2015

2015 is the 144th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 11: The former Cleburn Avenue in Powderly was renamed Heron Johnson Drive to honor the pastor's efforts in establishing Seven Springs EcoScape.
• February 9: Following a federal court ruling, probate courts in Alabama approved the state's first marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Olanda Smith and Dianah McCaryeo were the first to exchange vows at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
• February 9: A MAX bus overturned in Fairfield.
• March 16: The new building for the Birmingham Police Department West Precinct was dedicated in honor of Leroy Stover.
• March 26: President Barack Obama delivered remarks on the economy at Lawson State Community College.
• March 30: Yaacov Agam's "Complex Vision" was re-installed at the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital after restoration.
• April 10: Mountain Brook's Cahaba River Park was dedicated.
• May 19: Noah Galloway finished third on Dancing With the Stars.
• June 3: Eleven convenience stores were raided and closed down in Operation T-Bone.
• July 18-19: The inaugural Sloss Music & Arts Festival was held at Sloss Furnaces

Business

• January 2: HealthSouth acquired the Dallas, Texas-based Encompass Home Health and Hospice for $750 million.
• January: The Moretti apartments were sold to Raia Properties of New Jersey for $24.6 million.
• January: U. S. Steel warned that up to 1,600 employees at its Fairfield Works and Fairfield Tubular divisions could face layoffs due to lessened demand for steel pipe.
• American Family Care moved its corporate headquarters to 3700 Cahaba Beach Road.
• James Lewis merged his Bettola restaurant with his neighboring Vittoria restaurant and butcher shop.
• February: EBSCO acquired YBP Library Services of Contoocook, New Hampshire and All Current Electrical Sales of Pennsauken, New Jersey.
• April: Style Advertising acquired Ballard Advertising.
• May 27: Alabama Power Company's "Alabama NewsCenter" launched.
• June: Birmingham Coal & Coke, Cahaba Contracting & Reclamation and RAC Mining filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, with the Alabama State Lands Division as their primary creditor.
• Tortuga's pizzeria opened a new location in the Parkside district.
• Corporate Realty Development moved from the Saks building to the former Merita Bakery in the Parkside district.
• Coyote Logistics moved its offices from Two Perimeter Park to the Saks building on 1st Avenue North.
• Ally Risk Services acquired the J. H. Berry Insurance Agency‎.
• Alabama Telco Credit Union changed its name to Avadian Credit Union.
• Intermark Group acquired the Tampa, Florida-based advertising firm DynaMedia of America.
• Superior Metal Products acquired the Mason Corp. and changed its name to Superior Mason Products.

Establishments

• January 17: The Gardendale Historical Society opened a museum.
• January: Owl's Hollow Farm opened a farm store in Bluff Park.
• SKKY nightclub opened at Five Points South.
• Brava Rotisserie Grill opened on 20th Street North.
• Unipres Alabama Inc. opened in Steele.
• BYOB Restaurant & Bar opened on 29th Street South in Lakeview.
• March 12: Brent Fielder opened a Chick Fil-A on U.S. Highway 280 at Greystone.
• March 17: Mr. Harry's Chickin De-Lux opened at Mt Laurel.
• April 2: Adam Williams opened Birmingham Oddities in the Fix-Play Lofts building.
• May 1: Avondale's Saturn opened with a free concert by Austin's Mother Falcon orchestra.
• June: Chris Hastings' Ovenbird restaurant opened at Pepper Place.
• Wintzell's Oyster House opened in Trussville.
• Rowe's opened in Avondale.
• The Filling Station opened at Crestwood Shopping Center.

Disestablishments

• January: Cinema Blue and Pleasure Books East were closed.
• January 31: V. Richard's market closed.
• February 1: Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill at Brookwood Village closed after losing its lease.
• February: Athenahealth's Birmingham office at Liberty Park closed.
• February: Stone's Throw Bar & Grill at Mt Laurel closed.
• March 31: Bottletree closed.
• May: Simply Fashions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and began liquidating stores.
• May 2: The Mansion nightclub in North Birmingham was destroyed by fire.
• Sterne Agee was acquired by Stifel of St Louis, Missouri.
• Belle Vista Mobile Home Park
• Relax, It's Handled
• December 31: War Eagle Supper Club closed.

Education

• Spencer Horn took over as interim Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools.
• February 10: 2015 Birmingham property tax referendum
• July 1: Kelley Castlin-Gacutan took over as Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools.

Government

See also 2015 Birmingham budget

• May 28: Bessemer broke ground on a new Bessemer City Hall.

Sports

• January 1: The 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide football team lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, failing to advance into the first-ever Division I College Football Playoff Championship Game.
• January 3: The Florida Gators defeated the East Carolina Pirates 28-20 in the Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field.
• January 17: Boxer Deontay Wilder defeated Bermane Stiverne by unanimous decision, claiming the WBC world heavyweight title.
• February 6-8: The Arkansas Razorbacks won the Southeastern Collegiate Hockey Conference Men's Hockey Championship at the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena
• February 22: Joseph Amenya won the Mercedes Marathon with a time of 2:19:09.
• March 10-March 14: Michigan State Spartans won the American Collegiate Hockey Association's Division III Men's Hockey National Championship at the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena
• March 14: The 2015 UAB Blazers men's basketball team won the 2015 Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament with a 73-60 victory over the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Legacy Arena.
• March 19: The 14th seed UAB Blazers men's basketball team upset #3 seed Iowa State Cyclones 60-59 in the 2nd round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
• March 21: The UAB Blazers men's basketball team lost to the UCLA Bruins 92-75 in the 3rd round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
• April 26: Josef Newgarden won the Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.
• May 3: Dale Earnhardt, Jr won the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• May 17: Jeff Maggert won the Regions Tradition with par on the first playoff hole.
• June 1: UAB president Ray Watts announced the planned reinstatement of the Blazers football, women's bowling and rifle teams.
• June 13: Deontay Wilder defended his WBC Heavyweight belt against Eric Molina in a title bout at Bartow Arena.
• Birmingham Freedom

Individuals

• February 1: Collin Gaston succeeded the retiring Lou Kirchen as general manager of Fox 6.
• February 19: Joey Kennedy was fired from the Alabama Media Group.
• April 5: Avery Johnson accepted an offer to succeed Anthony Grant as coach the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team.
• May: Richard Jacks left his work as a broadcast meteorologist at WVTM-TV to focus on his real estate career.

Awards

• Alabama Academy of Honor:
• Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Men's Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Jay Barker, Evander Holyfield, Chris Gray, Tony Richardson, Bobby Hunt, Derrick McKey, Ennis Whatley, and Tommy Neville
• Alabama Teacher of the Year: Jennifer Brown, Vestavia Hills High School
• Alabama Women's Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Writers Hall of Fame:
• Birmingham Barons Hall of Fame:
• Birmingham Business Hall of Fame:
• Birmingham Gallery of Distinguished Citizens:
• Bobby Bowden Collegiate Coach of the Year Award:
• Legend of Birmingham Award:
• Miss Alabama:
• Miss Alabama USA:
• Miss Birmingham: Susanna Bagwell
• Miss Samford:
• Miss Shelby County: Amanda Ford
• Miss UAB:
• Mr Football:
• Vulcan Awards:

Marriages

• February 9: Olanda Smith and Dianah McCaryeo

Retirements

• January 16: Caryl Privett, 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama
• Judy Bonner, president of the University of Alabama
• April 1: Irondale Police chief Jerry McIntosh
• May: Charles Krulak, president of Birmingham-Southern College

Deaths

• January 15: Sam Wehby, founder of All South Properties
• January 15: Gonzo, a bald eagle at the Birmingham Zoo
• January 17: Maxine Sykes, restaurateur
• January 28: Patsy Collat, Mayer Electric executive
• February 7: Glenn Ireland II, Vulcan Materials executive
• February 13: Bobbie Jo Parsons
• March 10: U.S. Pipe supervisor Van Williams
• March 17: Marguerite Harbert
• March 25: John Ed Willoughby, radio host
• March 25: Jim Phillips, Auburn and NFL receiver
• March 30: Alberto Chiesa, architect
• March 30: Donald Comer III, former Avondale Mills CEO
• March 31: Bill Voigt, Air National Guard officer and president of National Veterans Day in Birmingham
• April 2: Evelyn Starks Hardy, founding member of the Gospel Harmonettes.
• April 7: Torrey Ward, UAB Blazers men's basketball team.
• Spring: Charles Ridley, peanut vendor
• April 20: Fred McCrory, businessman and Vestavia Hills City Council president.
• April 24: Lee Ousley, concert violinist, educator and piano technician
• May 9: McNeil Robinson, organist and composer
• May 11: John Duchock, Dora Police Chief
• May 11: J. B. Elliott, meteorologist
• May 19: Mary Bonner Wagnon, arts activist
• May 19: Henry Carter, Bessemer Police officer
• June 2: John Wright, communications director, actor and social activist

See also List of Birmingham homicides in 2015 and List of homicides in 2015

Works

Buildings

• Alagasco Metro Operations Center on 1st Avenue North
• Birmingham Police Department West Precinct at Five Points West.
• Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook at Lane Parke
• The Greenwave EcoScape at Leeds High School was completed.
• Greystone Golf & Country Club's Clubhouse renovations, Golf Operations Center, and Golf Performance Center
• Hill Student Center at UAB
• LIV Parkside
• The restored Lyric Theatre reopened.
• Birmingham's Negro Leagues Museum opened adjacent to Regions Field.
• The Rampage roller coaster at Splash Adventure was restored and reopened.
• The Plaza II (Gardendale)
• The Plaza III (Gardendale)
• Vestavia Hills City Hall

Demolitions

• Rose Towers at the University of Alabama

See Also

• 2015 Birmingham Barons
• 2015 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival

Context

2010s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works