Create Birmingham Events

SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL: AUGUST 22 - AUGUST 28

The 24th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival presented by Regions Bank is back with a festival footprint that includes the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, the Alabama Theatre, the Lyric Theatre, the Carver Theatre, First Church Birmingham, the Alabama School of Fine Arts Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre, Recital Hall and Lecture Hall as well as the Steiner Auditorium at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Film Birmingham is excited to host the 2022 Sidewalk Film Festival Filmmaker Luncheon at Sloss Furnaces this year! We look forward to meeting filmmakers from across the state and around the country, highlighting regional filming opportunities, and sharing information about Alabama's tax incentives for film.

Magic City Spotlight - The City of Birmingham and Birmingham City Schools partner for literacy town hall

The City of Birmingham and Birmingham City Schools partner for literacy town hall August 30

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan will host a town hall on Tuesday, August 30 to encourage community support of kindergarten to third-grade literacy. The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Boutwell Auditorium, located at 1930 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard.  

Parents of children K-3, local literacy groups, current and retired educators, faith communities and residents are invited to learn how to support Birmingham children in achieving grade-level literacy.  

“I am committed to doing everything I can to come alongside Birmingham City Schools in supporting our scholars in meeting their literacy goals,” Woodfin said. “Ensuring that our youngsters can read well is ensuring that they have a path toward a better future.”  

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David Arias named new director of Sloss Furnaces

After a national search, the City of Birmingham has selected David Arias to serve as executive director of Sloss Furnaces. Arias began his role on August 15, taking the helm from Karen Utz who served a successful tenure as interim executive.

“David’s track record of servant leadership and fiscal innovation will help take Sloss Furnaces into its next chapter,” Mayor Woodfin said. “We are thrilled to welcome him.

Learn more about David Arias and how he plans to spend his first weeks as executive director by clicking the image above or the button below.

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Revitalization update: Greensprings Highway, Avondale, Enon Ridge, Pine Knoll Vista, Ensley

Revitalization in Birmingham continues!

Greensprings Hwy:

Improvements include sidewalk and landscape improvements to the west side of Greensprings Hwy, a signalized crosswalk at the bus stop and resurfacing of southbound lanes.

Avondale:

Streetscape project will widen sidewalks, create bike lanes and install additional drainage structures on 41st Street.

Ensley:

Improvements include sidewalk and landscaping upgrades to improve pedestrian access.

Enon Ridge:

Roadway widening of 4th Place North from 12th Ave to 14th Ave adjacent to Tuggle Elementary will improve traffic congestion and school bus access.

Pine Knoll Vista:

Ditch stabilization and culver installation will take place on Airport Road to improve drainage and erosion issues.

Stay tuned to City of Birmingham's social media channels for additional projects and updates.

Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.16.22

Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.16.22

Here are a few of the legislative highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.
 

ITEMS 1 & 2

Today the Birmingham City Council unanimously approved two separate amendments to the Arlington-West End Urban Renewal Plan and the Downtown West Urban Renewal Plan.

The City first adopted the Community Renewal Plan in 1979. Since then, 44 separate Urban Renewal Plans have been adopted citywide, which help facilitate Economic Development Projects, Housing Incentives, and more.

Adopted in 1991, the Arlington-West End Urban Renewal Project has helped shepherd growth and business development in the area through a process where privately owned properties within the designated renewal area are purchased or taken by eminent domain by a municipal redevelopment authority, razed and then reconveyed to selected developers who devote them to other uses.

Tuesday’s vote to amend the Arlington-West End Urban Renewal Plan was aimed at adding 27 acres of property, including the former Larkway Gardens Apartment site and surrounding properties. Once the site is acquired, the City will send out a Request for Proposal and a developer will be selected to bring the site back to life.

The City’s Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits study of the site concluded that there is presently a sufficient number of blight factors as required by Alabama urban renewal law for the Study Area to be declared a “blighted area.”

Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman, who represents the district, said this amendment will help continue the economic growth in an area that’s needed it for some time.

“I’m really happy to see this plan moving forward because the community has been asking for mixed-use development in this corridor that is near Princeton Hospital,” Smitherman said. “I can’t wait to tell the neighborhood about this and what it means for the area. I hope it can lead to more development and more momentum in the area. I think this neighborhood needs a complete transformation and this is a big step in the right direction.”

According to city officials familiar with the plan, recruiting a developer for a mixed-use, mixed-income development on the site is paramount to efforts to further connect the neighborhood to the nearby Princeton hospital corridor.

The Larkway Garden site has been vacant since 2007 and became a gathering place for illicit activity. The Council approved demolition of the property in 2015 and it was demolished several months later in 2016. Neighborhood leaders have long been asking for something to be done with the vacant, overgrown site and Tuesday’s vote marks a major milestone for improving the neighborhood and removing this blighted property.

Earlier this year, the amendment for the Urban Renewal Plan was approved by the Arlington-West End Neighborhood Association, the Birmingham Planning Commission, the Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee and now the Council as a whole.

In addition to the Arlington-West End item, the Council also voted to extend the boundary of the Downtown West Urban Renewal District to bring in the former Adams Inn site located at 300 10th Street North. On February 4, 2009, a fire broke out in the partially vacant hotel. Once it was completely vacated later that year, the building’s windows were broken and the site was filled with litter.

In 2013, the City Council declared the site a public nuisance and approved $750,000 to demolish the building. Located near the Innovation District, an area that has seen a lot of growth and development in recent years, this redevelopment effort will further expand the footprint of one of Birmingham’s fastest growing districts.

Magic City Spotlight - August 2022

Birmingham receives $10.8 million “Good Jobs Challenge” grant

The City of Birmingham is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $10.8 million American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge grant to the City of Birmingham to establish the Birmingham Region Health Partnership, a healthcare workforce training program. This program will build a pipeline of skilled healthcare and digital healthcare workers. Through partnership with local healthcare employers, it will provide access to high-quality healthcare jobs to those communities traditionally underserved, including women and people of color.

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“We are honored to receive the Good Jobs Challenge grant. This is truly a collaborative effort between the city and our partners to enhance workforce development in our region,” Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said. “These funds from the Biden-Harris administration will go far in our commitment to building a more equitable and inclusive economy designed to serve the people.”

Staff Shortages Delay Trash and Brush Pickup in Birmingham

Mayor Randall Woodfin speaks to the City Council. (Source: Facebook livestream)

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin told the City Council on Tuesday that staffing shortages were the root cause of recent delays in bulk trash and brush pickups throughout the city.

Woodfin was responding to a question from District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott, who said she’d received “tons of calls” from residents upset that their trash had not been picked up on schedule. “We actually have some citizens who wait until the night before, like the law says, to put all their (trash) out, and then nobody comes and picks it up,” she said.

Woodfin said that he had discussed the issue with public works employees, “and what they shared was that it’s not just an equipment problem … We’re short truck drivers.”

The city has worked to improve retention and recruitment in that department, Woodfin said, and has increased the pay rate for bulk trash truck drivers. Even so, the city has had to decrease its bulk trash pickup schedule from twice a month to every three weeks.

Now, Woodfin said, the city is focused on communication, with plans to use social media, the city’s website and 311 services “to communicate to the public and actually be vulnerable and honest enough to say, ‘We missed this date. We’ll make it up to you. We’ll be back.’”

“I expect that gap in hiring will close at some point,” he added. “I expect a lot of this to ease up.”

“We’re still in trouble, but thank you,” Abbott replied.

Magic City Spotlight - July 28, 2022

Bulk trash and brush pickup information

Our Public Works crews have recently faced delays in our bulk trash and brush pickup schedule. We apologize for the inconvenience. Click the button below or stay tuned to the City of Birmingham social media channels for updates. For questions, contact Public Works at (205) 254-6344.

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Online COVID-19 vaccine registration, hotline available

Have questions about COVID-19 vaccination eligibility? Contact the vaccination hotline at 205-858-2221 and visit the JCDH website for a list of several vaccinating sites.

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be protected even if you are fully vaccinated. You should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people until advised otherwise by your healthcare provider.

Birmingham City Council Highlights 7.5.22

Here are a few of the legislative highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.

ITEM 15

The Birmingham City Council voted to approve spending for roughly $25 million of the Covid State and Local Recovery Fund Budget dollars that were allocated to the city. The ordinance appropriates $3,992,058 to the Birmingham Police Department, $2,430,199 to the Department of Public Works, $1,124,066 to the Birmingham Fire and Rescue, and $18,000,000 to district specific projects.

The City received $141 million in two separate tranches of roughly $70 million each. This money is part of the second tranche. 

Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:

An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE COVID STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUND BUDGET” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, by appropriating $3,992,058.00 to Birmingham Police Department, $2,430,199.00 to Public Works Department, $1,124,066.00 to Birmingham Fire and Rescue and $18,000,000.00 to District-Specific and City-Wide Councilor Projects per funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act. (Submitted by the Mayor) (Recommended by the Mayor and the City Council)**

Boards and Agencies

The Birmingham City Council is currently seeking applications for two positions on the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board. Councilor Carol Clarke, who chairs the Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee, is asking all interested parties to please send a letter of interest and their resume to her office: Carmen.mays@birminghamal.gov

The goal of this board is to oversee the operation and maintenance of all of Birmingham’s parks. Qualifications for the board include: Resident of the City of Birmingham, registered voter, over 21 years of age, taxpayer and real property owner

Update on Access to City Hall

In anticipation of the 2022 World Games, Birmingham City Council staff began temporarily working remotely on Thursday, June 30 until July 18, following the conclusion of the games. Due to security measures being put in place, there will be limited access to City Hall. There will not be a Birmingham City Council meeting held on July 12th.

A temporary satellite office has been established until Friday, July 15 so that the business of the city can continue unimpeded. That location is 1200 Tuscaloosa Ave, Birmingham AL 35211. Hours of operation for the permitting office will be 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and the finance office will be open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Please stay tuned to our website, www.birminghamalcitycouncil.org for updates about future meetings and more.

Below is a map of the downtown road closures and a graphic indicating what can be brought into the games. 

Birmingham City Council Highlights 6.28.22

Here are a few of the legislative highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.

ITEMS 1-18

The Birmingham City Council voted to approve the City’s FY 2023 Operating Budget.

The new Fiscal year begins July 1, 2022. Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman, who chairs the Budget and Finance Committee, spoke to the spirit of cooperation that was exhibited throughout this year’s budget process.

“I’d like to first thank the members of the public who took time to be a part of this process and for providing us with their feedback. I’d also like to thank the Mayor and his administration for their due diligence and willingness to answer questions that members of the Council raised. My colleague and I take this process very seriously and I am pleased with the level of cooperation we had from start to finish. This budget reflects the priorities we’d all like to see addressed across all nine districts and also focuses on building up our youth services.”
 

Here are a few brief points on the FY 2023 Budget that was passed by the Council:

· Operating Budget Fiscal Year 2023: $517,017,653

· Appropriations to city departments will be $453,350,447 in the FY2023 operating budget, up $75.6 million

· Appropriations up across the board for departments in General Government, Public Safety and Culture/Recreation

· Recently passed 5% employee raise reflected in each department

· Division of Youth Services will transition to Department of Youth Services ($3.1 million proposed budget)

· Division of Capital Projects will transition to Department of Capital Projects ($4.2 million proposed budget)

Investing in Youth

· Birmingham Promise: $2 million

· Conflict Resolution: $1 million (Department of Youth Services)

· Early Childhood Development: $1 million (Community Development)

· Financial Literacy: $1 million (Department of Youth Services)

· Juvenile Reentry: $225,000

· Mental Health Services: $1 million (Birmingham City Schools)

· Save Haven Program: $1 million (Parks and Recreation)

· Summer Jobs Program: $210,000 (Department of Youth Services)

Investing in Neighborhoods

· Demolition/Weed Abatement: $3.5 million

· Land Bank Authority: $500,000

· Sidewalks: $275,000

· Street Resurfacing: $15 million

· Strategic Pavement Management Plan: $500,000

· Uniform Trash Receptacle Initiative: $7 million

Investing in Transportation

· Birmingham Xpress Bus Rapid Transit: $1 million

· BJCTA: $10 million

· VIA/Bham On Demand: $1.2 million

Investing in Employees

· Cost of Living Adjustment (recently passed 5% employee raise): $11.6 million through surplus

· Medical Insurance Increase: additional $1.4 million

· Longevity Pay: $1.5 million

· Merit Pay (5%): $2.9 million

· Pension: $32.7 million

· Contribution to Fire and Police Supplement Pension: $4.8 million increase

· Police Department Uniforms: $1.3 million

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ITEM 20

The Council voted unanimously to expand the footprint of the Uptown Entertainment District to include Protective Stadium and a large portion of the newly constructed City Walk that is located under I-20/59.

The Uptown Entertainment District was the first of its kind established in Birmingham in 2015 and allows the consumption of alcoholic to extend beyond the immediate premises of individual retailers licensed by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. State law currently allows for up to five designated entertainment districts for Class 1 municipalities.

ITEM 21

The Council approved an ordinance allowing for the sale of the former McCoy Center and Church Building located at 700 and 730 8th Ave West. Freedom 1957 LLC will purchase the building and redevelop the site into a small business accelerator. The organization currently owns and operates out of the Arthur Shores Law Center.

“I’m really excited for this. It will create a lot of opportunity for new businesses to establish themselves in this area,” said Councilor Carol Clarke, who represents the district. “This might even create a chance for these business to graduate from this space and occupy buildings on 3rd Ave West and help us revitalize that corridor. I’m very hopeful about this new venture.”

Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:

An Ordinance approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute a Redevelopment Agreement with Freedom 1957, LLC, under which Freedom 1957 will undertake a project to repurpose the former McCoy Center/Church Building located at 700 and 730 8th Avenue West, Birmingham, and a vacant lot located at 619 8th Street West, Birmingham, for private and non-profit office space and other venues and the City has agreed to make the property available to Freedom 1957 at a use value of $600,000.00 in support of the project. [First Reading] (Submitted by the Mayor) (Recommended by the Mayor, the Budget and Finance Committee and the Economic Development Committee)**

Updates From The Regional Planning Commission

Read the latest news from the RPCGB

Economic Development

RPCGB awarded an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant

The RPCGB has been awarded a $500,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. This grant allows RPC and its partners to inventory, characterize, assess, conduct a range of planning activities, develop site-specific cleanup plans, and conduct community involvement related to brownfield sites. RPC will be partnering with PM Environmental, Jefferson County, Walker County, and the City of Cordova for this ongoing project.

Economic Impact Modeling Program

The RPCGB Economic Development Department has launched a new Economic Impact Modeling program. With this program we can model specific impacts of economic development projects within communities using IMPLAN Economic Software. From these analyses, member governments will be able to better understand small- and large-scale effects of their projects and more effectively plan future development efforts. For more information on this program, please contact Sarah Thomas, Economic Development Coordinator at sthomas@rpcgb.org.

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Current grant and funding opportunities:

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) Program

• Deadline: Noon, July 18, 2022

• More Information: https://adeca.alabama.gov/cdbg/cdbg-application-manual/

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

• Deadline: Noon, July 18, 2022

• Grant Ceiling: $350,000

• More Information: https://adeca.alabama.gov/arc/arc-application-information/

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ADECA Alabama Community Broadband and Technical Assistance Program

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is planning to kick off the Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program (ACB TAP), a competitive program that will provide technical assistance for communities seeking to expand broadband infrastructure and services in response to the critical need for internet access around the state. To kick off the project, ADECA is holding three webinars to provide information about ACB TAP, broadband infrastructure, and recent federal broadband funding. Separate registration for each session is required; click the links to register.

Broadband 101 Webinar:

June 30, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. CT

This webinar explains the fundamentals of broadband infrastructure, technology, and strategy for communities.

Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program Webinar:

June 30, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. CT

This webinar explains ACB TAP and the upcoming Technical Assistance Application.

Federal Broadband Funding Webinar:

June 30, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. CT

This webinar explains the updated federal broadband funding landscape given recent information on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

If your community or organization needs grant writing or application assistance, RPCGB is here to help. For questions about funding application assistance, please contact Jesslan Wilson, Economic Development Specialist, at jwilson@rpcgb.org or 205-264-8417.

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Projects recently completed or adopted:

Morris Master Plan:

The Morris Planning and Zoning Board adopted the city’s first master plan earlier this month. Visit the project website at www.MorrisMasterPlan.com to learn more and view the plan.

Fairfield Master Plan:

In March of this year, the Fairfield Planning and Zoning Commission adopted the new master plan, which was developed by a consultant team led by PlaceMakers LLC.

The plan focuses on three main topics: enhancing economic development, addressing abandoned and dilapidated housing in the Inter Urban Heights neighborhood, and infrastructure improvements.

Visit the project website at www.FairfieldMasterPlan.com to learn more and read the plan.

Irondale Comprehensive Plan Update:

In December 2021, the Irondale Planning and Zoning Board adopted this update to the city’s 2016 Irondale on the Move Comprehensive Plan.

The consulting firm of KPS assisted the RPCGB with creating redevelopment and policy ideas for three focus areas: Downtown Irondale, Grants Mill Station, and the I-459 at Grants Mill Road area.

Click the link here to read the plan or visit the City's website at https://cityofirondaleal.gov/community/irondales-new-comprehensive-plan/

Birmingham Trash and Brush Pickup Schedule - July 2022