[Blazer85]

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.

[DallasTexan]

OMG BBQ!

;)

[Blazer85]

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

[DallasTexan]

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

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

[Blazer85]

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

[Blazer85]

What a waste of a building this would be if we couldnt find something to buy it.
----------------------------------------------------------------
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: sgoodman@bhamnews.com

[DallasTexan]

Birmingham losing its Branch of the Fed?

Ugh.

:no:

[Dystopos]

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.

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.


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)

[hmorgan]

Birmingham losing its Branch of the Fed?

Ugh.

:no:

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

[Blazer85]

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

[Jazzman]

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





Hell no.

[Blazer85]

^ 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.

[Blazer85]

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: bwright@bhamnews.com

[Blazer85]

Is this how the Census is getting their estimates every year? I had been wondering. Just saw this article in Huntsville's paper today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[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 kclines@htimes.com

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.

[ajfroggie]

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

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...

[Blazer85]

^ Just in March of 2005...
------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[Blazer85]

They dont seem to have trouble finding federal funds for it... this is from December of 2004.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

$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.

[Blazer85]

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

[ajfroggie]

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.

[Blazer85]

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

[Blazer85]

From the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce website...

A final design meeting was held last summer in Pinson concerning the interchanges of the Northern Beltline at Alabama highways 75 and 79.

Right-of-way acquisition in the vicinity of Alabama highways 75 and 79 should begin in early 2005 and be complete by 2006.

ALDOT’s revised estimate of the cost for the entire project is now $1.2 - $1.5 billion.

The MPO had previously added $1.85 million to the TIP for work on the first segment of the Northern Beltline, specifically preliminary engineering for grading, drainage and bridgework from west of Highway 79 to east of Highway 75; preliminary engineering for dual bridges over Highway 79; preliminary engineering for dual bridges over Highway 75; and preliminary engineering for ramps over both Highway 75 and Highway 79.

[Blazer85]

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: gmacdonald@bhamnews.com

[Jazzman]

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








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.

[ajfroggie]

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

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.

[Blazer85]

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.

[B'ham Bound]

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!

[Blazer85]

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).

[DallasTexan]

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

[Blazer85]

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.

[Blazer85]

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.

[B'ham Bound]

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).

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.

[ajfroggie]

Did I ever say or ask anything about it being used yet? I simply was referring to when construction would start... that's it.

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

ROW has almost been completely achieved for the section between 75 and 79... if not completely purchased already.

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?

I just wished the eastern leg connected with the 459 junction in Trussville.

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

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.

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...

[Blazer85]

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.

[Blazer85]

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: bwright@bhamnews.com

[Blazer85]

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.

[DruidCity]

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

[B'ham Bound]

If you don't feel like registering just use skilet1@blah.com (username) and light3 (PW).

[Blazer85]

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.

[B'ham Bound]

^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.

[Blazer85]

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.

[DallasTexan]

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...

[CrimsonARC]

^^

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)...

[DallasTexan]

Blast!

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

;)

[Blazer85]

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

[Blazer85]

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.

[Blazer85]

If this is true, it needs to change.
----------------------------------------------------

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

[hmorgan]

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.

[Dystopos]

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

[CrimsonARC]

I know Intermark Group (http://www.intgroup.com/) 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.

[Blazer85]

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."

[Blazer85]

BJCC moves to insure bonds
Thursday, June 16, 2005
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer

Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and city officials are flying to New York for a Friday meeting to explore whether insurance can be obtained on bonds issued for the proposed dome project.

BJCC Interim Director Jack Fields, along with financial adviser Jim White of Porter, White & Co., will be accompanied by a financial analyst and a bond attorney representing the City of Birmingham.

At Wednesday's BJCC board meeting, Fields said the meeting with Financial Security Assurance Inc., or FSA, should provide an outside opinion on a proposal Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid said is critical to getting $8 million in annual city funding for the dome.

Plan not acceptable?:

City Attorney Tamara Johnson, writing on behalf of Kincaid, said in a May 25 letter the city can make its financial commitment only if the BJCC leases the facility back to the city for the $8 million a year the complex seeks. The city would use $3 million from occupational tax, $2 million from a city lodging tax and $3 million from an as-yet-unidentified source to pay the $8 million.

BJCC Board Chairman Clyde Echols and Fields said the BJCC is worried it would not be able to issue the $566.5 million in bonds it seeks to finance the dome under such an arrangement.

"We'll hear what the bond insurance group has to say about the mayor's proposal," Fields said. "We anticipate being told this type of proposal will not be acceptable."

That might send Kincaid back to the drawing board on a funding plan for the city's share of the project.

Seeks AAA rating:

The BJCC is interested in bond insurance because it would assure investors the dome bonds are a worthy investment, White said. If FSA provides guaranty insurance, the BJCC bonds would take on FSA's AAA rating. That would make it easier for the complex to attract investors and obtain cheaper financing, he said.

"For a bond purchasers, it means they wouldn't have to go to various sources to gauge the strength of our bonds," White said.

FSA met with the BJCC a few years ago, but the BJCC funding model has changed significantly since then, White said. "We're going to bring them up to date and to get their opinion of our funding model," he said.

BJCC lawyer Tom Stewart said Wednesday that he has had two or three meetings over the past two weeks with city officials trying to work out an agreement. He said it is critical to get funding agreements signed by the city and Jefferson County before a special session of Alabama lawmakers expected to begin in late July.

Fields said if the funding issue is not resolved by late summer, the BJCC may require more money to build the dome because of rising construction costs.

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

[Blazer85]

No news yet about this dome meeting in NYC about the bonds? Certainly wasnt anything in the paper, but I was under the impression that the meeting was yesterday.

[LSyd]

while i was running this morning i thought it'd be great if Dave Chappelle would do a skit where he's either Richard Arrington or Bernard Kincaid; hell, he could be Arrington and have a little sock puppet as Kincaid, or just double up as both with cheap camera shots because it's like a Cheney/Bush or Darth Sidious/Paplatine symbiotic relationship anyway.

then as i ran over Morris Ave at about 8:30 a.m. on Arrington i thought i heard a remix of Front 242's "headhunter."
i stopped and looked down, and saw a girl in a courtyard smoking and reading; short red hair, green t-shirt, jeans.

i asked what they were playing; she said, "i don't know. really, really bad techno."
i said, "oh, from here it sounds good. tell them that."
she said, "o.k."

anyway, it felt like i was in a big city to hear that while on an overpass and seeing people about.

-

[Dystopos]

I was under the impression that William Bell was Arrington's young ward and that Kincaid was more like the Penguin.

[Dystopos]

No news yet about this dome meeting in NYC about the bonds? Certainly wasnt anything in the paper, but I was under the impression that the meeting was yesterday.

Roy Williams. Birmingham News. Sunday, June 19, 2005
Conference call might help dome deal:

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex's director hopes that guidance dome backers received from a New York bond insurance firm could lead to a funding agreement with the City of Birmingham.

Jack Fields and BJCC financial adviser Jim White held a conference call Friday morning with representatives of Financial Security Assurance Inc. after their planned Thursday night flight was canceled.

"We needed them to clarify for us how we need to craft our deal with the city," Fields said.

The bottom line, he said, is that if both sides follow through on the advice they received Friday, they should be able to reach a funding agreement on the dome project.

Next, the city and BJCC officials must finalize a proposal that FSA says would persuade it to insure the $566.5 million in bonds required for the project.

[Blazer85]

Niki's West makes it onto USA Today.
-------------------------------------------------------

Sweet home Alabama has a taste all its own
As part of a series of occasional stories on classic, down-home eateries, USA TODAY's Jerry Shriver visits Alabama to dine at some of its most soulful spots. Click here for a map of other salt-of-the-earth eateries.

•Niki's West, 233 Finley Ave., Birmingham; 205-252-5751

First-timers need a plan of attack before they approach the line that snakes in front of the formidable buffet. Each day there are 10 entree specials, more than 50 vegetables and salads and a dozen desserts to choose from. The visual impact of such a spread can be deliciously discombobulating.

The line moves quickly, and the food is dispatched smartly by a small army of servers, so there's no time to dither between the collard or turnip greens or to fret over pairing salmon patties with fried green tomatoes or to drool over the lemon icebox pie. Just keep pointing and moving, take as much as you can on your tray and rest assured that you'll probably get change back from $10.

Maintaining quality on a massive scale — the 450-seat dining areas accommodate crowds of 1,100 to 1,400 a day — is a challenge, co-owners Teddy and Pete Hontzas say. Their great-uncle, a Greek immigrant, founded the restaurant in 1957. "You're just a couple of bad meals away from somebody not coming back for a while," Teddy says.

They address that by using fresh products from the region (fewer than 15% of the main ingredients are frozen or canned, Teddy says), and by maintaining a staff of veterans, some of whom have tenures of 20 years.

[Blazer85]

Pretty significant news here. NBC just reported that BJCC Chairman Jack Fields has informed them that they have indeed secured insurance on the bonds for the proposed dome and could close on the deal for the dome soon.

[zoom31min]

If this is true, great. But I still think there's a holdup--namely the county commission. Not sure how they're going to get the votes here.

[Blazer85]

If this is true, great. But I still think there's a holdup--namely the county commission. Not sure how they're going to get the votes here.

I'm pretty sure the county commission already voted on it and did approve the $10M per year. The BJCC and County both had their money committments pretty firm as I understood it. It was the city of Birmingham that was not sure, but accordding to what I understand, the city of Birmingham has recently upped their contribution from $5M per year to $8M per year. I think everything is on track now since Haney has come in and provided private money towards the project.

[Mayfd24]

From the June 17, 2005 print edition
SouthTrust Tower is getting $22M fix-up
Kaija Wilkinson
Staff
After buying the SouthTrust Tower last year for more than $50 million, Atlanta-based Barry Real Estate Cos. and VEF Advisors LLC are set to get started July 1 on a $22 million, five-year renovation designed to turn the building into one of downtown's most dazzling jewels.




Recent Company News
» Barry Real Estate Cos
» Birmingham's Brice Building Co.
» Bradley Arant
» Corporate Realty Associates Inc.
» Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc.
» Sloss Real Estate Group Inc.
» SouthTrust Corp.
» VEF Advisors LLC
» Wachovia Corp.
Latest News
» Huntsville to share in new Raytheon military contract
» Metro area home sales, prices continue long ascent
» Alabama, North Carolina share top development honors
» Scrushy juror ill; no deliberations today, either
» Colonial Properties, partners to develop Nashville area center
More
» Companies in the News
» People in the News





Barry is confident the makeover will take the building from 60 percent occupancy to 100 percent. Barry has hired Birmingham's Brice Building Co. for the first phase of the project.

The price tag alone speaks volumes about investors' confidence in the project, which they hope will mirror the success they enjoyed with Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. at One Federal Place, which the team built for $50 million three years ago.

"On One Federal, we had very good partnerships with Sloss, our firm, and Bradley Arant (the building's largest tenant) and I think the building hit the market at a good time," says Deming Fish, Barry's director of leasing and management. "It has an excellent floorplate, which gave some of the users in downtown Birmingham an opportunity to grow and expand."

Earlier this year, the building was sold to a New Mexico firm, but Barry's Fish remains the leasing agent. Of One Federal's 300,000 square feet, 20,000 are available, he says.

'Great bones'
Barry's success with One Federal didn't escape the notice of developer Tom Hinton and Robert Simon of Corporate Realty Associates Inc., who brought the property to the Atlanta team's attention about a year ago.

"As a result of One Federal, they thought we would be a group that would aggressively go after a building of that nature," Fish says. "It's a great location, and it's got great bones if you will."

Completed in 1986, the SouthTrust Tower was partially designed by Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. It features gleaming blue-green reflective windows and stunning views of the city.

Fish says the exterior, aside from Wachovia logos replacing the four giant SouthTrust S's, will not be touched. The building also will get a new name.

Harvey Rudy, Barry's vice president of development, says his firm got a "great price" on the 454-foot tower, currently the tallest building in the state. Rudy is confident in the future of Birmingham's downtown office community, and says it will continue to recover as buildings like the SouthTrust Tower are renovated and parking becomes available.

[Mayfd24]

cont. from page 1

After Charlotte-based Wachovia Corp. bought SouthTrust Corp. in a $14 billion deal last year, the future of the building was in limbo. Enter Barry, which closed on the deal on June 30, 2004. Wachovia ended up retaining five of its original 11 floors in the tower, plus the lobby. Fish says that's a considerable vote of confidence and he hopes the banking giant will expand its presence even further.

Barry already has upgraded the building's air conditioning and safety systems, and will next tackle the lobby and common areas, including 11 sets of restrooms and three multi-tenant corridors. Fish emphasizes that the lobby will not be completely changed. "We're taking the good elements and improving on them, warming the space up," he says.

The 19,000-square-foot lobby has green granite panels, which will be incorporated into the new design. The drop ceilings will be replaced with drywall and plaster. In addition, space will be carved out for two or more retail tenants, preferably restaurants, Fish says. The restaurants will front Fifth Avenue North and boast outdoor seating.

Phase 1 lobby, bathroom and common area renovations will be completed in three to four months and represents $2.5 million to $3 million of the total renovation cost, Rudy says.

The issue of parking
One question hovering over the tower, and the downtown office market in general, is parking. The building currently has a 224-space deck and an agreement with the city of Birmingham to acquire space in various city decks as it becomes available, Rudy says.

Several months ago, it was announced that the nearby Regions deck on Fourth Avenue North would nearly double its current 769 spaces as part of a mixed-use city project to be completed in 2006. The parking authority has said the expansion is on hold, and city spokeswoman Renee Kemp-Rotan says although she doesn't have a time frame, "we still intend to go forward with that project and we're working on the details now."

Such a project would enhance the tower's appeal "since that deck is right in our back yard," Rudy says. "We would be thrilled to get it. It would be huge for us."

Fish says the building's owners are firmly committed to bringing the building to the top of its market and filling it. To that end, Barry has hired property manager Jeannie Knowles, who will work with tenants and oversee the day-to-day operations of the building.

kwilkinson@bizjournals.com - (205) 443-5637

[D1136]

-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.

I wonder why the city got the bright idea to rip it all out...the infrastructure was there and no one, not a single person in charge, had the foresight to consider congestion and urban flight issues...

Just makes me wonder when and what the next big blunder for Birmingham will be...let's see, rails to natta, loss of the "big" airport to Atlanta, what is the blunder of this quarter century?

:no:

[Randy Sandford]

I thought this thread was "for things not exactly related to development." Some of these topics should be in the "Birmingham Development News" thread (which I just bumped to the top).

[DallasTexan]

-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.

I wonder why the city got the bright idea to rip it all out...the infrastructure was there and no one, not a single person in charge, had the foresight to consider congestion and urban flight issues...

Just makes me wonder when and what the next big blunder for Birmingham will be...let's see, rails to natta, loss of the "big" airport to Atlanta, what is the blunder of this quarter century?

:no:


It's GM's fault :(

[Randy Sandford]

-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.

I wonder why the city got the bright idea to rip it all out...the infrastructure was there and no one, not a single person in charge, had the foresight to consider congestion and urban flight issues...

Just makes me wonder when and what the next big blunder for Birmingham will be...let's see, rails to natta, loss of the "big" airport to Atlanta, what is the blunder of this quarter century?

:no:

Like Justin said, the automobile industry is to blame. The dismantling of streetcar systems happened in many cities during the mid-1900's, not just in Birmingham.

[DallasTexan]

But, but, after GM bought and dismantled the systems, they turned around and sold us buses!

Geez!

;)

[Blazer85]

Toronto certainly maintained and in fact grew their trolley system when most other places were cutting it. In fact, I believe they bought streetcars from Birmingham and Cincinnati among other places.

[Blazer85]

Well... looks like ALDOT once again withdrew the 2.5mile stretch of I-22 from Cherry Ave to Coalburg Rd. The 5 mile stretch from Cherry Ave to I-65 is the one remaining segment of I-22 that has yet to see work on it begin.

[Dystopos]

I wonder why the city got the bright idea to rip it all out...the infrastructure was there and no one, not a single person in charge, had the foresight to consider congestion and urban flight issues...

They didn't rip it all out. A lot of it is still there under the asphalt. There's an easily visible section on Richard Arrington/18th St. headed up to Vulcan from 5 Points.

The foresight they had at the time was that the streetcar companies weren't making any money anymore and that automobiles were reaching the mass market. So they sold the streetcars and bought busses.

Re: Congestion, they probably assumed that individual cars would give people freedom to use routes that weren't travelled by streetcar and would therefore RELIEVE the problems of congestion that they already had. And I'm sure they were right. It would have been remarkable if they had foreseen the entirely different congestion problems that cars eventually brought - which are not the direct result of ending light rail service, but are the result sprawling development that capitalized on auto ownership to turn a profit on cheap outlying parcels.

You want foresight? I'll give you foresight. Five lane streets throughout downtown showed INCREDIBLE foresight. There is no real congestion on downtown streets except at onramps and cruising hours. Sure, people complain about the traffic, but put them in any comparably-sized city at rush hour and let them compare.

[Mayfd24]

Hmm.. Are there houses in the way of that stretch or is it funding?

[Mayfd24]

Does anyone have a response to the article in today's B-ham News about Gov. Riley getting ALDOT to speed up the I-85 extension? As of now, he has secured $19 million in route planning, stating that the extention will "improve the transportation infrastructure" which he says will help the Black Belt's struggling economy. I'm all for boosting the much needed economic development in the Black Belt counties, and soon, but the 140 mile extension, estimated at $1.5 billion, is supposed run parallel to the already 4-laned Hwy 80. (Some segments are currently, or will be under contruction to allow it to be 4-laned from Montgomery to the state line). The plans for the extention call for it to end at 20/59 in Cuba, Al. Okay, I travelled Hwy 80 from Montgomery to Selma about two years ago and I probably could have counted more animals than vehicles. Yes, it's common sense that interstates, extensions, and spurs are a benefit and can bring growth and development (ex. Ga 400 and 575), but there are many highways, such as 280, that don't owe their success to an interstate being built. Also, anyone travelling from Atlanta to or through Ms (and vice versa) will not get there faster from this ext. getting built. Building or extending an interstate needs to have more reasoning. I could not think of a more vital construction project than I-22, which will improve the heavy truck traffic between 3 major cities: Memphis, Birmingham, and Atlanta.

The extention proposal was actually brought to the table by Gov. Siegelman for the same economic reasons, leading Sen. Shelby to secure $3 million in 2002 to help pay for a study. I do want Riley to further pursue this study, as well as other possibilities to bring growth to that area, but this allocation of state money that he ordered to ALDOT, makes me wonder if he's just responding to complaints from Rep. Artur Davis, who is over district 7 (Selma and everything surrounding). Otherwise, I wouldn't assume that this matter would cause Gov. Riley to get off his horse.

I dunno... It just makes me wonder why Riley would set his priorities on this. Meanwhile, trucks are doing cartwheels on Malfunction Junction and they are putting up blank message boards. Go Figure!

[zoom31min]

There are certain industries who mandate proximity to a FEDERAL highway when selecting a factory site. I'm guessing it has to do with stability in funding/upkeep and a uniform highway design that allows nationwide transportation to travel it easier (?).

Riley knows he will never have the political support to boost the Black Belt's fortunes through increased money to social programs, education, housing, etc. This seems to me to be a very "Republican" solution to the problem--build a federal highway through the area, make it as attractive as possible to new employers, and let the boom in business be the "tide that lifts all boats."

Improving the Black Belt is important to Alabama's fortunes. Not only would it seriously improve the lives of those people living in one of the last real pockets of poverty in the US, but it would help put a dent in the atrocious business/social statistics of that region. I'm not sure if you've ever noticed this, but if you took the "Black Belt" counties out of Alabama, the social statistics in many cases would look a lot more like Kentucky/Indiana. Alabama would love to be able to overcome the statistical gap keeping it down, and putting a federal highway right through the heart of this area would go a long way.

And Artur Davis knows this, too--that's why he's behind it.

[ajfroggie]

However, it takes more than just an Interstate highway running through the area to make it attractive to industry. By your logic, Greene and Sumter Counties should be fricking booming (since they have I-20/59 running through). Last I checked, they were just as bad as the rest of the "Black Belt".

No, it takes more than an Interstate. It also takes *EDUCATION* and having a skilled workforce to tap into. Furthermore, it also takes a bit of proaction on the part of both the government *AND* the public in the area to recruit industry. This is one big reason why Meridian, MS, despite its excellent location and transportation assets, is barely hanging on...their leaders aren't being proactive the way they should be and IMO are backing the wrong horses...

Lastly, when it comes to transportation funding, and how scarce transportation dollars are, potential projects need to be priortized based on other more pertinent factors...safety...road condition (i.e. need for reconstruction)...and congestion. Economic development, IMO, is *LAST* on the list of factors to be considered.

Relating that to Alabama, Corridor X is justified due to its heavy truck traffic and safety issues. The US 80 corridor just barely justifies a 4-lane corridor. There aren't many safety problems along it, and traffic just isn't heavy enough to support a freeway. It CERTAINLY doesn't justify an Interstate highway...

[zoom31min]

I'm afraid I don't know much about Highway 80. You raise a good point about I-20/59, though. I guess you've got to give that area of the state a chance. Maybe Riley knows something we don't--industry that has mentioned moving to rural AL, "if the infrastructure was in place..."

[Blazer85]

Hmm.. Are there houses in the way of that stretch or is it funding?

Funding is no real issue with I-22 to my knowledge... the funding is there, just have to complete construction. The final leg of construction to I-65 also doesnt involved cutting through many (if any) homes, so homes arent really the issue either. Primarily this last 5-mile segment is expect to take so long because of the harsh terrain it must cover and therefore requires a LOT of earth-moving. The interchange of I-22 and I-65 is expect to cost about $150M alone.

[Blazer85]

Hmm... never heard of it. Anyone ever had Lenny's? Hopefully there will be at least one of these downtown.
----------------------------------------------------------

Lenny's Sub Shop to open locations in Birmingham

LnL to open 22 sub shops in Birmingham, Jonesboro and Little Rock

Lenny's Franchisor LLC, franchisor of Lenny's Sub Shops announced Wednesday the chain will add restaurants in three Southeastern markets. Franchisee LnL, owned by a group of investors from the Memphis area, has agreed to open a total of 22 restaurants in Birmingham, as well as Jonesboro and Little Rock, Ark., over the next five years.

While the original Lenny's Sub Shop opened in a Memphis suburb in 1998, owners Len and Sheila Moore first started selling subs and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches years before on the Wildwood, N.J., boardwalk. Lenny's started franchising in 2001 and has granted over 300 franchises in nine states from North Carolina to Texas.

"As we continue to grow, we are excited to have this capable and experienced group as part of our franchisee community," said George Alvord, CEO of Lenny's.

After researching potential markets, LnL chose the Birmingham, Jonesboro, and Little Rock markets because of their familiarity with the areas and the cities' proximity to their home base of Memphis. Birmingham and Jonesboro are new markets for Lenny's; Little Rock currently has one operating restaurant.

LnL plans to open the first two restaurants, in Little Rock and Birmingham, before the holidays this year.



© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

[Dystopos]

Looks a lot like the Fat Sam's on 280 to me. (http://www.lennyssubshop.com/ , click on "Tour" )

[Blazer85]

^ Well Fat Sams is awesome... never been to the 280 location, but the one in Southside is great.

[Blazer85]

How do yall think this will fly in Birmingham?
-------------------------------------------------------------

Segway sets up Southside shop
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

A seller of Segway, the hot two-wheel transport, has decided to give Birmingham a whirl.

Segway of Birmingham has settled at 1516 20th St. South, becoming the first dealership in the state for the electric vehicles.

Rafael Cabello decided to open the Birmingham location after being part of a similar operation in Clearwater, Fla.

"I feel Birmingham is really cosmopolitan, with people who are really interested in new technology," Cabello said.

How they work:

The Southside sales center allows Cabello to give potential buyers a "test drive" after about five minutes of instruction.

The electric, self-balancing Segway moves with the driver as he or she leans forward and stops or reverses by leaning backward. Steering can be done with a twist of a device on the handlebars.

The vehicles travel up to 12.5 miles per hour and can travel on sidewalks, inside buildings, on golf courses and virtually anywhere. They are available in all-terrain and regular versions.

Prices range from $4,500 to more than $5,500. A number of accessories and add-ons can push the price higher.

With lithium batteries that can be recharged, Segway could be coming to town at just the right time with gas prices on the rise.

Cabello said it costs about 10 cents per day to recharge the battery, which has an energy efficiency equivalent to 450 miles per gallon.

Business and pleasure:

Urban dwellers, short-term commuters and students are among targeted customers. Suburbanites, those who live on golf courses and farmers are others.

But the larger market could be commercial customers, Cabello said.

"Police and security personnel, airport workers, automotive plants like Mercedes, meter readers, warehouse workers and postal employees can benefit from using Segways," he said, adding he plans to call on a number of businesses in the area to make a pitch.

Cabello said the elderly and certain handicapped people also have benefited from the Segway. An attachment for trucks makes it easy to load and transport a unit anywhere, he said.

Segways are growing more popular in large pedestrian cities, so much so that some cities are considering passing special laws to accommodate their use.

In addition to Segways, Cabello's dealership is carrying Tidal Force electric bicycles, which sell for $2,100 to $2,900 each. Police and security organizations are interested in those as well, he said.

"We're selling things that are not only fun new technologies, but they have great uses," he said.

For now, Segway of Birmingham is taking customers by appointment only. Scheduling can be made by e-mailing segway@charter.net.

E-mail: mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

[Dystopos]

Oh, and speaking of Segways....

I meant Jersey Mike's not Fat Sam's. Lenny's looks like Jersey Mike's. Oddly, I've never been to Fat Sam's, but I'll keep it in mind.

[DallasTexan]

There was once a Lenny's out on 280, but it closed.

Good Lord, I hate them with the firey passion of one million burning suns. I worked there in high school.

[sleepy]

Anyone ever made the mistake of a Philly cheese steak at Subway?

Uh, well, that's Lenny's.

[Randy Sandford]

I love Fat Sam's too! One sub chain I'd like to see more of in the Birmingham area is Firehouse Subs (http://www.firehousesubs.com) (currently 3 Over the Mountain locations). Bear Rock Cafe (http://www.bearrockfoods.com) is another favorite sandwich chain, but they no longer list their Wildwood location on their website. Does anyone know if it has closed? I also wish we could get some Le Madeline restaurants (they're scattered all over Atlanta and Dallas).

[Blazer85]

George Wallace Jr is considering a run for Alabama Lt. Governor. Ahh! All I can say is that I hope he's not much like his father.

[Blazer85]

Delta will begin offering service direct to Tampa from Birmingham beginning tomorrow. Always good to see the airport adding new flights. Hopefully once this runway expansion is completed, Birmingham can offer more international flights... heck, we might actually even get a transatlantic flight without having to go through Hartsfield.

[Randy Sandford]

Delta will begin offering service direct to Tampa from Birmingham beginning tomorrow. Always good to see the airport adding new flights. Hopefully once this runway expansion is completed, Birmingham can offer more international flights... heck, we might actually even get a transatlantic flight without having to go through Hartsfield.

There are no scheduled international flights by the airlines from BHM--only chartered flights. Airlines usually only fly to international destinations (particularly transatlantic and transpacific) from hub airports (they collect passengers from non-hub cities in order to fill up those wide-body jets), so don't count on any such flights originating from Birmingham unless an airline creates a hub here. The main reason BHM can call itself an international airport is because it has customs agents available to process international passengers.

[shortydee999]

What airline doesnt already have a hub??

[Randy Sandford]

What airline doesnt already have a hub??

Most airlines have mutilple hubs serving different regions of the country with one of those hubs being their primary hub (home base). For Delta, Atlanta is their primary hub, but they also have hubs in Cincinnati and Salt Lake City while Boston, Columbus OH, Dallas/Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Orlando, and Tampa serve as "focus cities" with large operations (a few of these were once official hubs). Atlanta and New York are Delta's primary international gateways.

Southwest is the only major airline that doesn't rely on the "hub-and-spoke" system.

[sleepy]

The main reason BHM can call itself an international airport is because it has customs agents available to process international passengers.

BHM also has international airfreight which requires a customs agent.

What airline doesnt already have a hub??

Southwest. But hub and spoke isn't part of their business model.

[Randy Sandford]

The main reason BHM can call itself an international airport is because it has customs agents available to process international passengers.

BHM also has international airfreight which requires a customs agent.



True, but since we were discussing passenger flights, I didn't go into that much detail. Even taking that into consideration, I'm not aware of any scheduled international air cargo flights operating from Birmingham at this time.

[Blazer85]

Well part of the reason for the runway expansion was so a fully-loaded 747 could take off and land from BHM. It may have been only taking in mind freight traffic, but I believe there are intentions of luring some international flights direct from BHM.

[D1136]

The main reason BHM can call itself an international airport is because it has customs agents available to process international passengers.

BHM also has international airfreight which requires a customs agent.



True, but since we were discussing passenger flights, I didn't go into that much detail. Even taking that into consideration, I'm not aware of any scheduled international air cargo flights operating from Birmingham at this time.

Not daily scheduled at least. You do have the auto manufacturers flying in items for Mercedes and Honda from overseas. Those, however, are scheduled about a week in advance.

[D1136]

Bear Rock Cafe (http://www.bearrockfoods.com) is another favorite sandwich chain, but they no longer list their Wildwood location on their website. Does anyone know if it has closed?

The site in Wildwood closed down and CB Eyster is either trying to sell the center or lease the store. Sounds like there was a breakdown in communication causing a falling out between the franchisor and franchisee which caused the franchisee to bail. Besides, the location was not the best nor was it visible from either I-65 or Lakeshore. Unfortunately, visibility or name recognition is a *HUGE* factor in the succes of a food chain. This was Bear Rock's first step into Birmingham and it crashed based on both of those reasons. I did hear, however, they have an interesting tenant in line for it...will give more later if I can confirm it...

[Blazer85]

Chris Patriarca from emporis informed me that he had heard of a proposal for a 6-7 story building north of one of the Mtn Brook villages. Anyone know what he's referring to? Only think I can think of recently was the condo in Liberty Park, but that's not really near Mtn Brook.

[Randy Sandford]

Chris Patriarca from emporis informed me that he had heard of a proposal for a 6-7 story building north of one of the Mtn Brook villages. Anyone know what he's referring to? Only think I can think of recently was the condo in Liberty Park, but that's not really near Mtn Brook.

He's referring to Sutton Place which was proposed for English Village. I posted this rendering of it on page 2 of the "Birmingham Development News" thread back on April 28:

http://www.pbase.com/randy4au/image/32096728.jpg


A week later, Dystopos posted this:

From Today's News:

"Redmont Park residents fought a similar battle about two years ago. The neighborhood association declined to back plans by Margi Ingram and Bill Thornton to build Sutton Place at 2553 20th Ave. South. The building was to be a high-rise residential structure in the north side of English Village, but it was never built. "

Victoria L. Coman. "Redmont Park neighbors oppose mixed-use building (http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/south.ssf?/base/community/1115199120110720.xml)" Birmingham News. May 4, 2005

[Blazer85]

^ Hmm... that's probably it, but he acted like this was a fairly recent development.

[Dystopos]

There was a recent (Dec. 2004) proposal by "Old Realty LLC" for a 6 story condo + office building at 2106/2112 Cahaba Road (across from Arman's) which sparked a minor revolution among some village residents. The proposal was for 40 condo units and one rooftop office suite with 107 enclosed parking spaces on two below-grade levels. The bulk of the proposed building, once it was understood, shocked many residents. As far as I know, the current status is that the the project is on hold and the city has agreed to hire an urban design consultant to revise their nearly toothless "mixed use" zoning.

[Blazer85]

Workshop aims for more restaurants
Monday, June 27, 2005
KELLI HEWETT TAYLOR
News staff writer

The people are here, now it's time to feed them.

Operation New Birmingham is spotlighting the next piece of the downtown improvement puzzle: More downtown restaurants.

Today, the downtown improvement agency is hosting a half-day workshop at The Harbert Center, focusing on starting a restaurant. What's Cookin' Downtown! will feature area and national restaurateurs, who will discuss fostering new restaurants and the roles eateries can play in revitalizing communities.

"I think it's invaluable what a restaurant can bring to a neighborhood," said Ti Brennan Martin, co-owner of the New Orleans restaurant Commander's Palace, one of that city's top eateries. "But they need a lot of support."

Martin said restaurant owners can't be cut-throat toward each other. They must remember that neighborhood success helps everyone, she said. Residents have to contribute by eating at fledgling restaurants in the area. City and civic leaders need to invest in marketing and promotion.

New downtown restaurants, such as Surin & Co., G, and Cafe Dupont, aren't enough to anchor the community with its influx of residents, Operation New Birmingham leaders say. Nor are there enough to make downtown the dining destination of, say, Five Points South.

"We are very keen on additional restaurants," said Mike Calvert, president of Operation New Birmingham. "This workshop is aimed at attracting people to Five Points and Lakeview, as well as downtown."

Local restaurant impresarios such as Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill in Five Points South, George Sarris of The Fish Market in Southside and Guillermo Castro of Los Angeles in Lakeview, will share their secrets at the workshop.

Other speakers will discuss the basics of running a restaurant, from health inspections to code details.

"From the influences of people like Frank Stitt in this town, food and wine have grown dramatically over 10 years," said Kevin Moore, general manager of the new Satterfield's restaurant in Cahaba Heights. He plans to attend today's workshop. "I think people enjoy the diversity that is starting to crop up."

Moore said he and owners Tommy and Becky Satterfield want to learn all they can from the successes of others.

Downtown residents say they love the emphasis on more downtown eating choices.

"There was no dining scene 16 years ago," said Virginia Reckoff, a longtime downtown resident. "We all want more choices, and I am definitely in favor of the local and independent restaurants being added to the community. The more variety there is, the better."

For more on the What's Cookin' Downtown! workshop, visit www.yourcitycenter.com.

E-mail: ktaylor@bhamnews.com

[Blazer85]

Any of you Birmingham folks ever heard of this website? Just now stumbled across it.

http://mallbirmingham.com/

[DallasTexan]

No, I haven't.

In other news...

AmSouth sells its mutual fund division

Tuesday, June 28, 2005
SHERRI C. GOODMAN
News staff writer

Birmingham's AmSouth Bancorp. said Monday it has sold its mutual fund management business.

AmSouth expects a gain of $50 million once the deal with Pioneer Investment Management Inc. is completed.

"Because it has become more difficult and expensive for small mutual fund families to compete effectively, we have decided to focus on the key services that have distinguished our asset management business for the past 80 years," Chief Executive Dowd Ritter said.

AmSouth has 23 mutual funds with $5.5 billion in assets under management. The funds will be merged with Pioneer funds with similar investment objectives and strategies, the bank said.

AmSouth may use the gains for share repurchases, debt repayment or other actions, it said. Only "a couple" of jobs will be affected by the sale because the bank will continue to manage assets for its individual and institutional customers, said spokesman Rick Swagler.

Ritter earlier this year told investors the bank has already bought dozens of sites mainly in Florida and expects to resume building at least 40 branches a year after regulators lift restrictions on its expansion.

AmSouth's expansion plans were put on hold indefinitely as part of a settlement last year with regulators for violating the Bank Secrecy Act.

Boston-based Pioneer Investment Management is the U.S. subsidiary of Pioneer Global Asset Management, which operates offices in 16 countries and manages more than $175 billion in assets. It manages 46 mutual funds in the United States.

Shareholders and regulators still must approve the deal.


---

Is this a sign that Amsouth might soon be bought out? First the credit card division, now this...