Photo courtesy Birmingham Iron
A Birmingham Iron player is shown during the team's recent training camp. The team is part of the new Alliance of American Football spring league and opens its season at Legion Field on Feb. 10 against the Memphis Express.
The Birmingham Iron — the Magic City’s new professional football team — opens its inaugural season at Legion Field on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 3 p.m.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has declared Friday, Feb. 8, “Black Friday” to honor the team and help drum up interest in the opening game.
“I ask that everyone wear black in support of the city’s professional team,” Woodfin said on Tuesday, Feb. 5, referring to the Iron's uniform colors of black and gray.
The Iron, part of the new Alliance of American Football, will take on the Memphis Express.
Woodfin made his remarks during his weekly report at the regular meeting of the Birmingham City Council.
Birmingham Iron President Tom Ward told the council that the Iron and the rest of the AAF fill a deep need for sports fans after the end of the NFL season.
“Each year after the Super Bowl, 150 million professional football fans go into a deep depression, but football is just starting here in Birmingham,” Ward told the members.
Ward noted that the Iron represent the return of professional football to Birmingham after nearly 20 years.
Joe Pendry, the new team’s general manager, said the Iron will make the city proud.
“We will present a product out there on Sunday that will enhance this community,” Pendry said. “That’s a promise. We will be a professional football team, and we will do it not only through the TV rights, but our players… will be a part of the community.”
As part of its consent agenda, the council voted unanimously to approve an agreement between the city and the Iron — referred to in the resolution as Legendary Field Exhibition LLC — under which the team will play no fewer less than five home games at Legion Field for each of three AAF seasons, and the city will provide in-kind services, such as police and emergency medical assistance, not to exceed the value of $200,000 per season.
DRUID HILLS PLAN
The council voted to amend the Druid Hills Urban Renewal and Redevelopment Plan and significantly expand the area’s boundary.
The area will now take in about 104 acres, and the long-vacant Carraway Hospital property — which takes in about 50 acres — is included in the expansion.
The original Druid Hills Urban Renewal and Redevelopment Plan was adopted in 1998 to reduce blight and encourage infill housing, according to Michael Ward, a senior planner with the city.
At that time, Carraway Hospital was in operation, but it has since closed and become part of the problem of blight, according to Ward.
Under state law, the creation of a redevelopment district gives a city more options to work with developers or to take over or demolish blighted structures.
A Birmingham company called Corporate Realty announced plans in September to redevelop the old hospital as a mixed-use project with offices, retail, entertainment and residential uses.
“We are hoping that the Carraway redevelopment project will spur additional economic development opportunities in the area,” Ward said.
The amendment to the plan for Druid Hills has been approved or recommended by the Birmingham Planning Commission, the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee and the Druid Hills Neighborhood Association.
PARKSIDE REZONING
The council voted to change the zoning for property located at 10 14th St. S. and 1300 Powell Ave. after a request from the owner, Parkside Bakery Investment Partners II LLC. Members voted to change zone district boundaries from M-1, Light Industrial District, to MU-D, Mixed-Use Downtown District.
DC BLOX
The council voted to change the zoning for the property located at 600 Fourth Ave. S. in Titusville where tech firm DC Blox Inc. is building a data center facility as part of the first phase of a proposed technology and innovation campus. The zoning will change from MU-M, Mixed-Use Medium District, to C-2, General Commercial District. The property is owned by DC Blox Inc. and the Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority.
