Grand River Technology Park coming to Birmingham to have $85 million economic impact

Big things are ahead for the cities of Birmingham and Leeds as plans were announced for the Grand River Technology Park project and relocation of the Southern Museum of Flight.

You may have heard about the project back in March 2018 when approval was granted for a $6 million grant by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Abandoned Mine Land Program (ADOL AML).

Now the project turned from hopeful to official when Governor Kay Ivey gave the nod of approval on Wednesday, February 20.

“This reclamation project has the potential to bring millions of dollars in economic impact, and hundreds of jobs to the Greater Birmingham area,” Ivey said in a statement. “The new Grand River Technology Park will be a regional nexus for research and development, tourism and light manufacturing.”

How big of an impact are we talking? $85 million! The project will also bring an estimated 1,200 jobs to the area. Woo hoo!Job score!

The Project

The project is the collaborative effort between the Alabama Department of Labor’s AML Program, U.S. Steel, the Southern Museum of Flight, Jefferson County and the cities of Birmingham and Leeds.

The park, which has been described as a multiphase opportunity, will reclaim and transform 105 acres of undeveloped land surrounding and including several pre-1977 abandoned coal mine lands in east Jefferson County.

What do you think of the Grand River Technology Park project and relocation of Birmingham’s Museum of Flight?