Ground Broken On New Downtown Stadium

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Many people would swear that the day would never come when Birmingham would build a football stadium downtown. It has been discussed - on a serious level - for nearly 20 years now, but never came to fruition. However, the detractors just became a little less vocal Thursday, as ground was officially broken on the 45,000-seat stadium next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

"Today marks another historic day for UAB and Birmingham as we officially broke ground on the new Downtown Stadium set to open prior to the 2021 season," said UAB athletic director Mark Ingram in a statement Thursday. "This achievement is truly another community-wide effort that will position both our program and our city for long-term success."

Ingram said the UAB Department of Athletics and the BJCC have finalized a lease that is anticipated to begin during the 2021 football season. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Funding for the stadium has come from a variety of sources. The Birmingham City Council in March voted to approve a resolution that would commit $90 million over 30 years toward a new stadium. The city's pledge added to the BJCC Authority's $10.7 million to the annual debt service on the project. The Jefferson County Commissison has committed $1 million a year for 30 years. UAB and corporate partners have committed to a combined $4 million a year for 10 years through a lease agreement, sponsorship and naming rights. The state legislature also approved a bill that would use car rental tax funds to help pay for the stadium.

Ingram said fans interested in securing seats when the Blazers kickoff in the new downtown stadium are strongly encouraged to commit to season tickets for the 2019 season and become Blazer Boosters members through UAB's recent membership campaign, IGNITE.

The stadium would host a variety of events, namely UAB football, which has played its home games at Legion Field since the program's inception in 1991. As well, events that were previously held at Legion Field, like the Magic City Classic and the Birmingham Bowl, would likely move to the new stadium. Supporters of the project say the new stadium also opens the door for events such as neutral site college football games, concerts and other events.

Photo via UAB Athletics