Marcia L. Fudge, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will come to Birmingham on Wednesday to discuss major community investments and initiatives here and across the country.

“I am looking forward to visiting Birmingham to support the city’s efforts to transform neighborhoods and make Birmingham a great place to live,” Fudge said in a statement to AL.com announcing her visit. “At HUD, we are excited to actively support communities in their efforts to create impactful changes.”

Her visit coincides with the timeline for word on the city’s application for a $50 million federal grant to redevelop the Smithfield, Graymont and College Hills neighborhoods just west of downtown Birmingham. The city is a finalist for HUD’s highly competitive Choice Neighborhoods Grant.

City officials and Housing Authority of the Birmingham District leaders have touted the Choice Neighborhood program as transformational.

If approved for a grant, the city would provide up to $35 million of matching funds over the eight-year grant term. The entire project could yield a $242 million economic impact, city officials have said.

In Birmingham on Wednesday, Fudge and Mayor Randall Woodfin will meet with residents of the Smithfield Court public housing community, and then hold a press conference with officials and community members. She will also tour the surrounding Smithfield, College Hills, and Graymont neighborhoods.

Birmingham’s plan for using the Choice funds for redevelopment emanates from Smithfield and branches out into the adjacent neighborhoods. About 1,100 homes would be funded with the grant, along with replacing Smithfield Court. The 500-unit complex was built in 1942 and is the city’s oldest public housing site. New homes would be affordable and include a variety of options including multifamily and single-family designs, under the plan.

Birmingham city leaders along with officials at the housing authority have said redevelopment would involve improving communities on multiple levels, including upgrading long distressed public housing, creating mixed-income housing to fit the surrounding neighborhood’s needs, and improving the income, health, and educational outcomes for people in the community.

The goal also includes attracting reinvestment to bring amenities that will enhance the quality of life for residents.

In preparation of the application, the city of Birmingham and the housing authority held a series of public meetings to gather input and shape a collective vision for neighborhoods. Plans are already underway in preparation for a successful grant. These include rezoning large parcels of land running from Legion Field to Parker High School.

The city would also move the Smithfield Library from its current location at Center Street and Eighth Avenue West to further down the street, where it would be part of a new three-story, mixed-use housing development.

The city also plans to buy more than 11 acres of property near Parker High School to build 350 new multi-family homes. Parker High School would not be affected, city officials have stressed, but the move would encourage more people to live into the community that the school serves.

HUD officials said they would provide additional details about Fudge’s trip to Birmingham in the coming days.