Birmingham City Council meetings are scheduled for a temporary venue change this summer. From May 2 through Aug. 1, the council’s regular Tuesday morning meetings will move from the third floor of City Hall to the second floor of the Boutwell Auditorium.

The move will allow for renovations to be made to council chambers, including electrical rewiring, the installation of new seats and speakers, and an upgrade to the TriCaster system used to broadcast meetings online.

“We look forward to coming back in after those renovations, and we’ll all be speaking clearly and seating correctly,” said Council President Wardine Alexander, “and being seen.”

Mayor Randall Woodfin allocated $275,000 of budget surplus to council chamber renovations in March 2022

Birmingham’s City Council chambers were last renovated in May 2015 as part of a larger rebranding effort by the council, moving from a beige color scheme to its current, brighter blue one. That change was intended to evoke a television studio set, reflecting the council’s increased focus on broadcasting its meetings online. Those mostly aesthetic upgrades cost $26,000.

Despite the change in venue, this summer’s meetings at the Boutwell will be broadcast online through the council’s website and Facebook page.