After more than 50 years standing in the shadows of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Stadium Apartments are being torn down to make way for a new residential development.

Cranes were brought in and demolition began on those red brick buildings Monday and it didn't take long to wipe decades of memories off the map. It's another dusty, sectioned-off sign of progress in a city that continues to grow and evolve in parallel with the nation's most successful college football program. The neighborhoods surrounding campus are hardly recognizable to anyone in school more than 15 years ago.

 

While few will likely miss the those old Stadium Apartments, they at least provided a very affordable opportunity to live next to the Bryant-Denny and be right in the middle of the action on a gameday. They might not have been the cleanest or shiniest buildings in Tuscaloosa, but they were ideal for college students at one time. But that's become the new normal around the University of Alabama. As enrollment balloons and the city grows, property owners are opting for taller and newer with greater amenities.

Soon, Westgate Luxury Condominiums will begin construction to create premium game-weekend condos that utilize that prime piece of property. The development doesn't have many units remaining, which speaks to the appeal of having a place to stay directly across the street from Alabama football.

There's no doubt it's a unique time in Tuscaloosa with progress around every corner. With the football season less than 100 days away, fans will be surprised to see what else has changed since last season.

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