What's next for Birmingham? (Downtown mostly.) (Homewood, Center Point: 2015, apartment, hotels)

[Tourian]

It isn't a dome. It is a multi use facility. For me, dome is just quicker and easier to say or most times I'll put it in quotes but the project has long outgrown that word. The ignorant still call it that because well because they are ignorant.

When they do build it, it will be billed as a multi use facility, hall or arena but not dome.

[raj kapoor]

But Tourian, there are those, even on the thread who insist that we "WE GIVE UP". And they are the same ones who complain about local progress.

This is the source of all the delay. People who can't agree on what it is, and what to call it. It is all so foolish.
It is difficult for me to understand the inablility to form a plan and focus on it. I especially find it amusing that these same people want to build a football stadium on a campus that has no football. And yet they claim to have all the answers.

Don't get bogged down in such discussions.

[lem1985]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Birmingham already hosts an ESPN bowl game. There has been talk of doing an SEC kickoff classic game as well.

That's just football.

The main point of the facility is to host events that are outgrowing or have outgrown the BJCC. The "dome" will be a multi use facility. Football will be one of its many uses and not its main use.

gotcha that SEC kickoff classic would cool in general and multi use facility would be cool also

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

But Tourian, there are those, even on the thread who insist that we "WE GIVE UP". And they are the same ones who complain about local progress.

This is the source of all the delay. People who can't agree on what it is, and what to call it. It is all so foolish.
It is difficult for me to understand the inablility to form a plan and focus on it. I especially find it amusing that these same people want to build a football stadium on a campus that has no football. And yet they claim to have all the answers.

Don't get bogged down in such discussions.

I never said I had all the answers. I don't claim to be a know it all like you seemed to want to be. I'll stand by my opinion that waiting 20-30 years for this particular project to materialize is idiotic.

Furthermore I'm well aware that UAB doesn't have a football program smartass, but if you actually read my post I did say build an outdoor stadium to replace Legion Field near the UAB campus and Regions Field. I don't know how much more clear I could of been.

[raj kapoor]

'have been', not 'of been'.

Not just for you but for all the thousands of others on the internet that are clueless about this.

"If one can't say what one means, one can't mean what one says". (tutor of the last emperor of the Chen Dynasty)

Forgive me. I know correcting any aspect of one's language on the internet is not good manners, but I have become fearful that we are becoming illiterate by practice.
Of course we all make typos, but I have become aware through constant use that people do not know the correct conjugated expression and its inaccuracy takes away from the intended message.

BTW; this 'smartass' appreciates your posts whether they make sense or not. (good thing, huh?)

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by bhamoutlook

Last year was a wild ride... and a very exciting one at that. There were so many new things announced or started. But, as I look around, there's obviously room for plenty more and the demand will be there once these projects are completed. I was at Railroad Park today admiring how beautiful the district is and what a great place it will be to live for those at LIV and Venue. However, there are still a lot of blank spaces. We've gotten a lot of what we hoped for. The grcoery store, the baseball stadium, more green space is coming and whatever amazing plans they have for Powell Steam Plant. In anticipation of the completion of all this stuff this year, what are we hoping for next?

My list:
1. UAB brings football back and announces a stadium where it was previously planned.
2. New Public Transit Option (At least an announcement of BRT or LRT)
3. Dome Stadium Announcement (this year. Obvious one.)
4. Shopping in downtown. (Is that too far away? I'm hoping for an extension of Uptown with some retail.)
5. More flights at the airport.
6. A new hotel. 4 star.

This list is good, but I would like to add some form of mixed use for Southtown, and more development for Highland Ave on both ends. Before people get their feelings hurt about displacing the residents of Southtown, I say part of a redevelopment of the property be designignated for residential for the elderly, while the younger one's either pay the rent for new apartments in the development or find another place to reside. Five Points South end needs more residential buildings to bring more foot activity towards the Five Points South commercial district. On the Forest Park end, clean up the current residential mix, to more modern living spaces.

[HipLib]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

Do you know how long it took to build the Brooklyn Bridge? So if you had been in charge it would be unfinished to this day.

Commitment is a virtue, not a weakness. Great achievement is hardly ever the by-product of compromise.

Being a native of Tuscaloosa I can tell you that a city block was bulldozed in the early 1980's with plans for a hotel and civic center. Still no civic center but after more than 30 years they finally have a spanking new Embassy Suites.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by bhamguy

This list is good, but I would like to add some form of mixed use for Southtown, and more development for Highland Ave on both ends. Before people get their feelings hurt about displacing the residents of Southtown, I say part of a redevelopment of the property be designignated for residential for the elderly, while the younger one's either pay the rent for new apartments in the development or find another place to reside. Five Points South end needs more residential buildings to bring more foot activity towards the Five Points South commercial district. On the Forest Park end, clean up the current residential mix, to more modern living spaces.

Well, it's going to happen some time - you would think. They are now building up and around it until eventually the demand for that space is going to reach the tipping point.

There's got to be a mid/high rise HUD project on somebody's drawing board somewhere.

[bhamoutlook]

Originally Posted by bhamguy

This list is good, but I would like to add some form of mixed use for Southtown, and more development for Highland Ave on both ends. Before people get their feelings hurt about displacing the residents of Southtown, I say part of a redevelopment of the property be designignated for residential for the elderly, while the younger one's either pay the rent for new apartments in the development or find another place to reside. Five Points South end needs more residential buildings to bring more foot activity towards the Five Points South commercial district. On the Forest Park end, clean up the current residential mix, to more modern living spaces.

Good one! I forgot about Southtown. Demolishing that and adding something with less problems there would have a big domino effect. Currently, there are several pieces of property around there that are pretty much undesirable. A few apartment buildings, some old commercial space, etc. I think those remaining few blocks would be cleaned up and there wouldn't really be any "bad parts" of the southside anymore.

I also agree that Five Points needs more... But maybe hotels instead of more residential? At least right in the middle of Five Points. I haven't seen anymore action on the Homewood Suites that was supposed to have been started in the spring last year.

The new Highland Project will add to this once it's completed. I also would like to see Highland build out some more residential buildings and hopefully demolish all of that crap that was built in the 60's and 70s.

[raj kapoor]

The Highland Tower has draped off the property and started removing paving. Slowly but surely this will become a very active construction site anyday now.