zahariadis, who grew up playing baseball, immediately got involved with coaching recreational sports and the parks. “Parks and rec are a big passion of mine,” he says. “It has been amazing to watch the facilities that we have put into place. Veterans Park is fantastic, and Patriots Park has transformed that area. When it comes to parks and facilities, I’m proud of all that we’ve done and for being forward thinking. With this focus on expanding our facilities, our athletic programs are going to continue to grow, and kids get to play at these top-notch facilities.”
Zahariadis represents Ward 6, which is a geographically large ward stretching from central Alabaster to the furthermost southern point in the city. The heavily residential area includes Zahariadis’ neighborhood, Stagecoach Trace, and Shelby Farms (see story on page 28) and others. Also, a new residential development called Walker Springs, is under development and will add approximately 1,000 new homes in Ward 6. The mixed-use development will include commercial and retail businesses mixed with residential homes.
Traffic is always a concern in Ward 6, so the widening of Highway 119 has been a priority for Zahariadis. “When I came on the Council, the plan for 119 was already in place,” Zahariadis says. “That was really the first major thing to be completed under my watch. People had been eagerly awaiting that work, so it was good to have that done so quickly. It alleviated a lot of traffic in that area, and I’m happy to see the work continue.”
ALDOT is currently working on right of way acquisition for the section of 119 from Smokey Road to Veterans Park. Once right of way is acquired, utility work will begin with an estimated start time for the road work in Summer 2025. “This will take the widening of 119 all the way down to Veterans Park,” Zahariadis says. Also new traffic lights were installed at Veterans Park to make ingress and egress easier.
In addition to the 119 project, Zahariadis is anxious to see work start on the new rec center and library. Utility work at the site is underway, and foundation work will begin after that. Demolition of the existing structures should begin in spring. “The new rec center is very important,” Zahariadis says. “We want to take the time to do it right and well. A new top-tier rec center and state-of-the-art library will keep people here locally. I can’t wait to see the building start to come up next fall. It’s cool to see these big projects come to fruition,”
Zahariadis is also excited to see progress on the District 31 project (see story on page 26). “This development will offer fresh, new options for shopping and dining for our citizens,” he says. “There’s so much coming—it’s exciting.”
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Congratulations to the Thompson Warriors for winning another 7A state football championship, the fifth in the past six years! And personal congratulations to my son, Sully, for his hard work and dedication in the program. It capped an exciting year, where we also opened our new amphitheater with a big (but very cold) Christmas event. Excited for this new amenity for our city and much more to come in 2025.
Jamie Cole
Ward 5