Riddle me this: The Birmingdome is going forward
2008 December 29
If you are a county teetering on the edge of the country’s largest ever municipal bankruptcy what do you do next? You pay $20 million to a firm to design a $500 million domed stadium. Great idea. (It appears that it will be a flat top dome at this point.)
How do you make it even better? You do it with people like Joel Montgomery and Larry Langford in charge.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to build it out of spaghetti and cover it with paper mache.
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Brian The expansion project at the BJCC is not connected to the financial condition of Jefferson County. No county money will be used. The city of Birmingham will contribute to the project, and the city is not in bad financial shape like the county. The BJCC is an independent authority set up by state law. Despite the bad economic times there are some advantages for a project like this. Labor and construction costs are dropping like a rock. Being able to design and contract the expansion project (Multi Purpose Facility) on the low side of the cost curve is a good thing. The MPF is not being built for a professional sports team as many in Birmingham would have you believe. It is an expansion of the floorspace for conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, consumer shows and spectator events. Value engineering the facility with seats adds to the “Multi” part of the MPF.
Jeff Co contributes nothing to the BJCC entity? It’s not that I don’t believe you, but HSV has the VBC and the city spends a little over $2 million a year on it. Not sure if Mad Co gives anything – their budget isn’t online (that is a whole ‘nother issue, though).
The city of B’ham may not be in bad financial shape now, but with Langford at the hlem calling the shots…
Jefferson County committed to contribute $10 million per year for the BJCC 1989 expansion. That commitment has been fulfilled. The county has no commitment to contribute to the current expansion plans. The BJCC is governed by an independent authority established by Legislative Act. It is not owned by the city or the county and it has its own bond rating. It also has a revenue stream to contribute to the new expansion plans. The combination of BJCC revenue and City contributions will be the basis for paying off the construction bonds.