By Felix M. Drennen III Photos by Jordan wald
Beginnings
Cross Creek Park was developed in the mid-1970s as part of the Cherokee Bend area of Mountain Brook. The concept was new for its time: homes built close together with shared green space and common maintenance responsibilities.
Cherokee Bend’s development had only begun a decade earlier after the Brothers Development Group purchased 1,000 acres from the Belcher Lumber Company. Ten years later, attention turned to a new development: Cross Creek Park designed as a condominium-style community with privately owned homes and communal areas.
Planning and Design
The first plans, created by Preston and Wyatt Haskell of Haskell Development, labeled the project Carriage Houses. A small retail center was considered but later dropped due to site limitations.
Developer Jerry Drennen then took charge of the project, with Schoel Engineering finalizing the civil drawings. Work began in earnest in 1975 with wooded lots and curving residential streets, typical of Mountain Brook neighborhoods. The name Cross Creek came from the small tributary crossing the property before feeding into Shades Creek.
Construction and Early Sales
Jay Drennen, Jerry’s son, served as on-site project manager, while Chris Boehm handled sales and marketing. The development was built in phases—sectors 1 and 2, located near the entrance gate, were completed between 1975 and 1976. Early resident families included the Fontaines, Dunns, Perrys, McCraneys, Donalds, Israels, Brombergs, McKewens and Meadows.
Jerry Drennen and his brother Alan, along with Wyatt Haskell were investors in Cross Creek, and at the time, most homes sold for $125,000 to $130,000. These first sections backed onto a common green area that today is home to walkers and wine drinkers as well as deer and racoons.
Bridges and Expansion
Bridges across the central greenspace were supplied by O’Neal Steel, arranged through resident Jack Blackwell, then the company’s president. These bridges connect different spaces and remain part of the community’s charm. As the project expanded up the hillside, builders Hardie Meade and Jim King purchased several lots and acted as both builders and realtors for later phases.
The Neighborhood Today
The result is 86 homes built in the Williamsburg style, grouped around a landscaped common area and connected by shared infrastructure. The Cross Creek Homeowners Association manages maintenance, landscaping and security for the neighborhood.
The Drennen brothers’ vision is alive and well in Cross Creek. The community gathers to celebrate the seasons and make new memories in a beautiful and safe setting. Security manager Dale Poliquin, who has been here 21 years says, “The best part of Cross Creek is what hasn’t changed. That is the overwhelming love and support of the staff by those who live here.”
