Here are a few of the highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.
ITEM 13
On Tuesday, the Council approved an item for a pilot program that will transfer 27 lots in Belview Heights to Housing Redevelopment Corporation of America to develop affordable single-family homes. The funding will be used to help subsidize the cost of the homes, an effort that city officials hope to replicate across the city. The money that is being allocated is part of the federal American Rescue Plan funding that the City received last year.
The homes will be priced around $165,000 and will be made available to potential buyers whose income is less than $61,000 annually for a family of four, according to a presentation that was given during Monday’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting. Currently, four homes are nearing completion on the project and will be up for sale in the near future.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
An Ordinance approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute an Amended and Restated Redevelopment Agreement with Housing Reinvestment Corporation of America under which the City will transfer up to twenty-seven (27) vacant lots which comprise a portion of the former Camelia Terrace Apartments property located in the 1000 and 1100 blocks of 51st Street, in the Belview Heights Neighborhood to Housing Reinvestment Corporation of America for a price of $1.00 per lot, and Housing Corporation of America will develop a single family housing unit on each lot transferred. In consideration for the Redeveloper’s agreement to complete the Project and sell homes both as market rate and affordable homes, the City hereby agrees to provide an amount not to exceed $540,000.00 in support of the Project as authorized by the Alabama Code 11-96A and consistent with the development of affordable housing under the American Rescue Plan Act. [First Reading] (Submitted by the City Attorney) (Recommended by the Budget and Finance Committee)**
ITEM 14
As we’ve seen in recent months, there have been supply chain issues across the country stemming from COVID-19, increased demand and other factors. Some may not realize that Birmingham has an inland port located along the Black Warrior River capable of accommodating large cargo ships carrying the equivalent of 60 truckloads of goods at a time.
On Tuesday the Birmingham City Council approved a funding agreement between the City and the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority in an amount not to exceed $125,000 to help facilitate, “recreational, transportational, agricultural, industrial and commercial purposes and other professional services as needed to carry out its duties and responsibilities and other services.”
The BJCPA has been in the process of constructing a warehouse that would store goods and allow the port to reach its full potential. However, those plans were stalled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With funding in place, the BJCPA hopes to complete the warehouse later this year. Below is a brief review of the timeline and other details about what the port could mean for Birmingham’s continued economic growth.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Funding Agreement with the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority (BJCPA) under which the BJCPA will provide for the operation of an inland port facility on the Black Warrior River for recreational, transportational, agricultural, industrial and commercial purposes and other professional services as needed to carry out its duties and responsibilities and other services that are required to fulfill the intent of the Port Authority Act as defined in Chapter 94 of Title 11 of the Code of Alabama 1975, and the purposes of the Funding Agreement, and the City will pay the BJCPA an amount not to exceed $125,000.00 for such services provided that such funding has been approved and included in the City’s General Fund Budget for FY2021-2022. (Submitted by the City Attorney) (Recommended by the Mayor, the Budget and Finance Committee and the Committee of the Whole)**
ITEM 15
As Birmingham continues to position itself as a sports tourism destination, the Council voted on Tuesday to approve a 3-year agreement to host Southwest Athletic Conference football games at Legion Field with the option to renew for an additional two years. SWAC is the nation’s most prominent HBCU conference and the games will provide an estimated $16 million economic impact, according to a presentation given by conference officials at Monday’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting.
For the first three years, Birmingham would host Jackson State University, a school that recently made national headlines by landing two of the country’s most highly touted recruits and is coached by NFL legend Deion Sanders.
“We have a number of third parties wanting to host these conference games,” SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland explained. “We want to control our own narrative and we want to control our brand. We don’t just want to sell ourselves to a third party and let them decide for us. We think we can change the way business is done with HBCUs. We want to support our local community through economic impact as well as educational impact and that is why we are in favor of this agreement.”
In addition to the annual conference football games, Birmingham will be hosting the SWAC Baseball tournament this spring at Regions Field for the first time ever.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an Agreement with the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) under which SWAC will host a Conference Football Game at the Legion Field Stadium for a term of three (3) years, with an option to renew for an additional two (2) year term subject to an appropriation by the City Council in each corresponding fiscal year’s budget. The SWAC Game is expected to generate revenue from out-of-town visitors and positive publicity for the City and the City will provide incentives and in-kind services to SWAC in an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 each year the SWAC Game is played at Legion Field Stadium. (Submitted by the City Attorney) (Recommended by the Mayor and the Budget and Finance Committee)**