Alabama State Fairgrounds
The Alabama State Fairgrounds are located in West End, adjacent to the Five Points West shopping area. Birmingham International Raceway is located inside the gates of the Fairgrounds. In addition to the racetrack (which also hosts high school football games), there is a go-kart track and batting cages on the premises, though both are inactive at present. The parking lot has a capacity of 7,500 cars.
The State Fair Arena and Exposition Building cover a combined total of 110,000 square feet. The 117-acre fairgrounds were acquired by the City of Birmingham in 1947.
For many years, the grounds were home to the Alabama State Fair. The grandstand (now BIR) was home to both automobile and harness racing, as well as shows and concerts. The statue of Vulcan, which is now a Birmingham landmark atop Red Mountain, was originally displayed at the Fairgrounds, either whole or in pieces during its construction.
The state fair discontinued regular use of the facility because of poor attendance and high crime in the adjacent neighborhood. The Alabama State Fair Authority went bankrupt, and was dissolved sometime around the year 2001. No state fair has been held on a regular basis since. (The "Alabama National Fair" in Montgomery is unrelated.)
"Kiddieland," a small amusement park located at the Fairgrounds, was a popular attraction for many years but closed in the early 1990s. The St Louis & San Francisco Railway's Engine No. 4018, a steam locomotive, went on display under a metal shed soon after it retired from service in 1952.
Redevelopment proposals
In 1969 the Authority proposed a Fair Park East on a 630-acre site near Jefferson State Junior College in Eastern Jefferson County.
A 1987 proposal for redeveloping Fair Park was assembled by city officials with assistance from Barbour Cooper & Partners. The proposal recommended demolishing the raceway and adding an exhibition building, realigning Avenue W, building an indoor swimming pool or track & field facility, building an artificial lake and providing new parking areas. Jim Wilson, owner of the adjoining Five Points West Shopping Mall and Debbie Olmstead, president of the mall's merchants association, expressed full support for the proposal.
Shortly after taking office in November 2007 Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford proposed a large-scale redevelopment of Fair Park which would combine athletic facilities with residential, retail and entertainment facilities. The centerpiece of the redevelopment would be indoor track and swimming facilities. On April 8, 2008 the Birmingham City Council approved the use of $48 million in city funds to initiate construction. Langford has publicized letters of intent from developers interested in building hotels, a grocery store, and an athletic apparel store in the area as well as a $500,000 commitment from the Alabama High School Athletic Association, which would use the proposed indoor track for statewide championship meets. Later phases would create an "Olympic Village" style residential area with green spaces and high-rise apartments.
According to the mayor's office, $29 million of the city's funding for the project would come from business license fees which were increased in the Birmingham Economic and Community Revitalization Ordinance. Those revenues were earmarked to service bonds for construction of a domed stadium, but bonds would not be issued until 2009. Other funding would come from money earmarked for schools in the Bell Plan (to be used for the athletic facilities), from an economic development fund created by a sales tax increase in the community revitalization ordinance, and from money budgeted to completed or inactive projects and previous allocations to the park.
On June 19, 2008, Langford proposed moving the race track to a site in northwest Birmingham off of Daniel Payne Drive, stating that it didn't fit into Fair Park's redevelopment plan. Demolition of the grandstand began on January 31, 2009 as Langford swung a wrecking ball at the start of a brief ceremony attended by city officials. The 2010 Birmingham budget showed no appropriations to the project in fiscal years 2009 or 2010.
References
- Faulk, Kent (February 25, 1987) "New vigor for western area: City plans to revitalize Fair Park, Five Points" Birmingham News
- Alabama State Fairgrounds. (2007, July 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:48, October 30, 2007 [1]
- Bryant, Joseph D. (April 5, 2008) "Fair Park development includes Marriott, Foot Locker, grocery, Birmingham mayor says." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (April 8, 2008) "Birmingham council OKs Fair Park plans." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (June 20, 2008) "Mayor proposes moving Birmingham International Raceway from Fair Park, providing $1 million to help build new track." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (January 31, 2009) "Groundbreaking gets under way at Birmingham's Fair Park." Birmingham News