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BJCC Expansion plans


Blazer85

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Also yesterday the City officials announced the landing of the first round of the Davis Cup, which is the largest US tennis tourney outside of the US Open. Birmingham beat out cities like Las Vegas, Greenville, and San Antonio competing for the landing this major sporting event. It will take place at the BJCC from March 6-8, 2009. Major tennis stars such as Roger Feder will likely be competing, so this will be a major opportunity for Birmingham to gain nationwide as well as worldwide exposure.

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BJCC board members voted unanimously to select HOK Inc. to design the dome. Last week HOK was the only firm to provide images and a model of its proposed design. Officials estimate it would take 12 to 18 months to finish the design and another 32 months to build, with construction beginning as early as July 2010.

Mayor Langford said he will ask the city council next week to commit it's part of the financing for the project. It'll be interesting to see how that goes with the council next week.

BJCC picks HOK to design proposed dome

After examining the plans and design sketches today while on lunch break, I wouldn't exactly call this a "dome" anymore since the roof of the facility is flat. Honestly, Birmingham does need a more space at the BJCC, so I've changed the title from "dome" to "multipurpose facility" which it truly going to be.

I believe it will likely pass, but the fact that construction is still nearly 18-24 months away at the earliest.

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  • 2 months later...

Developer John Elkington of Performa said he is scaling back plans for the entertainment district because he can't get a loan for the project. It will now be built in phases, with the first phase along Richard Arrington Boulevard from 22nd to 23rd Street using tenants appealing more to lenders. The second block would be completed once more financing is secured.

Developer rolls back scale of BJCC entertainment district

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This is probably a very wise idea considering how screwed up the credit markets are because of the slump in the economy. In addition it would probably wiser for them to build it in phases to see how successful this project is before they construct an entire complex where it has more empty storefronts than tenants. Also I've yet to hear anything about a second hotel to anchor this place as originally planned, so starting smaller is smarter.

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  • 1 month later...

What do you guys think of The Forge not opening at the BJCC? I personally like the idea of The Forge looking at the Lakeview District or the RRP area, but I am not of a fan of them considering Homewood as a possible location. It would be cool if the plan to relocate the Southtown residents to a newer development actually went through, and The Forge located there. It could be a connection for Lakeview and Five Points South.

http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/....xml&coll=2

Edited by bhamsly
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Well, all I can say is I kind of saw this coming since there has been no groundwork as planned last fall. The Forge will likely get built elsewhere in the region, most likely in the City either in the Railroad Park District or Lakeview, which are both on the Southside where the majority of the entertainment options are located. Homewood has piss-poor luck with stuff like that just look at SoHo Square which has basically dried up within 2 years of it opening, so if Performa had any sense they will avoid that option. I'm not even trying to knock Homewood because in most aspects they do things right where Birmingham has messed up. The BJCC board would be better off waiting until the expansion is constructed and completed and let a district organically form around it.

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  • 6 months later...

Since the BJCC voted not to give an extension to Performa to develop The Forge entertainment district, they are preparing to develop it on their own, possibly using Performa's help to do so. Let's get the ball rollin!

http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2009/11/bjcc_ready_to_fly_solo_on_ente.html

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  • 1 year later...

In April the Design Review Committee approved the Westin hotel and the Marketplace entertainment district. Ground was broken in January and construction should take about 18 months.

Thoughts on the design?

Good read on the project here: Bhamarchitect's Blog

Older articles:

$70 million hotel, retail plan proposed near Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex

Birmingham Mayor William Bell, BJCC officials break ground for hotel, entertainment district project

bjcc-marketplace-overview.jpg

bjcc-marketplace-plan.jpg

bjcc-marketplace-main-street.jpg

bjcc-marketplace-ra-blvd.jpg

bjcc-marketplace-view-from-hotel.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

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