Birmingham Mayor Delivers State of the City Address
Birmingham Mayor William Bell says the city is experiencing a renaissance. That’s the message Bell offered Tuesday in his State of the City address given to the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.
Bell touted a list of redevelopment projects in the city center including renovating the former Jefferson Tower and Pizitz building. He said residents would be impressed by the restoration of the Lyric Theatre which opens Thursday.
“You are truly going to be blown away when you go into that building and see what has been turned from an eyesore in our downtown community to a first-class entertainment venue that we all can be proud of,” said Bell.
He also mentioned revitalization efforts in the Avondale, Woodlawn, East Lake, and Ensley neighborhoods. Bell talked about the Birmingham Bowl and Magic City Classic football games saying those events have brought increasing economic benefit to the city.
Bell promoted business developments including HealthSouth’s decision to build a new headquarters in the city and auto supplier Kamtek’s announcement of a $530 million expansion.
Birmingham finished 2015 with a significant rise in the homicide rate after several years of a decline. Bell said city leaders have redoubled efforts to fight violent crime. He referenced city-supported initiatives to prevent offenders from re-offending and to help former prisoners to transition back into the community.
Former Hospitals/Interstate 20/59
In a question and answer session after the speech, audience members asked Bell about redevelopment plans for the former Trinity Medical Center on Birmingham’s east side and former Carraway Hospital north of downtown. Bell said the city is marketing the Trinity property but the hospital building may have to be demolished because such facilities are hard to repurpose. He said plans are in the works for the Carraway site but there are legal issues over ownership that need to be straightened out.
Bell was also asked about Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham. The Alabama Department of Transportation has begun a project to rebuild and expand that section of roadway, but some community members say that’s a short-sighted decision. A lawsuit has been filed to stop the construction plan.
Bell says he agrees with opponents of the project that doing something other than simply rebuilding the interstate is an opportunity for the city. But he suggested ALDOT is playing hardball.
“The problem that I have with voicing too strong an opinion is sometimes ALDOT may hold you hostage,” said Bell. “If you don’t agree to one thing, they cut you off on another thing.”
Bell said he doesn’t discourage others from expressing their views on the project.
Call for Unity
While most of the address was a review of existing development plans and other initiatives, Bell did call for a coming-together as the city tackles problems.
“We cannot overcome those challenges if we don’t have a collaborative effort between the mayor’s office, the city council, and the private sector,” Bell said. “We cannot achieve our goals if everyone does not grab ahold of the oar of the ship of this city to row in the same direction and move this city forward in a positive direction.”
Hear Mayor William Bell’s full State of the City address:
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