2019

2019 is the 148th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 21-March 2020: The I-59/20 downtown viaduct was closed for replacement of the bridge spans.
• February 16: The Birmingham Committee for Truth and Reconciliation hosted the 2019 Conversation with Dr Angela Davis‎ at Boutwell Auditorium.
• February 19-March 8: Donald Watkins and Donald Watkins Jr were tried and convicted on federal fraud and conspiracy charges in Judge Karon Bowdre's court.
• February 27: The Birmingham Water Works' Shades Mountain Filter Plant experienced a major chlorine gas leak, causing U.S. Highway 280 to shut down.
• March 3: At least 23 people were killed by the 2019 Lee County tornado outbreak.
• March 12: The former Hospitality Inn on 7th Avenue South was burned by arson, damaging the adjacent Yum Yai restaurant, Chai Market, and the former 22nd Street Jazz Cafe.

Business

• January 1: Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith accountants merged with Albright Garrison & Barnes of Huntsville to form BMSS LLC.
• January: Burr & Forman acquired 7 McNair Law Firm offices in North and South Carolina.
• January: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings opened an office in Dallas, Texas.
• January: The Chelsea General Store relocated to Columbiana as "Masters General Store".
• January: Hargray Communications of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina acquired the Alabama assets of USA Communications.
• January: EBSCO Health acquired HealthDecision of Madison, Wisconsin.
• February: Southern Research relocated its Sustainable Chemistry and Catalysis Laboratory from Durham, North Carolina to Birmingham.
• February: Medical Properties Trust acquired 11 hospitals from Healthscope Ltd. of Melbourne, Australia.
• February: EBSCO's S. S. Nesbitt & Co. risk consulting division rebranded as the Valent Group.
• February: U.S. Steel announced it was resuming construction of an Electric Arc Furnace at its Fairfield Works plant.
• February: Matthew Allen acquired Birmingham Fun and Family magazine from Jay Carr.
• February: EBSCO Information Services acquired Stacks Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta.
• March: NXTSoft acquired Integrated Legacy Solutions of Birmingham and the Digitel Corp. of Atlanta, Georgia.
• March: Process Barron was acquired by Carousel Capital of Charlotte, North Carolina.
• March 11: Kelly Caruso succeeded Bill Smith as CEO of Shipt.
• March: Daxko acquired GroupEx PRO of Boulder, Colorado.
• March: The Onin Group acquired Labor Temps and LTI Services of Chicago, Illinois.
• March: Prepaid Technologies acquired the dash portfolio from Karmic Labs of San Francisco, California.
• April: Workplace Advisors acquired Everett Advisory Partners of Dallas, Texas.
• April: The YMCA of Greater Birmingham sold its 179-acre Hargis Retreat in Chelsea to Eddleman Properties.
• 2nd Quarter: Encompass Health acquired Alacare Home Health & Hospice.

Establishments

• January 7: Filter Coffee Parlor opened in the Munger Building at Five Points South.
• January 9: Bullet Coffee Co. opened at 5299 U.S. Highway 280
• January: Mile End Deli opened in LIV Parkside across from Railroad Park.
• January: Luna Latin Cuisine opened in the former Birmingham Fire Station No. 10 in Avondale.
• January 17: The law firm of Clark May Price Lawley Duncan Paul LLC opened.
• January 19: Full Moon Bar-B-Que opened in the Trussville Shopping Center on Chalkville Mountain Road.
• February: A second location of The Three Earred Rabbit opened in Leeds.
• February 18: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened at The Battery.
• March: Adam Evans and Suzanne Humphries Evans opened Automatic Seafood and Oysters at 2824 5th Avenue South in Lakeview.
• 1st Quarter: Altitude Trampoline Park in Pelham.
• April: Tostadas opened at SoHo Square in Homewood.
• Spring: Bendy's Cookies & Cream opened at 3029 Pumphouse Road in Cahaba Heights.
• Summer: Billy Reid opened a retail boutique at Pepper Place.

Disestablishments

• January 2: Emergency & Specialty Animal Medical Center closed.
• January 4: Western Supermarkets announced its closure.
• January: Swamp Monster BBQ in Hoover closed.
• January: Influence Health (formerly Medseek) was acquired by Healthgrades of Denver, Colorado.
• January: Dominion Partners sold its Somerby Senior Living Co. to the Bridge Investment Group of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• January: Smartlink of Annapolis, Maryland acquired the Brogdon Group.
• January: The 29 Seven and 11th Avenue South locations of Jimmy John's closed.
• January: Which Wich at The Waites closed.
• January: Kinnucan's Specialty Outfitters at Lane Parke closed.
• January 31: Jefferson Title Corp. closed.
• February: The 20th Street North location of Jimmy John's closed.
• March: The Academy Sports & Outdoors at the Lee Branch Shopping Center closed.
• March: The Burke Harvey law firm was acquired by Crumley Roberts of Greensboro, North Carolina.
• March: Metro Diner at the Shoppes at City Hall in Vestavia Hills closed.
• March: Jackson's Bar & Bistro at SoHo Square in Homewood closed.
• March 22: Niki's Restaurant on 2nd Avenue North closed.
• March 29: O'Carr's downtown location closed.
• April 1: CenterState Bank of Davenport, Florida completed its acquisition of the National Bank of Commerce.
• April: Business Electronics was acquired by RJ Young of Nashville, Tennessee.
• May 1: Naked Art closed.
• 2nd Quarter: American Lumber Distributors and Brokers Inc. was acquired by the Boise Cascade Co.

Education

• UAB celebrated their 50th anniversary as an independent university.
• July 1: Andrew Butler became dean of the UAB School of Health Professions.

Government

• January 14: Mayor of Birmingham Randall Woodfin delivered his "2019 State of the Community Address" at Boutwell Auditorium.
• February 5: Attorney General Steve Marshall released his department's "Report Regarding the Officer-Involved Shooting Death of Emantic ('E.J.') Bradford, Jr. At the Riverchase Galleria on November 22, 2018."
• March: Vestavia Hills annexed the Magnolia Cove subdivision.
• April 18: The Jefferson County Commission approved the takeover of Cooper Green Mercy Health Services by the UAB University Healthcare Authority.

Religion

• July 1: Doug Sweeney succeeded Timothy George as Dean of the Beeson School of Divinity at Samford University.

Sports

The Birmingham Iron played their sole season in 2019.

• January 7: The Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 to claim the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
• February 10: The Birmingham Iron shut out the Memphis Express 26-0 in their debut game at Legion Field.
• March: The Birmingham Legion FC played their first game at BBVA Compass Field.
• April 2: The Alliance of American Football suspended operations, ending the Birmingham Iron's tenure.
• May 29: The 2019 Rickwood Classic was played at Rickwood Field.

Individuals

• January: Javier Soler succeeded Onur Genç as CEO of BBVA Compass.
• April: David Luker resigned as head of the Jefferson County Public Defender's Office.
• April: Michael Birrer resigned as head of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and was succeeded by Ravi Bhatia.
• July 1: Michael Göbel succeeded Jason Hoff as CEO of Mercedes-Benz US International

Awards

• Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award: Angela Davis

Retirements

• January 11: Randy Christian, chief deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
• March: Hibbett Sports CEO Jeff Rosenthal announced his retirement.

Deaths

Larry Langford

• January 8: Larry Langford , former Mayor of Birmingham and Jefferson County Commission president
• January 13: Wytasha Carter, a Birmingham Police sergeant killed in the line of duty.
• January 21: Gary Ivey, former Mayor of Hoover.
• January 22: Jim Mitchell, architect
• January 31: Emanuel Bell, Wenonah High School basketball coach
• January 31: Caroline P. Ireland, philanthropist
• February 8: Walter Caron, restaurateur
• February 14: Mark Lindsey, musician, instrument maker, and "Onewheel Jesus"
• February 16: Anthony Bruno, grocer and CEO
• February 21: Bettie Hurd, real estate agent
• February 25: Thomas Christian, attorney
• March 16: Stephen Rolfe Powell, glass artist and educator
• March 17: Andre Williams, R&B musician
• March 24: Tony Tarver, owner of Emmanuel's Barbering Salon.
• March 31: Dick Pigford, architect
• March 31: Lois Coleman, founder of Grace House Ministries
• April: Davey Williams, improvisational musician
• April 6: Jim Houston Day, optometrist
• April 14: Bob Eskew, contractor and Master Rosarian
• April 18: Dytricia King
• April: Jessie Nelson, owner of Nelson Brothers Café
• List of homicides in 2019

Works

Buildings

• January 13: UAB Gardendale Clinic
• January 17: Pell City Premiere Lux Cine, Bowl & Pizza Pub
• January 19: Full Moon Bar-B-Que in the Trussville Shopping Center on Chalkville Mountain Road.
• January: Innovative Combustion Technologies' catalyst testing facility in Pelham
• April 8: Church of the Highlands opened their 20th campus in Sylacauga
• Asian Passage at the Birmingham Zoo
• Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in Homewood
• Christ Health Behavioral Health Center in Woodlawn
• Enterprise South-Central Regional Headquarters
• Firehouse Shelter
• Hollywood Boulevard pedestrian bridge
• Iron Age Project on 20th Street North
• Lakeshore Foundation addition
• Lakeshore Pavilion shopping center in Oxmoor
• One Pratt Park
• Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema‎‎ in the Pizitz building
• UAB Proton Therapy Center on 20th Street South
• Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham at 146 Resource Center Parkway

Demolitions

• February: The Break, for 1001 20th Street South
• February: The Paul S. Worrell Building at UAB
• March: Jefferson County Department of Human Resources building on 5th Avenue South
• March 12: The former Hospitality Inn, Yum Yai restaurant, Chai's grocery, and the former 22nd Street Jazz Cafe were destroyed by fire.

Context

In 2019, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris was grievously damaged by fire. A feud between President Trump and Congress over the Mexican border wall led to the then-longest ever federal government shutdown. A white supremacist mass shooter killed dozens of Muslims at prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Notable deaths in 2019 included those of actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Luke Perry; architect Florence Knoll; baseball manager Frank Robinson; composers Michel Legrand and André Previn; fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld; musicians Dick Dale, Mark Hollis and Keith Flint; poet Mary Oliver; politician John Dingell; and scientist Wally Broecker.

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