Tag: Downtown Birmingham
Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Announces $14.5M Award to Turn 4th Avenue North Into a Two-Way Street
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stopped traffic on Fourth Avenue North on Wednesday to announce a $14.5 million grant to help reconnect parts of the community that have been divided by transportation decisions of the past.
The announcement, staged in the middle of the downtown thoroughfare, outlined a grant to Birmingham to convert Fourth Avenue North — which includes the historic Fourth Avenue Black Business District — from a one-way road to a two-way. Read more.
JeffCo Commission to Consider Selling Property for BJCC Use
The Jefferson County Commission is expected to jettison the old Salvation Army Building on Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard, selling it to the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, during its meeting Thursday.
“The county was looking to sell the surplus property,” BJCC Executive Director and CEO Tad Snider said in an interview. “Given its proximity to the BJCC and City Walk, we chose to purchase and will redevelop or repurpose for additional parking.” The sales price is $810,000. Read more.
Residents Complain About Predatory Towing Downtown, Say It Will Stall Economic Development if Not Fixed
Matt Lyons said he’s not in favor of putting towing companies out of business.
“When your car’s broken down on the side of the road,” he said, “the tow company is your best friend. That being said, what I’m against is predatory towing, which takes advantage of the citizens of Birmingham only to enrich the owners of companies like Parking Enforcement Systems.”
Lyons was among a number of people who paraded to a podium Wednesday night at Boutwell Auditorium to talk about predatory towing practices in Birmingham. He recounted having paid for 3-hour parking as he attended a meeting, returning 30 minutes late to find that his car had been towed away.
“I think it’s very bad for the image of Birmingham,” he said.
City officials attended the meeting and told the crowd there are several measures are being considered to mitigate the towing issue. One calls for a 15-minute grace period before a car could be towed, Julie Barnard of the city attorney’s office said. Others included adding warnings on parking apps to check that entered information was entered correctly, and requiring towing companies to release towed vehicles to owners who have proof they paid for parking. Read more.
The Downtown YMCA is closing. Will other Birmingham recreation centers be able to fill the gap?
The closure will leave only one full-service YMCA that’s technically in Birmingham city limits — the Mountain Brook branch. Read more.
Birmingham Hopes City Walk Will Bridge a Divide Between Neighborhoods
Birmingham’s City Walk is a linear, urban park that opened about five months ago under the Interstate 20/59 bridges. City officials say it’s an attempt to reconnect downtown to the northern neighborhoods. Read more.
Sleeping shelters for homeless people will be built for the World Games. What happens next?
Jefferson County Commission to Consider Rescue Funds for Civic Center Authority, Visitors Bureau
Jimmie Stephens declared after today’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission that there are activities and events aplenty in Birmingham, the county seat.
“There’s more to do in the city of Birmingham now than we ever had in the past,” the commission president said. “I was actually at the (USFL) ball game (Monday) night and the City Walk is beautiful. I am so excited of the opportunity that citizens are gonna have to be able to utilize that great new space.”
Stephens’ comments came after commissioners heard presentations from the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority. Each received American Rescue Plan Act funds, as each has had to deal with shortfalls brought about by the pandemic. Read more.
A new stadium has been a 35-year conversation in Birmingham. It’s finally here.
For decades, there’s been talk about a new football stadium for Birmingham. Saturday, it will finally open, when the UAB Blazers play their first home game at the brand new Protective Stadium. Read more.
New Proposal Plans to Connect Birmingham’s City Center to Northwest Neighborhoods
A new project would connect Birmingham’s City Center to neighborhoods in the northwest quadrant that are currently separated from downtown by I-65 and I-59/20.
Urban Impact Inc. and REV Birmingham announced the proposal Tuesday in conjunction with Birmingham’s City Center Master Plan. The proposal seeks to find a consultant to develop a plan to connect the city center to northwest neighborhoods such as Fountain Heights and Smithfield.
Ivan Holloway, executive director of Urban Impact, said these neighborhoods are key to the development of Birmingham’s City Center and the Innovation District. Read more.
Residents Weigh in on 10-Block Downtown Attraction Ideas
The open space under I-20/59 in downtown Birmingham will cover 10 blocks once the massive bridge replacement project is completed. Designers and Alabama Department of Transportation officials were getting the public’s thoughts today at the Boutwell Auditorium. Other sessions are set for July 24.
Ben Donsky, who works with the New York-based design group for CityWalk Birmingham, said there’s an opportunity to do things not tried elsewhere. “We’re open to all types of innovative ideas. I was just discussing with a gentleman new technology that would even allow us to grow plants underneath the highway.”
The project is to be completed by spring 2021, before the start of the World Games in Birmingham. Read more.
