Hoover’s Inverness Center North office park could soon be home to hundreds of new apartments and over 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, according to the city’s Economic Development Manager Greg Knighton.

Earlier this month Hoover’s Planning and Zoning Board recommended that the city council approve the rezoning of 24 acres of the half vacant park from a planned office district to a planned commercial district. With these 24 acres Louisiana-based development company Stoa Group wants to create a “live, work, play” space for young professionals who work at the remaining businesses inside the park and in other nearby offices, Knighton said.

If approved, the newly developed space, dubbed ‘The Heights at Inverness’ will include nearly 300 new apartments, an 18,000 square foot retail area built along the lake with a boat dock and patio space, and 15,000 square feet of restaurant space, according to Knighton.

“It would be a really cool area that’s walkable back and forth from the office buildings as well as the apartments,” he said.

For anyone who might be interested in living at The Heights in the future, Knighton said he expects rental prices to be on the higher side and added that most of the apartments will be one or two bedrooms to accommodate young office workers.