Here are a few of the legislative highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.
ITEM 1
The former Western Supermarket site on Highland Ave. has been rezoned to allow for a mixed-use development that will feature 272 apartment units and 10,000 square feet of retail and office space.
Following a discussion centered around storm water mitigation and traffic impact, the Council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request. According to city officials, the plan for the mixed-use development is in line with the City’s long-range land use plan and will provide improvements to the area’s walkability.
No streets will need to be reconfigured to accommodate the new development.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM” (Case No. ZAC2022-00014) to change zone district boundaries from B-2 General Business District to “Q” MU-H Qualified Mixed-Use High District, filed by C. Randall Minor of Maynard Cooper & Gale, applicant, representing the owner, 22nd Street Partners, LLC, for properties located at 2230 Highland Avenue South, 2174 11th Court South and 1128 22nd Street South and situated in the NW¼ of Section 06, Township 18-S, Range 2-West, and the hearing of all interested parties. [Second Reading] (Submitted by Councilor Abbott, Chairman, Planning and Zoning Committee) (Recommended by the Z.A.C. and the Planning and Zoning Committee)**
ITEM 10
Today the Birmingham City Council unanimously approved $5 million for the construction of a new amphitheater near the former Carraway Hospital site that is currently being razed.
The outdoor amphitheater will include between 8,500 to 9,000 seats and will compliment the Star and Uptown developments that have sparked millions of dollars of investments in the surrounding area.
“If there are any lessons we’ve learned over the last several years, it’s that the Birmingham metro area has been gaining momentum through regional cooperation. This is especially true when we talk about ‘big build’ economic development projects,” said Councilor Hunter Williams, chair of Economic Development and Tourism Committee. “We’ve seen the success that other cities have had by making deliberate and sustained investments in public art and entertainment venues. I believe this will pay dividends for years to come.”
The Jefferson County Commission is expected to approve $5 million to help fund the development as well. The contribution from the City will be funded through this year’s budget surplus.
Smaller cities in Alabama are able to draw large acts to their outdoor amphitheaters. The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater was completed in 2011. That amphitheater cost $18 million and has resulted in over $100 million in private investment around it. With the largest metro area, Birmingham could easily lead the state in that regard with the new amphitheater.
Here is the item as it appeared on the agenda:
An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, by transferring $5,000,000.00 to Non-Departmental, Transfer to Fund 102 Capital Improvement and “TO FURTHER AMEND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND BUDGET” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, by appropriating $5,000,000.00 for North Birmingham (Uptown) Amphitheater. Funding Source is Fund Balance Reserves.
ITEM 11
The City Council unanimously approved $4.4 million for various improvements at parks and recreation centers across the city, $3.4 million for facility improvements at public libraries and an additional $1.6 million for weed abatement and sidewalk repairs.
“I am so pleased that we are able to make this kind of investment into facilities and parks that improve the quality of life for our residents,” Council President Wardine Alexander said. “Having access to these kinds of facilities is so important to our residents and the overall health and wellness of our community.”
Here is a breakdown of the parks and libraries that will be receiving funding:
Councilor LaTonya Tate, Chair of the Council's Public Safety Committee, has released the following statement regarding the death of Tyre Nichols.
"When Tyre Nichols called out for his mom, every single mother in the world felt that. Our hearts all broke at the same time.
We all thought of our sons and daughters and the agony that the Nichols family must be going through knowing that his life was stolen from him so close to home.
In the recent days since the video was released, it’s almost impossible to put into words what the world witnessed.
Their actions were completely void of humanity. Their actions were the kind of violence that our communities have trusted the police to prevent.
And yet here we are again.
Once again, our hearts are broken as we’re reminded of how far we still have to go for justice and peace in America.
To the family and friends of Mr. Nichols: Birmingham weeps for your loss and we stand beside you in the fight for justice.
As the first black female chair of Public Safety in Birmingham, Alabama, this senseless death has weighed very heavily on me. I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Unfortunately, here in Birmingham, we are no strangers to oppression and police brutality that were broadcast to the world in the 1960s.
I think of all the men and women from that time who never lived to see a more just and equitable world. And in times like this, it makes you wonder how far have we really come?
But as Dr. King reminds us, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ Together we are stronger, and together we can build the world we want for our children.
Tyre Nichols’ death will not be just another statistic. His name, along with those who’ve had their lives stolen before him, will be our rallying cry as we continue to dismantle these systems of oppression in our country.
Say his name. Remember his name and how you felt when you saw the video of his death.
We will honor their memory by doing everything we can to build a system that finally fulfills the promise of liberty and justice for all people. That is my hope."