Glen Iris
| Glen Iris | |
 |
Birmingham neighborhoods |
| District(s) | 3, 6 |
|---|---|
| Community | Southside community |
| Population | 9,802 |
| Area | N/A |
| President | Scott Capps |
| Meeting site | St Elias Catholic Church, (map) |
| Meeting day | 1st Monday |
| Website | |
| Neighborhood map | Glen Iris |
Glen Iris is a historical neighborhood in Birmingham's Southside community. The neighborhood centers around Glen Iris Park, a central park with 20 residential lots of two acres each. The park was created by Robert Jemison Sr, who around 1901 envisioned and developed a highly exclusive place for Birmingham's elite to live. Most of the homes were built between 1901 and 1940, with some homes being built on open lots in later years. Each home surrounded the park, which contained trails and green space for the residents to enjoy. The initial residents each agreed to not to sell their homes without the consent of the other neighbors.
Across its history, many prominent Birmingham families have lived in Glen Iris, including W. P. G. Harding, president of the First National Bank; R. DuPont Thompsons, Dr George M. Morrow, the Goodall Browns, the DeBardelebens, and the Jemisons. The Red Acres subdivision began to be developed in the 1930s. Though it had only 20 houses at the time, investigators for the Home Owners Loan Corporation gave Red Acres an above-average "grade" for mortgage security in their 1938 "redlining" map.
In recent decades various developers have proposed new apartments in or around Glen Iris Park, primarily due to the proximity to UAB. However, Glen Iris still retains its historical character. Currently, a number of the homes in Glen Iris Park are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Glen Iris is Birmingham's second most populous neighborhood, with 7,680 residents, which is more than at least two counties in Alabama. The Glen Iris neighborhood is only one of three neighborhoods in the City of Birmingham that does not have a majority of the residents falling into the same racial category, according to the US 2020 Census results. Around 44% of residents in Glen Iris are black, followed by around 37% of residents identifying as white. Glen Iris also has a large number of immigrants and latinx/hispanic residents.
The Glen Iris Neighborhood Association meets on the first Monday of each month, at 6:30 PM, at St Elias Catholic Church on 8th Street South. Rob Burton IV is president of the association and Alice Speake is secretary. Due to an issue that took place during the election certification, the Vice President is currently listed as "vacant" while the Community Resource Services Division (CRSD) conducts an election audit. The CRSD has stated that the candidate who won the October 2022 vote count is Camilla Thompson, and has stated that they are working to resolve the issue by March 2023.
Most of Glen Iris falls within Birmingham City Council District 3, with a sliver north of Green Springs Highway falling into District 6.
Neighborhood presidents
- Valerie Abbott
- Michael Gray
- Hope Cooper
- Scott Capps
- Rob Burton IV, 2023-present
Demographics
- 2010: 9,802 (48.7% Black)
- 2020: 7,680 (44.8% Black, 37.5% White)