Birmingham Development News

[Bamablazer]

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

That makes sense. Thanks!

I just read an article that quoted Mr. Hatton Smith, one of the guys that started the UAB Football Foundation. He stated that by 2018 UAB should be playing in a stadium down there in that area. Like you I was aware that ALDOT was going to run the 20/59 detour down 11th Avenue which sits right square in the middle of what is the foot print for the stadium, and that work was going to take 2 years.

[Tourian]

An open air stadium instead of a multi use facilty would be a substantial let down. Especially if they build something typical for a mid major football program. It needs to be something up to ESPN's standards for a bowl game, big enough to hold the crowds the Classic and the Birmingham Bowl bring and nice enough for TV and amenities for big shot VIPs and companies. Then hopefully the soccer team gains enough of a following to use it and whichever one if these spring football leagues comes to fruition can too.

It can't be anything less than that.

[Bamablazer]

Originally Posted by Tourian

An open air stadium instead of a multi use facilty would be a substantial let down. Especially if they build something typical for a mid major football program. It needs to be something up to ESPN's standards for a bowl game, big enough to hold the crowds the Classic and the Birmingham Bowl bring and nice enough for TV and amenities for big shot VIPs and companies. Then hopefully the soccer team gains enough of a following to use it and whichever one if these spring football leagues comes to fruition can too.

It can't be anything less than that.

I agree with you totally, however here's the let down. They're planning a 45,000 seat open air stadium in the place of the dome, they say the dome is too costly, price at over 500 million for the 57,000 seat one they were first planning. They are supposedly looking at a stadium like the one Colorado State University is building, it's nice but it ain't no dome or even a Legion Field sized stadium. Hopefully it will be expandable to at least 70 or 80 thousand seats.

[Bamablazer]

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

I agree with you totally, however here's the let down. They're planning a 45,000 seat open air stadium in the place of the dome, they say the dome is too costly, price at over 500 million for the 57,000 seat one they were first planning. They are supposedly looking at a stadium like the one Colorado State University is building, it's nice but it ain't no dome or even a Legion Field sized stadium. Hopefully it will be expandable to at least 70 or 80 thousand seats.

Here is a look at what Colorado State University is building from the magazine American School and University website.
http://asumag.com/new-construction/c...otball-stadium

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

I agree with you totally, however here's the let down. They're planning a 45,000 seat open air stadium in the place of the dome, they say the dome is too costly, price at over 500 million for the 57,000 seat one they were first planning. They are supposedly looking at a stadium like the one Colorado State University is building, it's nice but it ain't no dome or even a Legion Field sized stadium. Hopefully it will be expandable to at least 70 or 80 thousand seats.

Yeah that's just dumb and short sighted IMO. Because of Auburn the Birmingham Bowl brought in 59k. I understand LF is too big for UABs home crowd but they can always cover one or two endzones to force the middle to fill up first. And being downtown will make so more people will go who didn't want to go to LF.

[Tourian]

I doubt I'll ever buy anything from this store or even step foot in it unless my wife wants to but I am excited to finally check this place off the wish list.

http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf...art_river_home

[thunder89]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Yeah that's just dumb and short sighted IMO. Because of Auburn the Birmingham Bowl brought in 59k. I understand LF is too big for UABs home crowd but they can always cover one or two endzones to force the middle to fill up first. And being downtown will make so more people will go who didn't want to go to LF.

Maybe I'm just missing something. It seems to me that if Birmingham and UAB wants to ditch the Dome idea and is opting to go for an open-aired stadium, they would go for one that could at least initially hold a good sized crowd for not only UAB but (as someone already stated) soccer events, special events (bowl games and the Classic).

Why not model after the design of Commonwealth Stadium at the University of Kentucky? It currently holds just over 67,000. And the design is currently set up to where an expansion could easily be done to add more seating.

Just my thoughts

[SpawnOfVulcan]

I've been saying that all along. But, I think every time anyone of us brought it up, we had a troll from Memphis jump in and s*** on the idea until we just decided that getting them out of the thread was more important than continuing the conversation...

Either way, I think building a stadium that suits the city's current needs, while also incorporating the potential for expansion, is the best idea. The trolls would like to have us think that there's no way Birmingham could EVER need a stadium larger than 35,000-40,000 but you never know what the future holds. Building a structure that doesn't allow for expansion just reigns in ideas and keeps us from aspiring to be more than just a "mid-sized" city with good bones.

Bottom line, we shouldn't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on something with a regional impact that screams "limited". Going from the Old Grey Lady to a stadium, permanently, half its size just encourages the naysayer culture Birmingham has suffered through for decades.

[Tourian]

Well. Unfortunately by my calculations the average Birmingham Bowl attendance over the past ten years is 41,342. But. The Classic regularly brings 60k+. I would hope the city would not just decide to shoot for the low end based on the typical UAB game and the Bham Bowl. Unless they plan on keeping LF around and use it for those games. Seems like you would want to make one nice do it all type facility instead of trying to maintain both. And I say that knowing they have spent money on LF recently in improvements and a new scoreboard.

[Bamablazer]

Hilton's Homewood Suites in 5Pts South is topping out, just as the foundation is being dug for the dual brand Hilton (Hilton Garden Inn and Homes to Suites) down on 2nd Avenue and 18th Street S.

[Tourian]

Now we just need ti have the Highland tower to get going and full momentum will be restored. I believe it is the only thing left from the big flurry of annoucements that hasn't really gotten going.

It looks like the HTC is going to pass so unless any hiccups occur I think we will get another round if development project announcements in the fall after it passes.

[TimCity2000]

anyone know what initial demand has been like for these first few that have opened?

namely liv parkside, 20 midtown (phase 1), and iron city lofts..

[TimCity2000]

a pic of the venue at the ballpark taken in february (courtesy of their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thevenueballpark/?fref=photo)



says may 1st is when it opens... seems hard to believe.

[TimCity2000]

and one of park 35 on clairmont from their fb page taken march 4th (https://www.facebook.com/Park35-on-C...30/?fref=photo

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

and one of park 35 on clairmont from their fb page taken march 4th (https://www.facebook.com/Park35-on-C...30/?fref=photo

Wow, much larger than I thought it would be.

BTW, I saw activity at The Metropolitan the other day.

[TimCity2000]

^ yep, site work is full steam ahead at the metropolitan. hopefully it will start rising soon.

speaking of, the (ugly) hotel in parkside is moving along too... drove by the other day and an elevator or stair shaft was already up.

dirt is moving at the flats on fourth as well.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

I've heard that there is a, potentially, large development near Uptown coming up for an area bounded by 12th Ave N/ 11th Ave N and 24th St N/ 26th St N.

By the looks of it, this is by no means a stadium; but it is a potential development near the BJCC/Uptown.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by tascalisa

I've heard that there is a, potentially, large development near Uptown coming up for an area bounded by 12th Ave N/ 11th Ave N and 24th St N/ 26th St N.

By the looks of it, this is by no means a stadium; but it is a potential development near the BJCC/Uptown.

that spot had had construction going on for months now. it's right next to highway 31 next to 20/59. also on 39th street north right next to napa auto parts store they are doing construction there for months now as well. its a huge space too, dont know whats going there.

[Bamablazer]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

that spot had had construction going on for months now. it's right next to highway 31 next to 20/59. also on 39th street north right next to napa auto parts store they are doing construction there for months now as well. its a huge space too, dont know whats going there.

A co-worker of mine told me she understands that it is going to be a church on that 2 block site between 12th and 11th avenue and 24th and 26th street north (Hwy 31 N.)site, but there seems to be a problem because of the starts and stops of construction on the site. But she did not not know what the problem was.

[TheCapstone]

New retail tenant coming to Parkside district