Details on the open-air stadium and improvements to the BJCC and Legacy Arena
Last week in a 6-3 vote, the Birmingham City Council approved the expansion of the BJCC Legacy Arena, BJCC improvements and the construction of an open-air stadium in downtown Birmingham. The agreement calls for the City of Birmingham to commit $3 million a year for 30 years. It’s estimated that once the BJCC improvements and stadium have been completed, about $9.9 million will be generated per year for neighborhood revitalization.
In addition to the city’s contribution, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin expects significant private investment to result in new hotels, restaurants, retail, office buildings, entertainment options and other attractions. As the city moves toward revitalizing its neighborhoods, it’s critical that private investment be a key component to maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars, the mayor said.
He added that he is behind this project for three reasons: neighborhood revitalization, tourism and progress.
“I want to start by thanking the City Council for supporting this. They put in a lot of work,’’ Mayor Woodfin said. “This wasn’t just the mayor alone doing all of the work. We wanted to show the community that this was a joint effort between the county, the state legislators, the BJCC, the UAB, the private sector and the city. This is what cooperation looks like.”
In a separate 8-0 vote, the council approved the Neighborhood Revitalization Fund to assist in financing neighborhood revitalization. Woodfin said that $5 million will be generated a year during the construction phase. Once the project has been completed, about $9.9 million will go toward the city’s neighborhoods each year. His goal is to have everything up and running by 2021.
The mayor said the recent vote is a down payment on the city’s investment in its residents and tourism.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say they are tired of traveling to Nashville and Atlanta for entertainment, conferences and other things. Birmingham has missed out on hosting events because of the amenities at the BJCC. This project will help put Birmingham in the game of competing for bigger events, and that will boost revenue and tourism for the city,’’ he said.
“This vote shows that we are not just using words. We are using action and the power of our vote to make sure if we say we are going to have or create a dedicated source of funding to support our No. 1 priority, which is neighborhood revitalization, then we will do it,’’ Mayor Woodfin said. “We will be working with the city council to further define the footprint that will be included to support the new Neighborhood Revitalization Fund.’’
Mayor Woodfin said the increased revenue will go into Birmingham communities to help pave roads, build sidewalks and make other improvements.
“People in Birmingham have told me they want this. I’ve received emails, text messages and phone calls about this project,’’ Woodfin said. “Something like this doesn’t pass at the state, county and city level without support. This is something that a majority of the people support.’’
The vote on the new stadium does not mean that Legion Field will be ignored, Mayor Woodfin said. It’s quite the opposite. “I’ve said the whole time that this is not an “and’’ “or’’ vote. We can address both issues,’’ he said. “We can invest in Legacy Arena, we can support the BJCC expansion and we can support our city-owned properties like Legion Field, too.’’
