MERIDIANVILLE, Ala. — 35759. Meridianville. Once nothing but farmlands, this area is now sharing more space with new populations, business and residential growth. For many more than were here 20 years ago, 35759 is home.
"I'd probably describe it as a place that I'd want to raise my family," said Earl Hudson with Engel & Völkers. And that's exactly what he did - he raised his family in Meridianville, and now works side-by-side with his daughter, Lauren Hudson-Hicks, who is also an advisor with the real estate firm.
"This is where I grew up; there are school buses, there's Meridianville Middle School," said Lauren. "I'm a first generation Meridianville Middle Schooler. I know the people who own Tate Farms. I know the people who own Hubert Farms. If you want to have a family and feel like home, this is it."
But Meridianville didn't always look the way it does now. The development that took place here skyrocketed in the past two decades.
"When you're driving down the roads and trying to visualize what used to be there, most likely, it was a field," Lauren said. "But if It's doubled in size over the last 20 years, what's it going to do in another 20? Meridianville is a place of opportunity."
20 years ago, Meridianville sat at a population of around 4,000. That number has doubled to more than 8,000 living in the area presently. And housing has to keep up with the boom.
"You have communities popping up everywhere," Lauren said. "On Steger's Curve, you have nine different communities just off that road."
Jobs, of course, must also meet demand. Hudson-Hicks points to industrial firms like Yulista which have set up operations in the area.
Although there has been an industry shift in the 35759, farmers who first settled in Meridianville laid the foundation for what it is today.
"Our history comes from the people who have lived here, who have now passed their farms on to their kids," Lauren said. "The historic value here is the generations of families that have continued to live here."
Much like the Hudsons, the father-daughter duo.
"I think that what we can build over the next 10 years may be a legacy that [my daughter] could continue to build after I decide to retire," said Lauren.