Saban Center Announces Major Partnerships With 5 Companies

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Saban Discovery Center on Thursday announced five major partnerships with Alabama Power Foundation, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Mercedes-Benz, Parker Towing and The University of Alabama.

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The partnerships are geared toward helping the Saban Center build an innovative campus for education training, arts participation and academic support for residents across the southeast.

The center will be constructed at the current location of the former Tuscaloosa News building.

“Saban Center's mission of revolutionizing STEM and performing arts programs for children across the state would not be possible without the terrific partners we have added today,” Terry Saban said. “Thanks to their generosity, we are another massive step forward toward realizing our goal.”

As Patch previously reported, the Alabama Department of Education has already committed to creating a STEM hub to deliver immersive STEM education to children, but also provide workforce development opportunities to educators.

Indeed, the Saban Discovery Center is expected to be built around a wide range of offerings similar to Birmingham's McWane Science Center, while also bringing together community organizations such as Children's Hands-On Museum (CHOM) — rebranded as IGNITE — and the Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre.

Organizers, along with the Saban family, say this state support, along with these new partnerships, will help local and regional school districts educate and inspire children to enter STEM-related fields and will be an integral part of the overall strategy to improve STEM education in Alabama.

“We’re honored to have these terrific partners join us in making our dream a reality,” Alabama football coach Nick Saban said. “Their commitment to the families and residents of Alabama and beyond speaks volumes for the potential Saban Center has moving forward, and we cannot thank them enough.”

The Tuscaloosa City Council has already committed to spending $55 million on the project, while Mayor Walt Maddox previously said that organizers had already exceeded the initial fundraising goal. Overall, the center is expected to cost in excess of $100 million.

The projected opening date at present is the last quarter of 2026.

“Success is never an accident and it rarely happens in isolation,” Maddox said. “This transformational project for the future of our state would not be possible without the commitment of a hardworking team and a community of very supportive partners.”

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