Operation New Birmingham
Operation New Birmingham is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Birmingham's City Center.
The organization was founded as a committee of the Birmingham Downtown Improvement Association (BDIA) in 1962, charged with creating the "Design for Progress", a master plan for the downtown area.
As it turned toward implementation of the plan, the BDIA adopted the name of its committee and pushed two major projects, the Red Mountain Expressway and the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The organization also took charge of Birmingham's Community Affairs Committee, charged with improving race relations. Its promotional efforts for downtown businesses, meanwhile, were handled by the Downtown Action Committee, created in 1961.
Since then ONB has been involved in numerous planning efforts, lobbying for and administering government programs to aid in redevelopment, and in promoting the city through the media and with special events such as the Magic City Art Connection, which it sponsors. ONB was involved in the first attempts at establishing Birmingham's Citizen Participation Program, but was pushed out before the program was successfully implemented.
In May 2009 Mayor Larry Langford suggested that ONB join with an organization being formed from the merger of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Development Board and Regions 2020. He also suggested that the city no longer fund ONB operations.
References
- King, Pamela Sterne (2008) 50 Years and Counting: A History of Operation New Birmingham 1957-2007. Birmingham: Operation New Birmingham.
- Natta, André (May 19, 2009) "On the agenda: Langford reccommends cutting ONB budget" The Terminal
External links
- Operation New Birmingham web site