Owner wants to save historic Al’s Grocery from being torn down

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – Al’s Grocery is one of the oldest remaining shops in one of Alabama’s oldest communities.

But the building is set for demolition.

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Al’s Grocery, positioned in the heart of Old Town Decatur on Vine Street, has a long history.

It’s a history the owner wants to preserve.

During the previous Decatur City council meeting there was a lot of discussion between the city leaders and owner AL’s Robinson about what to do to save Al’s from demolition.

But time is running out for Robinson. The city’s building inspector says that the building is not up to code and needs to be torn down.

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“It’s one of those situations where we’ve tried to work with the owner of the building for a long time. It’s in disrepair and it can become a safety issue for the community,” Decatur City Council President Jacob Ladner said.

Vine Street was once vibrant with a multitude of shops and stores owned by African Americans. Most of the shops were demolished during the city’s urban renewal project during the 1970s.

Historian Peggy Towns said Frank Namie Sr. built Al’s Grocery store in the late 1920s and started a wave of black businesses to open.

“There were a lot of restaurants, doctors’ offices, attorney’s offices, and they were all here on Vine Street,” Towns explained.

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Edward Greene, a trustee for Kings Memorial United Methodist Church, located directly across the street from Al’s, told News 19 that he would like the building to remain a part of Old Town.

“This grocery was up and running when I moved here in 1974,’ Greene said. “It was a thriving business back in the day so, to save the building for historic purposes would be great.”

Robinson purchased the grocery in 1993. He and his wife ran the store until its closure more than a decade ago.

The city council granted Robinson a 30-day extension to come up with a plan to save the building.

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