Birmingham Council Approves $90 Million For Stadium, BJCC Expansion
The City of Birmingham will contribute $90 million toward a new downtown stadium and an expansion of the BJCC. The council voted 6 to 3 on Monday for the plan following a four-hour debate that was contentious at times.
Council members Valerie Abbott, John Hilliard, Steven Hoyt, William Parker, Jay Roberson and Hunter Williams voted for the plan,. Council members Darrell O’Quinn, Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson opposed it.
Mayor Randall Woodfin lobbied for approval for the funding, which has the city pay $3 million annually for 30 years. Scales, a Woodfin supporter on the council, Lashunda Scales, said the mayor is not keeping his promise to prioritize neighborhoods. She also said Birmingham needs more representation on the BJCC board, which will govern the project. Councilman Roberson serves on the BJCC board, and the mayor is an ex-officio member of the board.
Councilman John Hilliard said Birmingham needs to expand its civic center to compete with Southeastern cities such as Memphis and Nashville to lure bigger events.
“All of them are expanding their footprint with their convention centers,” Hilliard said. “We’re not doing anything. We’re being left out of the market place while we sit here and talk.”
Woodfin said the BJCC expansion and downtown stadium will bring in an additional $9 million to $10 million a year. The council voted unanimously on Tuesday to earmark that money for neighborhood revitalization.
South Korean law enforcement officers detain impeached President Yoon
Yoon was brought into custody about three hours after hundreds of law enforcement officers entered the residential compound in their second attempt to detain him over his imposition of martial law last month.
SEC sues Elon Musk, says he didn’t disclose Twitter ownership on time before purchase
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says Musk failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner before buying the site and underpaid by $150 million for shares he bought.
No such thing as a free toilet: Starbucks reverses open bathroom policy
The new guideline is a reversal of a 2018 open-door policy that was implemented after two Black men, who had not ordered anything, were arrested at a Philadelphia store.
The FDA calls for at-a-glance nutrition labels on the front of packaged foods
The FDA wants front-of-package nutrition labels required on packaged foods. The labels would tell consumers if the product has Low, Medium or High levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar.
Why some doctors have started asking patients about their spiritual lives
Indiana University's hospital system is pairing patients with local faith groups to ease feelings of loneliness and isolation. The unique new program comes as more doctors are seeing a need to care for patients' spiritual as well as physical health.
Lawsuit by college professors and students challenges Alabama’s anti-DEI law
The complaint asserts the new law violates the First Amendment by placing viewpoint-based restrictions on educators’ speech and classroom lessons.
