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Rendering courtesy of BJCC.
Thanks to the massive renovations underway at Legacy Arena at the BJCC, the NCAA will bring a piece of March Madness back to the Magic City in 2023.
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Rendering courtesy of BJCC.
The lobby of the Legacy Arena at the BJCC.
A Birmingham city councilor wants more events for iconic Legion Field.
The NCAA basketball tournament is coming back to the Magic City, thanks to the renovation of Legacy Arena.
The Birmingham Public Safety Task Force — formed in July in the wake of protests in Birmingham and around the nation — is to issue its report in November.
Thanks to a program sponsored by Vulcan Park & Museum, artists are creating even more Vulcan statues around the city.
MARKETING LEGION FIELD
Birmingham City Council President William Parker would like to bring outdoor festivals to Legion Field.
His vision is to market the iconic football stadium as a location for music festivals and other large outdoor events, such as a food truck festival, in the coming months.
“We want organizers to know that Legion Field is open for business,” Parker said in a recent council news release. “It’s an amazing space for concerts and festivals, with plenty of room for multiple stages, vendors and everything you’d need to put on a great event.”
The 72,000-seat stadium sits on 100 acres and has ample space for social distancing, Parker said.
He notes the big turnout, including tailgaters, at the annual Magic City Classic football game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
“It’s easy to see something similar in terms of a music festival or food truck festival,” Parker said.
“We have so many great restaurants and food trucks here, and we want to have local businesses come out and showcase all the amazing food Birmingham has to offer, in a way that is safe and in line with social distancing protocols,” Parker said.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, Legion Field will be the site of the 2020 Funk Fest, a music and entertainment festival that is expected to have an economic impact of up to $3 million.
Parker said he is looking to possibly extend Funk Fest to a three-day event next year.
“It’s my goal to bring as many outdoor festivals to Legion Field as possible while we continue to redefine how we use one of the city’s most iconic venues,” he said.
Parker said he is also looking at ways to bring regular drive-in movies to McClendon Park, which surrounds Legion Field.
NCAA TOURNEY RETURNS
Birmingham will host the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament for Division I men’s basketball in 2023 and the Division I women’s basketball southern regional in 2025 at the newly renovated Legacy Arena at the BJCC.
The announcement by the NCAA on Oct.14 means that the NCAA men’s tournament will be back in Birmingham for the first time since 2008.
It will be the first time for the women’s tournament to come to Birmingham.
“For too long, we’ve had to watch other Southeastern cities host the men’s and women’s Division I tournaments,” Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said in a city news release. “With the renovation and expansion of the BJCC, we are firmly back in the game and committed to competing for top tier sporting and entertainment events.”
Improvements at Legacy Arena focus on fan comfort, such as premium seating, improved food and beverage, as well as new team and artist areas and operational improvements, said Tad Snider, executive director and CEO of the BJCC Authority.
The BJCC’s Legacy Arena closed in April for a $123 million renovation and expansion. It is expected to reopen in 2022.
Landing the tournaments was a collaborative effort by the city, the BJCC, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Knight Eady and the Southeastern Conference.
REPORT ON PUBLIC SAFETY
The Birmingham Public Safety Task Force, which was formed in July to review public safety issues in the Magic City, will release its findings in November.
“We have been working diligently to provide Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and Councilor Hunter Williams with thoughtful and workable recommendations to improve public safety in the city,” the task force said in a city news release.
Working with the Mayor’s Office of Peace & Policy, the task force has conducted more than 10 community listening sessions and asked for feedback in a community survey.
Members also joined Woodfin in attending a public hearing Oct. 1 held by the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, chaired by Williams.
Woodfin and Williams also serve as taskforce co-chairs. Woodfin announced the task force this summer following a national movement known as 8 Can’t Wait.
This refers to a list of protocols regarding the use of force that backers believe all police officers should be required to follow.
The Birmingham Police Department is in alignment with the 8 Can’t Wait standards, according to the news release.
“However, there is room for improvement,” the release states.
FORGED IN FIRE
Redmont Distilling Co. and Vulcan Park & Museum unveiled a new Vulcans on Parade statue in October at the company’s headquarters at 4550 Fifth Ave. S., according to a release.
The statue by Birmingham artist Shawn Fitzwater was installed at the front of the distillery, which is located in the Continental Gin complex, according to a Vulcan news release.
Named “Forged In Fire,” the statue is inspired by Birmingham’s industrial legacy.
Vulcans on Parade is a community art project led by Vulcan’s Junior Leadership Board.
Additional Vulcans on Parade locations include Railroad Park, the BJCC, Kinetic Communications, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the Birmingham Zoo.
To learn more, go to visitvulcan.com/support/vulcans-on-parade.
