View source for Civil Rights District

The '''Civil Rights District''' is an area of downtown [[Birmingham]] bound by [[3rd Avenue North]] to the south and [[8th Avenue North]] to the north with [[15th Street North]] serving as the western and [[19th Street North]] serving as the eastern boundary. The area is recognized as the heart of where the Birmingham civil rights struggle occurred from [[1956]] through [[1963]]. The district was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in October [[2006]].

Birmingham's [[2004]] [[City Center Master Plan]] proposed residential/mixed use development in the Civil Rights District north of [[4th Avenue North|4th Avenue]]. The proposed design placed more intensive office and commercial uses closer to [[Kelly Ingram Park]] with medium-density residential development northward. Small neighborhood parks would be created along [[8th Avenue North]] at [[13th Street North|13th]] and [[15th Street North|15th Street]]s, providing links in a proposed "green street", a pedestrian-friendly corridor connecting the new [[Birmingham Social Security Administration Center]] to the municipal complex at [[Linn Park]]. [[6th Avenue North]] and [[14th Street North|14th Street]] would have a similar treatment, creating walkable connections to the [[Central Business District]] and [[Railroad Park]], respectively.

The [[Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail]], unveiled in [[2009]], provides interpretive markers for many Civil Rights District locations, as well as other sites around the city.

In [[2012]] [[Mayor of Birmingham|Mayor]] [[William Bell]] asked the [[A. G. Gaston Construction Company]] to compile a redevelopment plan for the area surrounding the [[Gaston Motel]].

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==Notable locations within the district==
* [[A. G. Gaston Building]]
* [[Birmingham Civil Rights Institute]]
* [[Carver Theatre]]/[[Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame]]
* [[Kelly Ingram Park]]
* [[Gaston Motel]]
* [[Pythian Temple]]
* [[Sixteenth Street Baptist Church]]

==References==
* Coman, Victoria L. (November 17, 2006) "Civil Rights District on National Register." {{BN}}
* Bryant, Joseph D. (May 10, 2012) "Birmingham civil rights district may get makeover." {{BN}}

[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Birmingham]]
[[Category:Civil rights]]
[[Category:Downtown Birmingham]]
[[Category:Historic districts]]