Birmingham Development News

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by OCA REP

The domed stadium is, and should remain, dead...

Why?

The BJCC is old and needs a major overhaul. The last baby dome proposal I saw was for a very smart versatile mixed use facility that could potentially bring back many conventions we used to host but are now being passed over for. There are now two nice hotels down there and a new entertainment district that would benefit wildly from it.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

El Barrio, Trattoria Centrale restaurant owners plan to open downtown bar in old Paramount building LINK

By Bob Carlton

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Here they grow again.

The guys who kick-started Birmingham’s downtown dining scene with their restaurants Trattoria Centrale and El Barrio now hope to liven up the nightlife with an urban bar and burger place they plan to open this fall in the former Paramount yogurt shop space at the corner of 20th Street and Second Avenue North.

Brian Somershield and Geoff Lockert, who burst onto the downtown scene when they opened their Italian cafe Trattoria Centrale in the summer of 2010, are teaming with their partners from their Mexican restaurant El Barrio -- co-owner Chris Cullen, executive chef Neville Baay and bar manager Ben Smith – to open their new bar.

.......

[SpawnOfVulcan]

U.S. 280 traffic targeted in Trinity Medical Center, adjacent development LINK

By Mike Tomberlin
AL.com

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Daniel Corp. is exploring ways to keep from having a negative impact on U.S. 280 traffic as $750 million in offices, hotels and retail in the Cahaba Center at Grandview development join the $280 million completion of the new Trinity Medical Center hospital.

Jim Adams, senior vice president at Daniel Corp., said today the company is looking at plans to improve the road network that currently exists within the 103 acres of Cahaba Center. Future plans will be completing a road running next to the hospital and connecting to Cahaba River Road. Another future option may be connecting into the neighboring Perimeter Park development, Adams said, adding those talks are ongoing and nothing has been finalized.

Adams also said the company has worked closely with the Alabama Department of Transportation to ensure its plans fit in with the $15.6 million in U.S. 280 improvements already underway.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure the traffic impact is neutral,” Adams told members of the NAIOP Alabama, a commercial real estate development association, at its monthly meeting today.

........

With what would seem to be a $1 Billion + investment coming to a part of the metro area that is one of the main sources of congestion... it seems like something will have to be done. I've long thought that the 280 corridor would be the perfect route for a light rail line. The Trinity location would seem to be the perfect anchor for one end of the line, the other being the financial district or the BJCC.

Either way, with this coming down the tracks, something is going to have to be done.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

REV Birmingham didn't intentionally mean for it to be a rainbow correlated with the recent SCOTUS decisions, but it seems fitting!

Yesterday night, REV Birmingham lit up downtown with their first LightRails project! They lit up the 18th St viaduct that goes under the main railroad viaduct through the center of town. Some wonderful ambient enhancements for downtown Birmingham!

Here are some pictures. SOURCE: AL.com

[*BRAVO*]

Wow! The texture on the ceiling adds a whole new dimension to the lighting. Looks awesome!

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by quattordici

REV Birmingham didn't intentionally mean for it to be a rainbow correlated with the recent SCOTUS decisions, but it seems fitting!

Yeah, right. Looks awesome!

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Already posted this in the Urban Cycling Thread.

Downtown Birmingham may start bike-share program

LINK: http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingha...ring-plan.html

By Ryan Poe
Birmingham Biz Journal

Kicking the tires, spinning the wheels, shifting into high gear – whatever pun you want to use, Birmingham could get a bike sharing program in early 2014.

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham confirmed a story on Alabama Power's NewsCenter today that it has commissioned Toole Design Group to work up a bike sharing feasibility study for our downtown.

RPCGB's Lindsey West told me Toole will get $42,000 to begin Oct. 1 compiling information for the study, which will include cost estimates, potential hub locations, street safety improvement suggestions, and public hearings.

The study should be ready by the end of December, she said.

If a Birmingham program gets the thumbs-up, the RPCGB will give Toole another $18,000 or so to come up with an implementation plan by early February 2014. After that, the RPCGB will take bids for the bikes and hubs.

A few cities in the Southeast have bike-share programs – Chattanooga, for example. But Birmingham would be among the first, which could further energize its growing downtown, West said.

.........

Here's a LINK to the Alabama Power News Center article that the BBJ cited.

[bystander1]

The lighting is really nice. It's like what Montgomery has been doing downtown with nice results.

[atlantaguy]

1

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by quattordici

REV Birmingham didn't intentionally mean for it to be a rainbow correlated with the recent SCOTUS decisions, but it seems fitting!

Yesterday night, REV Birmingham lit up downtown with their first LightRails project! They lit up the 18th St viaduct that goes under the main railroad viaduct through the center of town. Some wonderful ambient enhancements for downtown Birmingham!

Here are some pictures. SOURCE: AL.com

Beyond cool.

Birmingham has it going on!

[TimCity2000]

will be interesting to see what other areas get this lighting treatment.

i think the 280/expressway underpass below highland could be cool... could kind of set the tone heading into town just before the city opens up on your left.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Well, I was in the Magic City this afternoon.

Future 22/I-65/US 31 Interchange

The flyover from EB F-22 to NB-65/US 31 has its steel structure being built over the I-65 roadway.

The new interstate bridge decking for I-65 is about complete. I anticipate that asphalt will follow soon.


Parkside

The eastern-most side of the development area has been completely demolished. Next step looked to be utility and foundation work.

LightRails

The 18th St viaduct under the railroad viaduct lighting looks great!

The Galleria

Construction is progressing. In the food court, the area where the carousel usually is has been expanded (a rough floor surface). Elevators have been removed in the food court in an effort to increase visibility of the future Von Maur store. Otherwise, the mall looks good; I didn't notice any outside differences for the renovated Hyatt Regency - Wynfrey Hotel changeup.

US 280

I don't understand what all is going on with this construction... but, I don't think that the construction that is happening is worth the impact its results will have on future traffic flow...

CBD

I saw more people around the central business district than I've seen in the past. Relative to other cities in the US of Birmingham's size, there were few people; however, compared to how many I have usually seen, there were many.

The renovation of the old federal courthouse is progressing well; the building looks gorgeous!






In lesser notes...

As I drove south on I-65 from Malfunction Junction to the OTM area, I noticed Regions Field from the interstate (which I'd never had the chance to observe). "BIRMINGHAM" could easily be seen from the road way, by a quick glance or by an observant passenger. I'd never realized just how prominent the stadium would be from I-65. I hope the city has some plans to maintain the view-shed which allows out-of-towners driving through to view that sight.

[TimCity2000]

thanks for the updates! anyone know what those parkside apartments are going to look like? have yet to see a rendering.

btw, the 20/59 aldot plan is receiving MAJOR opposition from residents... doubt it will change anything though . i'd love for the interstate to be buried or rerouted so the bjcc could become more united with the rest of the CBD.

[Tourian]

Yeah, the 20/59 thing is a major hot point. No one seems to be happy about it and many think it will continue to be a hindrance to downtowns revival. I haven't studied the plans myself but most of the proponents say it will be a more open structure with more travel lanes that will be less of a wall that isolates the BJCC from the CBD and the rest of downtown. The opponents think it will hurt business on 31st street and would rather see it buried or rerouted north near Finley ave. Looks like those two ideas are out of the budget though.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Yeah, the 20/59 thing is a major hot point. No one seems to be happy about it and many think it will continue to be a hindrance to downtowns revival. I haven't studied the plans myself but most of the proponents say it will be a more open structure with more travel lanes that will be less of a wall that isolates the BJCC from the CBD and the rest of downtown. The opponents think it will hurt business on 31st street and would rather see it buried or rerouted north near Finley ave. Looks like those two ideas are out of the budget though.

There's a reasonable amount of room for a new route to go between the 22/65 interchange and the current route of 20/59 near the airport.

I think there's a chance ALDOT makes some changes. They're likely catching a lot of heat from the business community. The changes they're planning would render a lot of the BJCC's property N of Uptown useless for any large scale facility in the future (whether it be a dome, arena, or more convention space). What they have planned probably would make it more efficient, but I don't know if the efficiency gained by their proposal is worth what sinking the viaduct could do for downtown. If you sink it, you open up all of the real estate north of the CBD to development; if you redeck the current structure and create a new thoroughfare a block to two north of the current viaduct (which is their plan), you're just creating another barrier between the CBD and neighborhoods north.

ALDOT's funding structure needs to be changed, that's what all of this is coming down to. They don't wanna sink it because it's much more expensive; of course, it's asking much too much for them to think about the potential benefits of joining the CBD with the neighborhoods north of the current viaduct.

[Tourian]

To me this is more crucial then a Northern Bypass, even though I think we need both. If they are willing to spend 4-6 billion on that then I don't see why burying or moving 20/59 is so out of the question. It just seems so dysfunctional and inconsistent in the way they operate. I think 20-59 will have a bigger impact on the metro because it helps the core city and not mostly just suburbs in the form of business development like a bypass. Plus I have a much better chance of seeing it finished. I'm fairly certain ill be dead or too old to drive by the time the northern bypass is finished.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Tourian

To me this is more crucial then a Northern Bypass, even though I think we need both. If they are willing to spend 4-6 billion on that then I don't see why burying or moving 20/59 is so out of the question. It just seems so dysfunctional and inconsistent in the way they operate. I think 20-59 will have a bigger impact on the metro because it helps the core city and not mostly just suburbs in the form of business development like a bypass. Plus I have a much better chance of seeing it finished. I'm fairly certain ill be dead or too old to drive by the time the northern bypass is finished.

I completely agree. I don't really even see Northern Beltline as being necessary. Why build something unnecessary when spending that amount of money on mass transit in the metro area would have a larger impact on the economy and quality of life in the area than that road would?

Fortunately, we're seeing movement by the city government to intervene and try and get some things changed. The fact that this meeting is even occurring just goes to show the monstrous lack of planning and discussion with potentially impacted entities (like the BJCC and the City of Birmingham, but it's not like they're anything important to the state, you know...).

You want to do what? Birmingham City Council talking to ALDOT about I-20/59 downtown plans
LINK
By Joseph Bryant

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham City Council members this afternoon will meet with Alabama Department of Transportation officials to get more details and express opposition over the state's plans to overhaul Interstate 20/59 and nearby roads downtown

The $300 million project, which includes replacing the current 20/59 bridge and closing some existing exits, has stirred criticism from some residents and business owners, who say the plans would damage downtown Birmingham by routing traffic away from the city center.

Several council members have railed against both the plan and what they call minimal sharing of information during its conception.

Today's meeting is the result.

"What they want and what the city wants are two different things," said Councilwoman Valerie Abbott. "They don't care at all about economic development and business. Well, the city cares a whole lot about economic development and business."
......

"It's like 'let's see how fast we can let these people go as they pass though,'" Abbott said of the current proposal. "We've got to get some kind of meeting of the minds about how all this is going to work. Their goal and our goal don't seem to match yet. But I'm sure they're going to work to match things up better."

Officials with the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Complex have also expressed concern about how ALDOT's plans would impact the facility's operations and future expansion.
.......

That last emboldened text is exactly what I've had a problem with all along (and another reason why I don't support the N. Beltline). Why are we trying to ensure that people will get in and out of downtown quickly (or avoid it altogether) when we're trying to get them to stay in downtown?

Fortunately, I'm becoming more confident that ALDOT's plan will be changed. Maybe with the opposition's recent momentum, they'll be motivated enough to search for funding options that would help cover the additional cost of burying the viaduct.

[Tourian]

I'm with you but oddly enough I can almost rationalize the get everybody through there mentality. That stretch is the most heavily travelled section of road in the state. Most of that traffic isn't coming through to stop at the BjCC. If we had a full bypass that forced through trucks to go around that would lessen the load. Many cars might use the NB instead too. So there's no way the 2059 bridges can be good for traffic AND good for downtown at the same time. Locals will have to use red mountain expressway or 65 to get downtown for events. Right now that left hand exit along with the people that dive bomb across traffic to get off at 21st makes things crazy.

There probably should just be one chance to get off downtown each way as far out as possible and the rest of it dedicated to just pumping traffic through as quick as possible.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Tourian

I'm with you but oddly enough I can almost rationalize the get everybody through there mentality. That stretch is the most heavily travelled section of road in the state. Most of that traffic isn't coming through to stop at the BjCC. If we had a full bypass that forced through trucks to go around that would lessen the load. Many cars might use the NB instead too. So there's no way the 2059 bridges can be good for traffic AND good for downtown at the same time. Locals will have to use red mountain expressway or 65 to get downtown for events. Right now that left hand exit along with the people that dive bomb across traffic to get off at 21st makes things crazy.

There probably should just be one chance to get off downtown each way as far out as possible and the rest of it dedicated to just pumping traffic through as quick as possible.

I completely see your point. Obviously, the number of necessary trips through downtown won't be reduced by burying the 20/59 viaduct. That is a problem, but it is also a problem that ALDOT hasn't seemed to explore alternatives to.

I agree, we should allow necessary through-drivers to get through downtown as quickly as possible; however, I don't think re-embodying and creating thoroughfares is the answer.

1) The state should put more effort into diverting trunk-route traffic down I-459 between I-59 (and I-20) north of the city and I-20/59 south of the city. Simple signs along the highway aren't enough to be sure that big rigs will avoid downtown. The downtown route can be faster at times, the state needs to be sure that the MAIN shipping route avoids downtown.

2) ALDOT has a reasonably logical signage protocol; however, ALDOT might need to consider a protocol in the Birmingham area that intentionally diverts outsiders to the I-459 corridor (other than just big rigs) in order to keep them from crowding the 20/59 corridor that flows through downtown.



Yes, we want a certain population to get on through downtown; however, at the same time, we want part of that traffic to be able to enter downtown if they so desire.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

This survey by the Birmingham Business Journal proves that virtually no one wants ALDOT to go through with the current proposal.