Birmingham Discussion Thread
 

For things not exactly related to development...

Barbecue festival scheduled at Sloss
By LEIGH ANNE MONITOR
BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD

They will be stoking the fire for barbecue — not pig iron — at the city's landmark furnaces.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark will presents its first "Stokin the Fire BBQ Festival" Aug. 26-27. Professional barbecue cooks are coming from across the country to compete.

It's a festival for grilling pros and amateurs, with $20,000 in prize money and special one-of-a-kind trophies up for grabs.

Organizers hope the event will give Birmingham a major annual barbecue festival, said Mary Head, marketing and development director at Sloss.

"Birmingham is a real hot spot for barbecue," Head said. "It's for people to come and see what they're doing."

The pros will follow Kansas City Barbeque Society guidelines. Fans can watch the cooks and note their equipment, Head said.

"This is hard-core serious," she said.

Barbecue, from chicken to ribs, will be available for sale from two vendors.

The festival also will sell seafood. Food prices will be in the $5 to $12 range, Head said.

Amateurs will compete for a mayor's cup trophy and bragging rights, Head said.

The event will include bands performing in the No. 1 cast shed stage area, plus a children's area with inflatables and a spray water area, art activities and more.

OMG BBQ!

;)

This may get the ball rolling. This is from the Commentary section of the Birmingham Post-Herald

Mismanaged

To those that think the naysayers of the dome stadium just don't care, permit me to point out a few reasons why we don't have any confidence in the leadership in the city of Birmingham.

City of Birmingham leaders think they have all the answers and don't want anyone making decisions that they have not appointed to the decision-making Waterworks Board and Transit Authority. These two boards serve far more than just the city of Birmingham, but Birmingham insists on appointing all board members. These two boards have a history of mismanagement. The majority of rate payers have no say. Add to this the dog track and John Rogers Drive, the four-lane highway to nowhere. Remember John Rogers statements that people would flock from Atlanta to gamble at the race track. Now he is promising conventions and big time sports for the domed stadium.

The mentality of the city of Birmingham, "we control everything," stopped the attempt to form a countywide government in the 1970s. This has continued today.

This demand for control and a blank check from the taxpayers of Jefferson County ensures that any time the voters have the opportunity to vote on a tax increase, they will vote against it. The domed stadium will be but another item to the list of mismanagement and waste of taxpayers dollars.

I want to see Birmingham return to the prosperous city it once was, but it will never happen under the present leadership.

Donald Dunlap

Irondale 35210

OTM killed it. I researched it extensively at Linn-Henley.

Unfortunately (IMO), I dont think we'll ever see a countywide government here.

What a waste of a building this would be if we couldnt find something to buy it.
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Local Fed branch expected to close, Atlanta office says
Thursday, June 09, 2005
SHERRI C. GOODMAN
News staff writer

Officials with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta notified employees of the likely shutdown of the Birmingham branch of the Fed in April, according to a transcript of an internal meeting.

Jack Guynn, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Pat Barron, chief operating officer, told Fed 6th District employees during a quarterly question-and-answer session that continuing to operate the $40 million branch in Liberty Park doesn't make good business sense.

The Fed could save $2 million a year by shifting Birmingham's cash operations to Atlanta and essentially shutting down the Birmingham branch, Barron said.

"Even though Birmingham is a new building with an unbelievable vault, we simply have so much capacity there that we're just barely utilizing the minimum space," Barron said during the meeting. He added that the cash vault in Atlanta's Fed will have enough capacity for at least the next 25 years, even if the Birmingham branch shuts down.

"That is not good news if you're an employee of the Birmingham branch and we understand that," Barron said.

Needs board approval:

He told the workers: "I understand your anger, your sadness, et cetera. But the reality of it is that Jack and his colleagues and my colleagues and I all recognize that we have to do the right thing for business going forward."

The transcript provides details about why Fed official are considering closing the facility, which opened five years ago after moving from downtown, where it operated for decades.

Last week, employees of the 6th District, which includes Alabama, received a memo saying the Fed's Conference of Presidents had recommended closing Birmingham's cash operations. The Atlanta Fed's board and the Fed's board of governors must approve the shutdown.

"We expect an announcement sometime in the early part of the summer," Pierce Nelson, a Fed spokesman in Atlanta, said Wednesday.

Birmingham's cash operation employs about 20 people. Another 50 or so employees in support, educational or community outreach positions also could be affected.

`Jack and Pat Chat':

Earlier this year the Fed, citing the declining use of paper checks, shut down the check processing division of the Birmingham branch, eliminating about 70 jobs. It was one of several check processing sites closed nationwide by the Fed in reaction to a shift in consumer payment preferences.

During the April Q-and-A session, known internally as the "Jack and Pat Chat," Guynn and Barron discussed events that may lead to the closing of the Birmingham branch.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Fed studied its cash operations and determined it should stash cash at several commercial banks in the case of a national emergency.

"As you might well imagine, that immediately enabled us to reduce the amount of volume that we have in a lot of the vaults throughout the Federal Reserve System," Barron said.

The Fed also changed some of its cash services policies and as a result, cash growth has dropped off, the transcript said.

In sites where check processing was discontinued, revenue from cash operations alone did not justify continued expenses such as security and human resources.

For these reasons, the Fed closed some cash operations and replaced them with cash depots.

In at least two instances where the Fed has closed both check and cash processing sites, it left in place a staff of about 10 to handle community outreach and a board of directors to provide insight into the economy.

Building's future:

The transcript does not say what would happen in Birmingham, or whether the Fed would hold onto the building.

"Our desire is to keep it in the inventory," Barron said, adding that an armored carrier company may be interested in leasing it.

"Maybe they want to buy the building. We'll look at all those options," he said.

If the Fed sells the building, however, it expects to take a hit, Barron said.

"We probably won't get face value because of the cost of the vault and the fact that the vault is likely not needed by most private sector firms other than maybe a few individuals unnamed, like the guy who runs `The Apprentice,'" he said during the meeting. "The environment changes. It's changed in checks and it's changed in cash. And we have to deal with that and go forward."

E-mail: [email protected]

Birmingham losing its Branch of the Fed?

Ugh.

:no:

I really think newspapers should edit or annotate letters for errors of fact. There are only seven municipalities in the service area of BJCTA, of which four are directly represented on the board (exceptions are Fairfield, Hoover & Vestavia). As stated above, OTM killed the move to "One Great City" in the 70's. And the "History of Mismanagement" can hardly indict the present city government. Kincaid was elected over Arrington's hand-picked successor in 1999. Lee Loder, the senior council member, was elected in 2000. (Of course, Rep. Rogers has been occupying his seat since 1982, but he is only one of 16 members of the Jefferson County delegation)

Well the obvious choice is to relocate the Federal Reserve from Atlanta to Birmingham. ;)

Anyone know if construction on the northern beltline has begun yet?

Hell no.

^ Is that a no you dont know, or no it's not under construction? :haha:


What about streetcars? Good idea, bad idea? I think theyre still evaluating the costs vs the benefits.

Parking decks need millions in repairs
Friday, June 10, 2005
BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

Birmingham's eight city-owned parking decks need $4.5 million worth of repairs, but money has not been budgeted for the work, according to the agency that manages them.

Phil Gary, executive director of the Birmingham Parking Authority, said city officials were told last year about problems. He said the repairs needed include $3.3 million in concrete and facade work, including waterproofing, and $1.2 million in stairs and lighting improvements.

"I'm concerned about the safety of our customers," Gary said. "When customers report concrete falling and hitting their cars and we have insurance claims on that, we may be a step away from actually hitting a person with some of that concrete."

The Parking Authority has filed at least one insurance claim. In December, concrete fell on two cars in Deck 8 on Third Avenue South, Gary said.

Insurance paid for the damage but the company said it would not be responsible for future claims until repairs are made, Gary said.

Last month, water leaked from Deck 5 into a restaurant on Fifth Avenue North. BPA, in a letter to the city dated May 5, requested money for emergency repair to the deck.

Gary said the city has not responded.

William Gilchrist, director of planning, engineering and permits for the city, said Thursday that he is aware of the water problem at Deck 5. He said members of his staff are looking for the best sealant to fix the problem.

Al Herbert, the mayor's chief of staff, said the city's finance department is examining ways to pay for repairs at the eight parking decks as well as expansion of one deck.

He said the city could issue bonds to cover those costs.

BPA Board Chairman Larry Ward has instructed the board's attorney to send correspondence related to parking deck safety to the mayor and the city's law department.

"They need to know of any impending problem or threat or concern," Ward said.

Potentially dangerous problems exist at the decks, Gary said. Among them: Some post tension barriers and cables that could give way because of deterioration. "Somebody happens to pull their car up in there and hit it, it could crack and buckle," Gary said.

"All of that is caused from water and rain," he said. "It is extremely critical that you waterproof on a scheduled basis. Ignoring this could lead to other issues, other problems.

"Water is our nemesis," he added. "When you see water ponding and it continues to stay, it's obvious some of that water seeps through the concrete to those expansion joints."

`Came home to roost':

A study by Walker Parking Consultants, which was commissioned by the Parking Authority, says about $1.3 million worth of waterproofing is needed in the eight decks. That is the highest cost on the list of repairs. The study recommends that $212,000 be spent to repair expansion joints.

Ward said decks were not maintained for many years and all the problems "came home to roost at one time."

Ward said he is optimistic the city will come up with the money.

"I am convinced that the mayor and the city are moving as quickly as possible to resolve the problem and get the necessary funding to fix all the decks," Ward said. "I'm sorry it's taking this long to get it done. But I think they realize the problem and they're making every effort to get it done."

E-mail: [email protected]

Is this how the Census is getting their estimates every year? I had been wondering. Just saw this article in Huntsville's paper today.
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[B]Census Bureau surveys arriving soon for some[B]
About 225 county households will get forms monthly
Friday, June 10, 2005
By KEITH CLINES
Times Staff Writer [email protected]

Some households in Madison County will be receiving a new questionnaire from the U.S. Census Bureau this year.

The American Community Survey replaces the long form that households received in the 2000 Census. About 2,700 households, or about 225 each month, in Madison County will receive the survey this year, said Shelly Lowe, a Census Bureau spokeswoman. About 4,200 households in the state will receive the survey each month.

Because the American Community Survey is new, many people in Alabama who have received it have had questions about its validity, Lowe said. The Census Bureau is conducting a campaign to let people know that the survey is legitimate.

Lowe said that anyone who receives the survey and has questions about its legitimacy can go to the bureau Web site at www.census.gov/epct/mso or call a Census Bureau regional office at (800) 424-6974.

The bureau began in January mailing the survey - which covers such things as housing, income, education and employment for every person who lives at a residence - to about 3 million households in the United States. A rolling sample will be conducted every year.

The law requires anyone who receives the survey to complete it and return it to the bureau. If they don't, the resident can receive a follow-up telephone call and then a personal visit from a bureau representative. The resident could face federal criminal charges if he or she does not participate in the survey.

The bureau has about a 96 percent response rate to the survey.

"Our goal is to increase the mail response," Lowe said.

Federal law guarantees that a person's survey responses will remain confidential. Any census employee who violates that confidentiality can face federal criminal charges.

The long form, which had about 60 questions, won't be used in the next census in 2010. The American Community Survey will ask the same questions every year that have been asked on the long form once every 10 years.

The Census Bureau made the change so that local leaders would have fresher information each year to help them make decisions, Lowe said.

"Instead of doing this all at once every 10 years, we split it," she said.

The socioeconomic information that the bureau receives from the completed surveys helps the federal government decide how to allocate $200 billion a year in federal grants and spending for such things as public health, education, transportation and neighborhood improvements.

"It will direct federal spending right now," Lowe said.

The Census Bureau will release information collected in the surveys in August for areas with a population of 250,000 or more. Information for areas with more than 65,000 people will be released in summer 2006. The information will be released annually.

It will be three to five years before enough information for an accurate sample to be produced from smaller areas. Rolling three-year averages will be released annually for areas with populations between 20,000 and 65,000. Rolling five-year averages will be released annually for areas as small as census tracts.

How could it be? It hasn't gone through final design...ROW is just now being bought...and construction money hasn't been appropriated yet...

^ Just in March of 2005...
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Bachus Secures $60 Million for

Birmingham Metro Area Highway Projects





WASHINGTON- Congressman Spencer Bachus announced today that the House of Representatives voted and passed the Six-Year Transportation Authorization Bill. Included in the Transportation Bill are several highway projects that will have a significant impact on the Birmingham Metropolitan Area and Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District.



Included in the Bill are the Following Projects





1. Birmingham Northern Beltline.

PROJECT FUNDING: $10,000,000


2. County Road 52 and Highway 261 Old Town Helena Bypass.

PROJECT FUNDING: $10,000,000


3. I-65 Widening to six lanes in Shelby Co. from Exit 238 (Alabaster) to Exit 228 (Calera)

PROJECT FUNDING: $8,000,000


4. US Hwy. 31 bypass in Calera.

PROJECT FUNDING: $6,800,000



5. Valleydale Road Widening from U.S. 31 to I-65 (Shelby County Road 17).

PROJECT FUNDING: $6,000,000


6. I-20 Widening and Safety Improvements in St. Clair County.

PROJECT FUNDING: $5,000,000



7. Sulphur Springs Road (Hoover) bypass from AL 150 to Shades Crest Road.

PROJECT FUNDING: $5,000,000



8. Highway 216 Safety Improvements in Tuscaloosa County.

PROJECT FUNDING: $3,000,000



9. AL Hwy. 5 improvements in Bibb County.

PROJECT FUNDING: $3,000,000


10. Pedestrian Improvements for the cities of Northport, Pell City, Moody, Center Point, Gardendale, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Leeds, Columbiana, and Morris.

PROJECT FUNDING: $2,900,000



11. American Village (Montevallo) construction of closed loop Access Road, Bus lanes, and parking facility.

PROJECT FUNDING: $300,000

They dont seem to have trouble finding federal funds for it... this is from December of 2004.
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$25 MILLION WILL CONTINUE CORRIDOR X AND NORTHERN BELTLINE CONSTRUCTION





WASHINGTON- Congressman Bachus is pleased to announce that a $25,000,000 appropriation to continue construction on Corridor X and the Birmingham Northern Beltline was included in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill which passed the House of Representatives this evening.


“The completion of Corridor X and the creation of the Northern Beltline will keep Alabama at the forefront of industrial and commercial expansion in our region. This funding will be instrumental in creating thousands of new jobs throughout the entire Birmingham Metro Area,” said Congressman Bachus.


The construction of the Birmingham Northern Beltline has been a priority for Congressman Bachus since he was first elected to Congress in 1992. The completion of the Northern Beltline has become increasingly needed in recent years due to the gridlock associated with Malfunction Junction and the need to divert heavy truck traffic around the downtown commercial district. The Birmingham Metro Area’s rapid population growth and the repeated shutdown of I-59 and I-65 due to catastrophic accidents have highlighted the need for a more complete by-pass.


“That’s why we’ve got to continue working on projects like Corridor X and the Northern Beltline to move Birmingham and North Alabama to the next level,” said Bachus.


The $25 million in funding for Corridor X and the Northern Beltline will continue progress in completing the Appalachian Development Highway System. The Appalachian Highway System consists of 2402 miles of completed highway, 116.5 miles of highway under construction, and 506 miles of highway that include those of the Northern Beltline that are in the planning or final design stages.

Just from these three articles alone, youre looking at nearly $40 million... and there's probably more than that that's been secured.

Okay...quick lesson in Congressional funding: the second article is the only one that has gone through, and given the topography around Birmingham, $25 million won't buy you much, especially when it's being split with Corridor X.

The first and third articles you cited are for the transportation reauthorization bill, which *STILL* hasn't fully gone through Congress and to the President yet. That money DOES NOT EXIST at the present. Furthermore, since it's from the same bill, the numbers in the first article supercede the numbers in the third article. You will not get both together.

And if Bush vetoes the bill like he's been threatening to do unless Congress lowers the total dollar amount, all bets are off...

Finally, even if funding is found for the Northern Beltline, you still have the matters of final design and ROW purchase I cited earlier which have not been completed yet.

ROW is already been mostly purchased... at least between Highways 75 and 79 in Pinson. Construction has been expected to begin sometime soon after.

From the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce website...

Ahah! I found it... I knew I wasnt crazy. It says construction to begin in June.
------------------------------------------------------------

State buys, appraises land for beltline

Friday, November 12, 2004
GINNY MacDONALD
News staff writer

State transportation officials have started buying property for the
Northern Beltline and are appraising additional large land tracts for
the proposed corridor route.

The state has spent $6.6 million for beltline land acquisition and
design. Construction on the beltline, which has been touted for 30
years, is scheduled to begin in June.

Land buys have been primarily along the beltline segment between
Alabama 75 and Alabama 79 near Pinson.

"We are purchasing land that is on the verge of developing," said Don
Arkle, design bureau chief for the Alabama Department of
Transportation.

Beltline plans do not include an interchange at U.S. 31 near
Gardendale or extending the beltline eastward past Interstate 59 to
I-20, which St. Clair County officials had sought.

The 51-mile beltline would complete the bypass loop around Birmingham
that began when I-459 was completed in 1984. When finished, the
beltline will connect I-459 at Bessemer and I-59 near Moody.

Transportation officials have asked consultants designing the beltline
to cut costs. Vaughn said that could include shorter interchange
ramps, which would require less land.

"But if it is not a significant savings, we're not going to do it,"
DOT Deputy Director Don Vaughn said.

Right of way for the beltline is expected to cost $150 million, Vaughn
said.

Another cost-cutting measure proposed would be having the north and
south traffic lanes at different elevations to limit the amount of cut
needed into mountainous terrain and to reduce the amount of fill in
valleys.

Another would have the median barrier erected all along the beltline
and the outside lanes used for future widening. The beltline had been
designed with the center shoulder wide enough to accommodate future
extra lanes.

State transportation officials said that a beltline interchange with
U.S. 31 at Gardendale would be too close to other beltline
interchanges and to I-65 interchanges with I-22 (Corridor X).

But if there is a public outcry, the Gardendale interchange could be
added back to the plan, said Birmingham DOT Division Engineer J.F.
Horsley.

Changes to the beltline route have been made since it was first
designed in 1996.

Several were necessary to avoid housing and business developments.
Another major shift will be the 12-mile segment between Bayview Lake
and Bessemer to bypass a quarry opened after the design.

Will stop at Moody:

The beltline will end in the Moody area at I-59. Highway officials do
not plan to extend it to I-20 near Pell City, Vaughn said. A group
from Pell City has asked the state to look at the feasibility of
bringing the beltline around to I-20.

"We looked at it, and it is not the thing to do," Vaughn said. "It
would have cost $60 million and would not have had enough of an effect
on traffic volume to justify the extra cost. It can remain a separate,
stand-alone project."

Highway officials say the beltline won't be completed before 2020, but
segments will open as they are finished.

Transportation and trucking company officials say the beltline would
lessen the chance of trucks wrecking and destroying bridges in
Malfunction Junction, the state's busiest interchange.

Last month, the I-20/59 North bridge was destroyed by an exploding
tanker. In 2002, the I-65 South bridge in the junction was destroyed
by an exploding tanker.

"You can't ban the trucks from the junction unless you have somewhere
else to route them," DOT's Mike Mahaffey said.

And Birmingham is the only major city on I-65 without a bypass.

Truck traffic headed north has no way to go except through downtown at
Malfunction Junction, said Gene Vonderau of the Alabama Trucking
Association. "Truckers would love to be able to go around, and it will
be a tremendous help when we get the Northern Beltline completed,"
Vonderau said.

E-mail: [email protected]

Hell no as in this stuff it might get done by the time I'm 40. Might.




Freeways usually take a very long time to build, because 1) they do it one small piece at a time, and 2) they usually run out of money along the way, so that pushes the completion time back even further.

It's also from November and, based on another article you posted, they're not even done with ROW purchase yet (note that ROW was one point I made in my initial post). Unless they have some special deal with FHWA and the landowners, they won't be able to begin construction until ROW purchase is complete....next year per one of your quotes.

Furthermore, this segment between Hwy 75 and Hwy 79 is only one small piece, and will be next to worthless until they can connect it to either I-65 or I-59.

Did I ever say or ask anything about it being used yet? I simply was referring to when construction would start... that's it. And yes, the project will be done in about 5 phases, so the ROW purchases and construction will be done separately... and they will be opened at different times as well. The first part that will likely be open to traffic will be from I-65 south and eastward towards I-59. ROW has almost been completely achieved for the section between 75 and 79... if not completely purchased already. ROW for the section from 79 to Clay will happen after that (or actually already is in some cases). Again, I only was discussing the beginning of construction... so whether it's "worthless" at this point is really irrelevant to my statement.

I just wished the eastern leg connected with the 459 junction in Trussville. The proposed interchange for the northern beltline is no where near the existing one. And hopefully, when ALDOT extends I-22 they'll find a way to integrate it with I-20. Imagine coming from Atlanta, going through one interchange to get on I-59, then going through another one less than a mile away to get on I-22. Yuck!

Right now, plans have I-22 dead-ending into US31. It is being discussed, however, about having I-22 extend further and dead-end at I-20/59 near Tallapoosa St. and the airport. This might be pretty wise for a couple of reasons. If we have I-22 bringing traffic onto I-65 just north of malfunction junction, that would just cause more traffic problems there. Also, if it does indeed end at US31 in North Birmingham, that doesnt make sense. Having what will be a major interstate END at a highway ...a highway without a median or barrier for that matter. If they do decide to dead-end I-22 at US31, they'll have to do some major upgrades to US31 south to I-20/59 to make it more interstate-traffic ready.

There is also a study underway to determine how practical it would be to extend the northern half of the beltway down to I-20 instead of having it end at I-59 (as the current plans indicate).

I'm very pissed - it will mow Norwood down AGAIN.

If they do decide to dead-end I-22 at I-20/59, Norwood would likely not be touched. Obviously that wouldnt be the case for North Birmingham, but Norwood should be clear ... boxed in by I-65, I-22, and I-20/59. It is still being studied, but even the CURRENT plans have I-22 coming to a dead-end at US31 in North Birmingham... that would definitely increase traffic and bring about changes along that western edge of Norwood that touches US31.

I was just reading random stuff on the BJCTA website and found a couple of interesting facts.

-1884 Birmingham's Street Railway Company opened with five lines

-1891 First electric streetcar began operation

-1925 Birmingham Railway and Electric Company Streetcar system operated over 80 miles of track and carried 56 million revenue passengers

-1948 Ridership reached an all time peak at 93 million passengers


93 million!! Good heavens! :haha:

No wonder Birmingham was said to have had the 2nd most extensive streetcar system in the nation.

Yeah, I know about the plans to end it at I-65 but, more than likely, it will eventually be extended to Tallapoosa... I just hope they have a way of integrating I-20, I-22, and I-59 to minimize lane changes and confusion. Something like the I-85/I-285 interchange comes to mind.

And there were talks about extending the northern beltline to I-20 but as of now, that segment won't be constructed. ALDOT claims it wouldn't alleviate enough traffic to justify its construction. However, they did say it could be pursued as a separate project, which would satisfy many in St. Clair County.

You were implying a much larger scale of construction. If I misconstrued that, my apologies.

One of your earlier sources cited that ROW purchase began early this year and won't be completed between Hwy 75 and Hwy 79 until 2006. So which is the case?

Too much development through Center Point and northeastern B'ham for them to bring it to existing 459.

Given how close Hwy 31 is to I-65 north of downtown, I-22 will in effect end at I-65 (at a major interchange), with simply a couple of ramps extending down to Hwy 31. Most of your traffic will be getting off at I-65, not Hwy 31.

Would make sense to extend I-22 down to 20/59. Would take some of the traffic off of Malfunction Junction...

I didnt necessarily mean that construction would begin on a widescale. You pretty much have to start projects like these slowly... and the area between 75 and 79 was just the easiest to attain land acquisition.

As far as I-22, if it does dead-end into US31, I hope passers-through realize that when they look at their maps and dont continue on to US31 because that could cause some major traffic issues there. However, I do hope that I-22 is continued further down to I-20/59.

Does anyone remember this Bandy fellow? Anyone know anything about the other lady?
-------------------------------------------------------------

Two toss hats into council race
Monday, June 13, 2005
BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

The race for Birmingham City Council kicked off over the weekend with announcements from two residents in separate districts.

The council election will be held Oct. 11.

Former councilman Leroy Bandy announced his candidacy for District 9 on Friday during a rally and fund-raiser at the Fellowship Hall next to the old Pratt School site.

Bandy said he's heard from numerous people who want him to run again.

"I've always done my job," he said. "They know what I did and they want some more of that. I was visible. I was there. I met with them."

Bandy will challenge incumbent Roderick Royal, who is finishing his first term and has announced he will run again.

In another announcement, Lashunda Scales said on Sunday she will challenge incumbent Joel Montgomery in District 1.

Montgomery is finishing his first term and has said he will run again.

Scales, a public relations consultant, made her announcement inside the Huffman High School gymnasium.

"I am a homeowner, a long-time resident and I have two children who attend Birmingham schools," Scales said. "This will allow me to become more active in my community."

Eight of the nine council members have said they will run for re-election. City Council President Lee Loder has said he will not run again in District 8.

E-mail: [email protected]

Public invited to review metro area transportation plans

Birmingham-area residents are invited to check out plans for city transportation improvements Tuesday during a daylong open house at the Center for Regional Planning and Design.

The public can review plans and projects for the fiscal-year 2006-2008 Birmingham Transportation Improvement Program and the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan.

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, 1731 First Ave. North, is playing host to the event on behalf of the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The public review session runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the first-floor conference room. Presentations will be given at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.



© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

It requires free registration, but yesterday and today, the Tusc. News ran some positive articles mentioning the "rebirth" of Birmingham's City Stages and Visionland :

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050612/NEWS/506120307

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050612/NEWS/506120369

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050613/NEWS/506130328/1007

If you don't feel like registering just use [email protected] (username) and light3 (PW).

Visionland has the 18th highest attended water park in America? Wow... that's pretty impressive. Southland has done a good job with it. Hopefully once theyre on a little firmer ground, they'll give back to the community in some way.

^Ditto. No knock against the guys that put VisionLand together, but it just goes to show you that politicians shouldn't run amusement parks. Poor guys... they meant well.

Anyone have a list of ONB's Twelve Most Wanted buildings? I cant seem to find it. I'm curious how many of those buildings remain now that City Federal, Cabana, Sears, etc all pretty much have plans.

It consisted of...

Blach's
City Federal
Cabana
Brown-Marx
Sears
New Ideal
Jefferson Home
Empire
Piztiz
Stonewall
Red Cross Building
Athens

I believe the list is correct. I did it from memory...

^^

Substitute Roger's Trading for Athens and Alagasco for Pizitz.

Don't ask me why Pizitz isn't in the dozen (at least in it's latest iteration)...

Blast!

I knew the Athens shouldn't have been on there. Oh well, 10/12 is a passing grade.

;)

Roger's Trading? Hmm... why would that be such a high priority I wonder.

Just checking out the ALDOT page and noticed that so far this month, the latest project letting in association with I-22 appears to actually be going forward at this point. In the past, it would be released for project letting, and then withdrawn. So far, with only about 2 weeks remaining to bid, there are 6 construction firms bidding. 3 from Alabama, 2 from Mississippi, and 1 from Kentucky.

The part that will be covered by whichever construction firm wins will be a 2.5-mile stretch from Cherry Ave to Coalburg Rd. From Coalburg Rd, I-22 would be only about 2-miles from I-65. I hope this isnt withdrawn at the last minute... they need to go ahead and begin construction on this segment to keep things on time.

If this is true, it needs to change.
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Tourism official: State travel rules stunt business
Malone says per diems discourage in-state meetings
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
By SALLIE OWEN
Capital Bureau

MONTGOMERY -- Alabama hotels would get more convention business if the state changes how it pays for employee travel, according to one Baldwin County tourism official.

When state employees travel within Alabama, they receive a set per diem, or flat daily rate, of $75 for meals and lodging on overnight trips, said Finance Director Jim Main. When traveling out-of-state, they are reimbursed for actual expenses.

"It is a disincentive to holding meetings in state," said Herb Malone, president and chief executive officer of the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau.

To read more, continue here:
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/111882707088870.xml&coll=3

Bah, state employees have no remorse if they want extra funds. After seeing one work first hand (my now ex-step-mom) they have cake jobs.

I heard something about one of the video production companies (VAZDA?) moving into the Roger's building. That might be a temporary move.

I know Intermark Group had Roger's under contract at one point recently, but I believe that deal fell through. I know there has been a lot of interest expressed recently in the building, and we'll probably see it purchased within the next few months.

Sufficive to say, there is action on nearly every one of the Twelve Most Wanted, save the Red Cross Building. I'm imagining the Alagasco building will eventually be torn down in favor of a parking deck to support all the Inman Park buildings, since they now have near full control of that block. Hopefully, Sloss will purchase the New Ideal and integrate it into their redevelopment of the Pizitz.

State To Fight Traffic Congestion
Monday June 13, 2005 11:08am


Various (AP) - Birmingham area commuters spend about 27 hours a year stuck in traffic while driving to and from work. That's a small amount of time compared to the 93 hours a year, or almost four days, Los Angeles commuters are delayed every year or the 67 hours that residents of nearby Atlanta are mired in traffic.

But it's a growing problem for Alabama's biggest city that has state and local transportation planners considering controlled access lanes, improved public transportation, more service roads and other ways to reduce future traffic jams around Alabama cities.

By comparison, a national study says, Birmingham area commuters were only delayed six hours a year in 1982.

Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris says plans in Alabama for dealing with congestion include adding additional lanes along crowded interstate highways leading into Birmingham and possibly other metro areas.

Steve Ostaseski, principal planner with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, says there may be new traffic lanes that drivers can only use if they have two or more passengers in their vehicle or if they are in a bus or other form of public transportation.

Ostaseski says transportation officials are studying the feasibility of adding the "high occupancy lanes" on Interstate 65 leading into Birmingham from the rapidly growing southern suburbs.

He says they could "car pool our way out of congestion."

There are currently "park and ride" lots along I-65 in Chilton County south of Birmingham and near Warrior north of the city where carpoolers can leave their vehicles.

Ostaseski says plans call for building more such lots along the interstate and finding available parking spaces in places like shopping center parking lots and outside gas stations.

Harris says one thing DOT has already done is install large electronic signs on the interstate highways leading into Birmingham and Mobile to warn motorists of ongoing roadwork, accidents, closed lanes or other problems.

In Mobile, the signs are also used to warn drivers about heavy fog, a condition that has caused major pileups along I-10, particularly on the Bayway bridge and tunnels.

One option being used in other parts of the country is toll roads and even toll lanes, where motorists have to pay to use the fastest moving lane on the interstate.

Ostaseski says those options are also being studied as long-range options in Alabama and pointed to two private toll bridges currently in operation north of Montgomery.

But retired DOT chief engineer Ray Bass, a major figure in Alabama road construction for the past 50 years, said in a recent interview that toll roads have always been hard to justify in Alabama.

"If there's a free route," says Bass, "people are going to take it in preference to a toll road."