New Park Opens in Birmingham Area Ravaged by Tornado Eight Years Ago
Tragedy, revitalization and community were oft repeated words as Birmingham leaders opened a new park Friday in an area devastated by a tornado eight years ago. The new One Pratt Park is a six acre, $8 million park in the Pratt City community. A tornado tore through Pratt City on April 27, 2011, a day which saw dozens of tornados rake across the state.
“The $8 million One Pratt Park now stands as the front yard of this cherished community, the centerpiece of Pratt’s revival,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says.
Most of the money for the park came from federal disaster recovery funding. Two of the firms involved also designed Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham. One Pratt Park had already received an American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award for design.
One Pratt Park features an array of amenities including a meeting building, an amphitheater and a splash pad. The playground features several climbing structures and slides built into a hill.
Pratt City resident Jackie Anderson was on the playground with her two granddaughters shortly after the ribbon cutting.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
Jackie Anderson (left) plays musical instruments with her granddaughters at the One Pratt Park playground.
“I am really, really glad to have it,” Anderson says. “I think it will mean more socialization in the community. I think people will come together … I think it’s an all-around plus for the community.”
Michelle Perkins, president of the North Pratt Neighborhood Association, is ecstatic the park is finally open.
“[The park is] the first thing that we really have of ours since the tornado,” Perkins says.
A fire station and a library branch have been rebuilt, but there are still many empty lots. Perkins calls the area 75% recovered. She says the next step is more single-family homes. When that’s complete, she says, they’ll be celebrating once again.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
The amphitheater can accommodate up to 200 people.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
A tower at the top of the hill contains an LED screen at its base which will display images from around Pratt City.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
A meeting building can hold activities for up to 100 people.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
The floor of the trellised plaza is painted like a historic mining map of the Pratt City area. A splash pad is just behind it.
Andrew Yeager,WBHM
Pratt City resident Ruth Coleman tries out a hammock.
Are you a military veteran who has been charged money to apply for VA benefits?
If you're a veteran who has been charged a fee to get help on your application for a VA disability rating or other benefits, NPR wants to hear from you!
As Anna Wintour shifts her focus, ‘Vogue’ is looking for a new U.S. editor
Vogue magazine in the U.S. will soon have a new editorial head. Anna Wintour announced that, after nearly 40 years in the position, she will be focus on her wider roles at Vogue and Condé Nast.
Asked to flag ‘negative’ National Park content, visitors gave their own 2 cents instead
Signs installed earlier in National Parks earlier in June asked for feedback on signs "that are negative about past or living Americans." Comments viewed by NPR didn't provide the requested feedback.
Trump still would have won in 2024 even if everyone had turned out to vote, Pew finds
In 2024, 64% of the eligible-voting population turned out, the second highest in 120 years. New data show that even if all those voters who stayed home had voted, Trump would still be president today.
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers raise disproven fears about the preservative thimerosal
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on the flu vaccine, raising concerns about a rarely used preservative. Medical groups worry this will "sow distrust" in vaccines.
How does President Trump make his money? Real estate, hospitality and his name
President Trump's financial disclosure shows more than $630 million in income from 2024 including tens of millions from cryptocurrency and Trump-branded products touted on the campaign trail.
