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County to commit ‘their share’ towards new Birmingham stadium
ByJHDaniel
Jefferson county is all set to spend $30 million for a proposed $174 million stadium on property owned by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. Will this move spur other entities to commit funds?
On Tuesday the Jefferson County Commission unanimously approved moving a $30 million commitment for a new multi-purpose facility on property owned by the BJCC to Thursday’s agenda, according to Jefferson County Commission David Carrington.
“This is our share of a private-public partnership that will include (sic) at 45,000 permanent seat stadium (expandable to 55,000 with temporary seats) and approximately 90,000 square feet of meeting space.”
Can We Have Nice Things?
WBRC reports that commissioners and “all parties involved” have met for months to find a way to move forward and complete the project by the 2020 UAB football season.
The next move?
Carrington said he hopes those “other parties” will commit to the project, too.
“It is off our plate and now it is up to the business community, the BJCC, the City of Birmingham and several other parties, UAB, to finalize their lease,” Carrington stated.
Will Birmingham commit? UAB?
The project will provide a stadium for UAB to play football in, along with concerts and other sports like soccer. It also includes 90,000 square feet of meeting space.
Mayor Woodfin told WBRC that he is committed to make a decision one way or another.
“One of the things I am committed to doing is continuing to have that conversation, not just with the county commission, but most importantly as it relates to anything attached to a funding standpoint, is to talk with the city council to make sure we are all on the same page in support of anything that deals with the stadium,” Mayor Woodfin stated.
The proposed stadium would be built in Uptown, as a part of renovations to the BJCC. The Commission proposed $1 million a year over a 30-year period. The commission will vote on the measure Thursday.
Here’s a bit more information about the BJCC’s master plan and what it includes.
