If I was in charge... (Birmingham, Montgomery: lease, condos, hotel)

[GreggT]

A lot of good ideas however the best one and most critical to the citizens of Alabama has not been mentioned:
Expand Medicaid!

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by GreggT

A lot of good ideas however the best one and most critical to the citizens of Alabama has not been mentioned:
Expand Medicaid!

That's a good one, too.

[EscAlaMike]

Secede from the United States.

[bhamblazer]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

Well, those talks were underway before Covid essentially shut down the metro area. Everyone then went into survival mode.

What's interesting is that if they would go forward with it, every city should realized savings from not duplicating services.

A few things not already mentioned:

-Focus advanced manufacturing development (preferably aviation) and logistics operations around the airport. The Airport Authority has tons of land available. Would help spruce up the property around the airport and showcase some Birmingham industry.

-Cleanup Messer Airport Highway between the interstate and the airport. This needs to be a showcase - new signage, lighting, landscaping, paving, etc.

-More intense focus on leveraging UAB's research into recruiting more life sciences companies to locate here. There's no reason we can't be a pharmaceutical manufacturing/R&D hub. We're missing a lucrative opportunity if we don't focus on this. Probably start with some mid-level players, but ultimately I want to see the heavy hitters have facilities here (Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, etc).

-Continue moving forward with Southtown redevelopment.

-Continued focus on developing residential housing downtown. We've done a great job at this, but more is needed to really build a critical mass for 24/7 activity.

-Once Protective Stadium & Legacy Arena are completed, the BJCC should heavily renovate the Exhibition Hall spaces. I know they're planning to do this, but the last estimate I saw had them spending $10M. That reno needs to be much more ambitious - ie; completely gut it and create a like-new convention space.

-This is one on ALDOT's transportation plan, but repave I-65 north and south between Hwy 31 in Vestavia and the junction downtown.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by bhamblazer

What's interesting is that if they would go forward with it, every city should realized savings from not duplicating services.

Well, I agree. But they're dealing with a host of more immediate issues now.





Here's a big one: Completely detach UAB from the University of Alabama system. Instead of having a BOT populated by alumni of the Tuscaloosa campus who don't give a rip about UAB or the city of Birmingham, let's instead have a BOT committed to UAB's growth.

[mcalumni01]

Having a marketing and media department to showcase and highlights the goodness of the city to those outside the state on a continuous basis. The city needs in flux of people to live in city limits. More people means having more diverse minds to help create a better city and working together to solve issues that the city faces. Those outside of the city and state dislike Birmingham and has no desire to every step foot inside, much less reside in the city, so the city needs to get media promotions on social media, tv commericals, billboards, etc. in other states.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

Having a marketing and media department to showcase and highlights the goodness of the city to those outside the state on a continuous basis. The city needs in flux of people to live in city limits. More people means having more diverse minds to help create a better city and working together to solve issues that the city faces. Those outside of the city and state dislike Birmingham and has no desire to every step foot inside, much less reside in the city, so the city needs to get media promotions on social media, tv commericals, billboards, etc. in other states.

I agree. The city is making strides to lure more young people to the city center. This will alone encourage new thinking, but the idea is finding a way to keep them here, when they start having children. Oxmoor and eastern Birmingham are areas that would be great for families, but once again, schools will stunt that growth. With that said, I did see where city schools such as Avondale Elementary and Martha Gaskins Middle seem to be progressing in their own right. Avondale Elementary a few years ago, was drawing in new families, while creating diversity in the district. Greatschools.org lists Martha Gaskins as having a 7/10 on the Academic progress meter. With all of this said, there is an incredibly long way to go for BCS to becoming attractive for new students and parents.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

Well, I agree. But they're dealing with a host of more immediate issues now.





Here's a big one: Completely detach UAB from the University of Alabama system. Instead of having a BOT populated by alumni of the Tuscaloosa campus who don't give a rip about UAB or the city of Birmingham, let's instead have a BOT committed to UAB's growth.

This one right here! This could help increase collaboration with University if Birmingham (UAB) and other colleges and universities.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by bhamguy

I agree. The city is making strides to lure more young people to the city center. This will alone encourage new thinking, but the idea is finding a way to keep them here, when they start having children. Oxmoor and eastern Birmingham are areas that would be great for families, but once again, schools will stunt that growth. With that said, I did see where city schools such as Avondale Elementary and Martha Gaskins Middle seem to be progressing in their own right. Avondale Elementary a few years ago, was drawing in new families, while creating diversity in the district. Greatschools.org lists Martha Gaskins as having a 7/10 on the Academic progress meter. With all of this said, there is an incredibly long way to go for BCS to becoming attractive for new students and parents.

We always mention BCS being terrible. Yet the state of Alabama is 50th in education in America. So as much as we say we want kids to go to great schools, yet the majority in this state did and look where we are still. Some of most ignorant and backward individuals in the country. It's about the person, not the school or the system. If a person wants to learn, that person will do that. Just imagine a place where everyone was together and not separated.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by mcalumni01

We always mention BCS being terrible. Yet the state of Alabama is 50th in education in America. So as much as we say we want kids to go to great schools, yet the majority in this state did and look where we are still. Some of most ignorant and backward individuals in the country. It's about the person, not the school or the system. If a person wants to learn, that person will do that. Just imagine a place where everyone was together and not separated.

I can agree with this. The parents are also to be held accountable. Learning does not stop at school, but also after school. I know many products of the BCS system, who are very successful in life.