Birmingham is one step closer to having an amphitheater in The Star Uptown development after commissioners placed a public hearing on the matter on the agenda of Thursday’s Jefferson County Commission meeting.

Commission President Jimmie Stephens presented the resolution at the commission’s committee meeting Tuesday. It calls for a hearing concerning the county pledging $5 million on the project and making $10 million of its credit available if there is a shortfall in revenue to pay for the project.

“This is the $5 million pledge that everyone has done up to now,” Stephens said. “The City of Birmingham, the BJCC, the (Greater Birmingham Convention and) Visitors Bureau have all added to it. And Live Nation.”

Stephens initially presented the plan for The Star Uptown Amphitheater, a $50 million project, to his fellow commissioners in October. The downtown entertainment venue would be located north of Protective Stadium and west of The Star at Uptown development on the old Carraway Hospital campus.

It would replace the “aging” Oak Mountain Amphitheater, which is managed by Live Nation.

The county’s funding will come from its Economic Development Fund, the commission president said. The county’s role in the deal calls for it to use as much as $10 million of its credit to guarantee payments.

The payments will be made from the revenue generated from the businesses and the hotels on BJCC campus.

“If there is any shortfall within a year, Birmingham and the county would pay that,” Stephens said. “BJCC utilized $330 million worth of their credit and they cannot go back to the market this quickly. We are the backstop for that, us and Birmingham. Commissioner (Joe) Knight was in those meetings and very keenly negotiated that with the city of Birmingham. I appreciate his participation.”

No commissioner voted against the hearing at Thursday’s meeting. Stephens said he disagreed with County Attorney Theo Lawson that “a 772” was needed.

“That is a public hearing that you have when there’s going to be an expenditure of public dollars for selective economic development projects,” Lawson said. “You have to have those hearings if public dollars are being spent where there’s a private entity involved.”

The county attorney said that step is in place “out of an abundance of caution” since Live Nation would have some benefit from the arrangement.

Commissioner Sheila Tyson asked about upgrades to the Birmingham neighborhoods that will be impacted by the project.

“I represent that area,” she said. “What are they going to do about the condition of the streetscaping. I would be scared to get out my car if I went to a concert up there. Where is it guaranteed that they’re going to fix that area up there?”

Stephens said the county’s only connection to the project is the brick-and-mortar construction of the building.

“You’re going to have to look to the City of Birmingham and you’re going to have to look to the private partner,” he said. “Our responsibility is to build the amphitheater and to have that as a key point of this entire project.”

Robert Simon, president at Corporate Realty Associates, is the developer.

Commissioner Lashunda Scales asked for assurances that there would be minority participation in the project.

“I would ask respectfully of this condition that there is a clause that requires that there is some minority participation in this project,” Scales said. “From things that I’ve heard from previous engagements as relates to the (Protective) Stadium, there was very little historically under-utilized business enterprise participation.

“We can’t tell the City of Birmingham what to do with its dollars, but I would hope that we would be intentional about making sure that we have women owned, Black owned, those with disabilities, that own companies,” Scales continued, “that we are bringing all those folks to the table.”

Cooper Green Logo, Transplant Games

Commissioners received an update from Cooper Green Mercy Health Services. The update gave commissioners a look at a pair of logos that will be used to rebrand the indigent health care facility.

While commissioners were divided on the two logos, they were largely united that they want Jefferson County represented in the rebranding.

“How about including us in some way and bringing it back to us for approval at a later day,” Stephens said.  “We wouldn’t be here without you and you wouldn’t be here without us.”

Commissioner Steve Ammons presented a request that the county pledge $300,000 for a bid to bring the Transplant Games of America to Birmingham. The request came on behalf of organizers of the World Police and Fire Games that will be in Birmingham in 2025.

Ammons said a funding request will also be made to the City of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Tyson questioned why requests for county support of the Magic City Classic fall on deaf ears.

“You keep bringing this stuff up here. This is a slap in the face to the citizens of Jefferson County to keep funding this bill that don’t bring in nowhere close to the revenue that the Classic brings in,” Tyson said. “I’m all for organ donors and all of that. If you’re going to do this, there’s no reason but one reason why you will not fund the Classic at the same capacity.”