Downtown Blight May Be Renovated
June 16, 2005
A downtown eyesore that has frayed relations between the city and developer George Barber might finally be resolved. At the June 6 meeting of the City Council’s finance and budget committee, Susan Matlock, executive director of UAB’s Office for the Advancement of Developing Industries [OADI] technology center and president of the Birmingham Entrepreneurial Center, presented plans to city officials. Under the proposal, the two entities would move to the long-abandoned Sears Building on First Avenue North. Barber Properties has reached an agreement to sell the property for $3.05 million, with the city and the Entrepreneurial Center splitting the cost evenly. The city has budgeted $1 million to the Entrepreneurial Center in the past five years. Matlock told city officials that consolidation of the two business incubators under one roof would increase efficiency. She added that the combined incubators would also be of benefit because as residential development continues to sprout in the downtown sector, new businesses will be attracted to the area. Up to 65 companies could potentially operate from the site.
The Entrepreneurial Center, located in the 100 block of 12th Street North, is sponsored by the city of Birmingham, Jefferson County, and private business. Both the Entrepreneurial Center and OADI, which is currently located in the Oxmoor Valley area, would relocate to the Sears property, which will require another $12 million for renovations. The OADI is a high-tech business incubator affiliated with UAB. The Entrepreneurial Center nurtures information technology and service for the light manufacturing industry.
Controversy between George Barber, owner of Barber Properties, and Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid over the dilapidated Sears structure deprived the city of a chance to host to one of the top motorcycle races in the world. A year ago, Barber asked the city to commit $250,000 annually for three years to bring the North American Grand Prix to the Barber Motorsports Park. The race is part of the MotoGP, a worldwide motorcycle racing series that is the equivalent of the Formula One racing circuit for automobiles. In exchange, Kincaid asked for control of the Sears property, but Barber would not comply, arguing that the economic impact to the city should be a sufficient swap. Famed Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, got the Grand Prix instead.
At the meeting, Councilor Carole Smitherman remained skeptical, noting the large expenditure and past problems with Barber as she questioned if the proposal was the best use of the building. “You’re going to have to convince me that this is the best thing to do,” Smitherman said. “We’ve lost money with Mr. Barber because the Mayor demanded that he fix up the blight problem. So we didn’t get a chance to bid on the motorcycle races. So that’s lost revenue.” &