Dome Stadium...... (Birmingham, Madison: sales, lease, neighborhood)

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

ALDOT plan for downtown Birmingham could doom dome, BJCC expansion | al.com

Look at the rendering for the proposed stadium....wow! and that was back in 2008 when they was in the process of breaking ground on it and everything.....

The linked image was not even one of the last two refined designs by HOK. The approved design is far more contemporary and impressive, with a focus on public street space.

This article is probably not helpful with the thread as I was perceiving it because the article is very much against the BJCC expansion as is its author, K. Whitmire. I am reading the thread as supportive. AM I mistaken.

The article may be only a year old but a lot has been accomplished in that year. One of those is that ALDOT went back to the drawing board and changed a few things that were a problem. The street pattern around the BJCC will no longer be negatively impacted by the renewal of I-20/59. This really makes the whole article pointless to a reader a year later, except it still promotes Mr. Whitmire's agenda for no growth in downtown Birmingham.
There are a lot of people on his side but perhaps they won't win this time. Perhaps the false promises of the MAPS fiasco have taught people not to believe everyone who claim to love the city and want to save if from big bad investment.

And speaking of investment, we should all insist that the taxes passed for this BJCC expansion be spent on that. And why? Because unlike other civic projects this is one that creates jobs, brings investments and at the same time provides a place for the common citizen to come and participate in events that many here could not even afford to travel to other cities to attend.
And by the way this should not be an us vs. them situation, as the people paying the taxes earmarked for this project live everywhere. Many even out of state or country. Anyone who comes the Metro area and spends a dollar has contributed. So it belongs to us all. It is not a city vs. county vs. suburb thing. Just as it should be, it is a metro thing.

This is so simple. But until opening day I will always have my doubts because people here never fail me when it comes to bad driving and being irrational.

raj

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Well they're just going to have to buy more land and move it back further. I doubt there's any way ALDOT is going to move 2059 to Finley.

Especially since it was built as a downtown freeway. It is a little funny that sixty years later people are screaming 'how dare you build that there'. Most, no doubt have no clue that Tenth Ave. No. One block from the freeway was not an exhibition hall, but a line of several railroad tracks serving mostly forgotten old warehouses. Well, Wertheimer Bag for one did burn down.

But we do live in a time of revisionist history so I suppose people can and will write anything and quite many will believe without a minute of research.

raj

[mcalumni01]

i post the link for the photo of the model of the stadium back in 2008 and i know there was others pics since then. i wasnt posting about the article cause i know aldot and city officials have revise those plans for 20/59 since that article came out. just was amazed at the rendering of the building... look the best out of the other two i saw

[Tourian]

I hope the design is state of the art and world class. Considering how nice Regions Field is, Barber's MSP and MM, Crossplex and on and on this place needs to be a stunner that any city would welcome. Well, maybe not Times Square or Shibuya crazy but awesome still. It should be able to land shows and acts that just won't come here because of the size and quality of the venue so people from all over the state want to come to it.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

i post the link for the photo of the model of the stadium back in 2008 and i know there was others pics since then. i wasnt posting about the article cause i know aldot and city officials have revise those plans for 20/59 since that article came out. just was amazed at the rendering of the building... look the best out of the other two i saw

Thanks for clarifying. I too really liked the model that was shown because up until then it could have looked like anything. They had not given us an idea if it was going to be a caddy or a chevy. Turned out to be a Mercedes. lol
I really do like the last plan. A lot of glass and spacious public space both inside and out. (a major block long plaza across from the Uptown Westin Hotel that could hold hundreds of people).

I know if it ever gets done it will be tweaked right up to the end, but as long as HOK are involved I am confident that it will be first class. They are not accustomed to putting their names on anything less.

[mcalumni01]

also in that link, look like the old ss building at the top, so they was going to construct it there on 11th ave n between 21st and 23rd street n. but the salvation army building is on that same street in that spot where it was going to be constructed, 11th ave N, right. look as though that area was going to be totally different. I know the bjcc bought almost all the land within that area, but that particular spot imo isn't that great. I know if and when constructed if using that area across from uptown that's a lot of parking spaces been wiped away.

[mcalumni01]

BJCC buys land near old Carraway | AL.com

BJCC preps for expansion with real estate purchases - Birmingham Business Journal

as gene hallman said, the land is there, bought and ready to go, I guess the money ain't there today....as mayor bell said in January in his state of the city address, he'll let us know in 3 to 6 months...so hopefully by the end of june, something will be announced

[mcalumni01]

more talk about it.....

The dirty little secret about Birmingham's dome dreams - Birmingham Business Journal

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

more talk about it.....

The dirty little secret about Birmingham's dome dreams - Birmingham Business Journal

To that "expert" comment mentioned in the article about the convention and event business being down across the board - I just have to SMH. If we are turning away business because our venue is too small, apparently we need a bigger nicer venue. Obviously there is some limit to the size and scope of what they replace it with but there is a need and the BJCC is being booked for all its worth.

There is no business case for a city this size NOT to have a modern, decent sized facility on par with what they have in Memphis, OKC, etc pro team or no.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Tourian

To that "expert" comment mentioned in the article about the convention and event business being down across the board - I just have to SMH. If we are turning away business because our venue is too small, apparently we need a bigger nicer venue. Obviously there is some limit to the size and scope of what they replace it with but there is a need and the BJCC is being booked for all its worth.

There is no business case for a city this size NOT to have a modern, decent sized facility on par with what they have in Memphis, OKC, etc pro team or no.

One thing I've learned about business reporters over the years. They know little about business. Otherwise, they would be in business earning tons of money rather than mouldering in what is a dying business.