NCAAbbs

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/10/lang...ith_r.html

Ensley, Fair Park, The Race Course and Downtown are the four areas.

If there must be a dome, it has to be downtown...those other locations are just stupid.

Out of all of the things that need to be done in the city...I love the fact that the new mayor decides that the dome is at the top of the list...how wonderful

He'll be lucky to still be in office by the time the thing is completed.

How about we get busy working on connecting that interstate that Mississippi and Tennessee have had finished for a few years now.

iam4uab Wrote:Out of all of the things that need to be done in the city...I love the fact that the new mayor decides that the dome is at the top of the list...how wonderful

He'll be lucky to still be in office by the time the thing is completed.

How about we get busy working on connecting that interstate that Mississippi and Tennessee have had finished for a few years now.

Interstate is out of his control. He is most likely looking for an infusion of outside cash to supplement the 10% city sales tax that's coming.

I've heard that said before...I just find it interesting that it comes to a dead hault right when it hits the Birmingham city limits

iam4uab Wrote:I've heard that said before...I just find it interesting that it comes to a dead hault right when it hits the Birmingham city limits

It comes to a dead halt in Jasper, not Birmingham.

I just drove this route the day after the Miss. St. game. Tupelo to Birmingham. The future I-22 would end in Jasper, where 78 picks up and the intersection with 5. Plus, this will be a state/federal highway, not local.

MC Blazer Wrote:

iam4uab Wrote:I've heard that said before...I just find it interesting that it comes to a dead hault right when it hits the Birmingham city limits

It comes to a dead halt in Jasper, not Birmingham.

But Jasper to Graysville is opening next month. Graysville to B'ham wont open until 2010 at least, and that's if they don't push the date back for the 900th-plus time.

It's open from Cherry Avenue all the way up to the Dora/Sumiton area...I've been on it several times...when you get to the Birmingham City Limits, there is a rock cliff at the end of the interstate.

Yeah while I am definitely not defending Langford or Birmingham city government, Corridor X (future I-22) is mostly funded from the federal government and given to the state and then bid and construction managed by the ALDOT. The city has no control or responsibility in it. Please place blame correctly.

Aren't they building extra lanes into I-65 that the interchange? That's got to be difficult and time-consuming.

Yea they are working on tying it into I-65.

From Wikipedia:

Quote:Approximately 78 miles of Interstate 22 is open to traffic in Alabama. The section of the route between the Mississippi state line and Jasper was completed in 2005. Another 12 mile segment between Jasper and Dora is scheduled to open by Thanksgiving 2007. A 13-mile section of I-22 between Dora and Forestdale was opened to local traffic only (no thru trucks) in June 2007. Current plans call for Interstate 22 to be completed to I-65 in 2010, with the 14-bridge stack interchange in Birmingham being completed in 2010. Construction is well underway for the segment between Cherry Avenue Forestdale to a spot about .5 mile shy of I-65 near Fultondale. This segment includes an interchange with Coalburg Road. A project to widen I-65 to four lanes in either direction has begun from just south of the upcoming I-22/I-65 interchange southward to the 16th Street interchange.

Link

TMcCarty Wrote:Aren't they building extra lanes into I-65 that the interchange? That's got to be difficult and time-consuming.

They are, and I apologize for hijacking a thread here...please forgive...I'm sure there is more to do a the state level with it than the local level...however, I'm not ready to fully let them off the hook...regardless, they've known that the interstate would be coming into B'ham for years...they could have already had this project going in Birmingham...if they had started working on the interstates in Birmingham first, traffic would have been much less of a hinderance than it is now.

Once, again sorry to send this thing off topic. Proceed with the dome discussion.

I think the dome discussion has been beat to death, the interstate was a nice change of topic. :haha:

It's a state project not city even though it's in the city.

My sources tell me the "dome" or whatever you want to call it will be downtown. LL is stating the other locations for political reasons. There is no intention whatsoever placing the facility anywhere other than next to the Civic Center and Entertainment district.

The other day I was walking from my car to the downtown library when I noticed an attractive young lady standing at a street corner waiting to cross the street. A strong breeze blew some papers out of the woman’s hand and she bent over to pick them up. As she leaned over to gather her papers another gust came up and blew the skirt that the woman was wearing up her back. To my surprise she was wearing thong underwear and this afforded me quite a view, however it was not the view of her that got my attention but rather the sight of two stamps affixed to her hips. Now this was no tattoo mind you but something more along the lines of large postage stamps!

Being the inquisitive person I am I approached her and asked the following question. "Miss, pardon me for asking but I could not help but notice that you appear to have stamps stuck to your derrière. Is this a new fashion statement by young ladies these days?"

To which she replied. "Oh no sir it's not a fashion statement and I do apologize for my display out here on the street but it has been quite windy you know." You see I work in the office for Mayor-elect Larry Langford and Mr. Langford has told us that he has big plans for the city of Birmingham including new police cars, badges for the officers, a regional transit system, and a big new dome stadium is going up in Ensley!"

This seemed a rather odd reply so I pressed her further by asking, "What do all of these new plans have to do with your stamps?"

She answered, "Oh everything! As you know Mr. Langford has taxed just about everything he possibly can so he's asked his staff to look for anything that has yet to be taxed in this city so that he can pay for all of his promises. My supervisor told me that about the only thing that had not been taxed was flatulence and that we would have to see if it would be possible to add even that to the sources of revenue for the city. When I asked my supervisor how we would collect such a tax he said that the only way he knew to collect and enforce a flatulence tax would be through the sale of stamps that would need to be worn by citizens on their person. City Engineers have come up with these new stamps, that they have codenamed the "F-Stamp", for possible use and I volunteered to be a beta-tester for them. They stopped itching after a couple of days."

The light then changed and she headed on across the street. I remained standing there a moment and wondered just what will Larry Langford think up next?

Satire

BlazerRob Wrote:The other day I was walking from my car to the downtown library when I noticed an attractive young lady standing at a street corner waiting to cross the street. A strong breeze blew some papers out of the woman’s hand and she bent over to pick them up. As she leaned over to gather her papers another gust came up and blew the skirt that the woman was wearing up her back. To my surprise she was wearing thong underwear and this afforded me quite a view, however it was not the view of her that got my attention but rather the sight of two stamps affixed to her hips. Now this was no tattoo mind you but something more along the lines of large postage stamps!

Being the inquisitive person I am I approached her and asked the following question. "Miss, pardon me for asking but I could not help but notice that you appear to have stamps stuck to your derrière. Is this a new fashion statement by young ladies these days?"

To which she replied. "Oh no sir it's not a fashion statement and I do apologize for my display out here on the street but it has been quite windy you know." You see I work in the office for Mayor-elect Larry Langford and Mr. Langford has told us that he has big plans for the city of Birmingham including new police cars, badges for the officers, a regional transit system, and a big new dome stadium is going up in Ensley!"

This seemed a rather odd reply so I pressed her further by asking, "What do all of these new plans have to do with your stamps?"

She answered, "Oh everything! As you know Mr. Langford has taxed just about everything he possibly can so he's asked his staff to look for anything that has yet to be taxed in this city so that he can pay for all of his promises. My supervisor told me that about the only thing that had not been taxed was flatulence and that we would have to see if it would be possible to add even that to the sources of revenue for the city. When I asked my supervisor how we would collect such a tax he said that the only way he knew to collect and enforce a flatulence tax would be through the sale of stamps that would need to be worn by citizens on their person. City Engineers have come up with these new stamps, that they have codenamed the "F-Stamp", for possible use and I volunteered to be a beta-tester for them. They stopped itching after a couple of days."

The light then changed and she headed on across the street. I remained standing there a moment and wondered just what will Larry Langford think up next?

Wow....simply...wow

BlazerRob Wrote:The other day I was walking from my car to the downtown library when I noticed an attractive young lady standing at a street corner waiting to cross the street. A strong breeze blew some papers out of the woman’s hand and she bent over to pick them up. As she leaned over to gather her papers another gust came up and blew the skirt that the woman was wearing up her back. To my surprise she was wearing thong underwear and this afforded me quite a view, however it was not the view of her that got my attention but rather the sight of two stamps affixed to her hips. Now this was no tattoo mind you but something more along the lines of large postage stamps!

Being the inquisitive person I am I approached her and asked the following question. "Miss, pardon me for asking but I could not help but notice that you appear to have stamps stuck to your derrière. Is this a new fashion statement by young ladies these days?"

To which she replied. "Oh no sir it's not a fashion statement and I do apologize for my display out here on the street but it has been quite windy you know." You see I work in the office for Mayor-elect Larry Langford and Mr. Langford has told us that he has big plans for the city of Birmingham including new police cars, badges for the officers, a regional transit system, and a big new dome stadium is going up in Ensley!"

This seemed a rather odd reply so I pressed her further by asking, "What do all of these new plans have to do with your stamps?"

She answered, "Oh everything! As you know Mr. Langford has taxed just about everything he possibly can so he's asked his staff to look for anything that has yet to be taxed in this city so that he can pay for all of his promises. My supervisor told me that about the only thing that had not been taxed was flatulence and that we would have to see if it would be possible to add even that to the sources of revenue for the city. When I asked my supervisor how we would collect such a tax he said that the only way he knew to collect and enforce a flatulence tax would be through the sale of stamps that would need to be worn by citizens on their person. City Engineers have come up with these new stamps, that they have codenamed the "F-Stamp", for possible use and I volunteered to be a beta-tester for them. They stopped itching after a couple of days."

The light then changed and she headed on across the street. I remained standing there a moment and wondered just what will Larry Langford think up next?

"Son...if you wanna keep workin' here, stay off the drugs."

BlazerRob Wrote:The other day I was walking from my car to the downtown library when I noticed an attractive young lady standing at a street corner waiting to cross the street. A strong breeze blew some papers out of the woman’s hand and she bent over to pick them up. As she leaned over to gather her papers another gust came up and blew the skirt that the woman was wearing up her back. To my surprise she was wearing thong underwear and this afforded me quite a view, however it was not the view of her that got my attention but rather the sight of two stamps affixed to her hips. Now this was no tattoo mind you but something more along the lines of large postage stamps!

Being the inquisitive person I am I approached her and asked the following question. "Miss, pardon me for asking but I could not help but notice that you appear to have stamps stuck to your derrière. Is this a new fashion statement by young ladies these days?"

To which she replied. "Oh no sir it's not a fashion statement and I do apologize for my display out here on the street but it has been quite windy you know." You see I work in the office for Mayor-elect Larry Langford and Mr. Langford has told us that he has big plans for the city of Birmingham including new police cars, badges for the officers, a regional transit system, and a big new dome stadium is going up in Ensley!"

This seemed a rather odd reply so I pressed her further by asking, "What do all of these new plans have to do with your stamps?"

She answered, "Oh everything! As you know Mr. Langford has taxed just about everything he possibly can so he's asked his staff to look for anything that has yet to be taxed in this city so that he can pay for all of his promises. My supervisor told me that about the only thing that had not been taxed was flatulence and that we would have to see if it would be possible to add even that to the sources of revenue for the city. When I asked my supervisor how we would collect such a tax he said that the only way he knew to collect and enforce a flatulence tax would be through the sale of stamps that would need to be worn by citizens on their person. City Engineers have come up with these new stamps, that they have codenamed the "F-Stamp", for possible use and I volunteered to be a beta-tester for them. They stopped itching after a couple of days."

The light then changed and she headed on across the street. I remained standing there a moment and wondered just what will Larry Langford think up next?

"Cocaine's a helluva drug."

Only 55,000 seats? Why not build a 40,000 seat Wal-Mart special stadium that we can get it's money's worth, and then we can worry about a 70,000 seat dome in the distant future.

Langford's first real action was crime-related... he got Nunn to step down, established two police chief positions, and has the Hoover police chief at the top of his list.

Yes, the dome made the headlines, but he's already done more for the police dept and crime in Birmingham than anyone realizes.

Schard Wrote:Langford's first real action was crime-related... he got Nunn to step down, established two police chief positions, and has the Hoover police chief at the top of his list.

Yes, the dome made the headlines, but he's already done more for the police dept and crime in Birmingham than anyone realizes.

If I were the Hoover police chief, I would accept the job today, and move tomorrow. When the Propst thing finally explodes, and the football program collapses, that entire city will look like Detroit after a basketball championship.

Schard Wrote:Langford's first real action was crime-related... he got Nunn to step down, established two police chief positions, and has the Hoover police chief at the top of his list.

Yes, the dome made the headlines, but he's already done more for the police dept and crime in Birmingham than anyone realizes.

Well that truly is good news.

Was this a long standing battle against the former chief, does Langford have good advisors that could have aided him in this decision, was the problem with the chief so bad Stevie Wonder would have seen it, or did he just get lucky?

And I think it is great politics that Langford sounds like he is getting things done, all while sticking his neck out for possibly/probably unpopular projects. Hence creating his own diversion.

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:If I were the Hoover police chief, I would accept the job today, and move tomorrow. When the Propst thing finally explodes, and the football program collapses, that entire city will look like Detroit after a basketball championship.

If A.C. Roper is offered the job of police chief, expect him to take it. However, I'm not sure how he feels about being in a dual-captain position.

On another note, I wonder if Langford's ties (ethical or not) with the business community will make it easier to get corporate support for the stadium. Personally, I would offer naming rights, street dedications, corporate-sponsored pavilions to entice the private sector. Hmmm...

UAB vs. Memphis. 3PM at Regions Center, located at 100 Regions Bank Boulevard. The Battle of the Bones trophy will be awarded at the AT&T Pavilion immediately following the game.

Yeah... I could see it.

I don't think we're ready for a dome now, but it is better than the following:
1. Doing nothing
2. Building a ice hockey rink
I think we should go smaller and get an MLS team, but if he can get the corporate sponsorship and build it, development is better than watching the city rust.

How many of you think that when I come back home 4 years from now Birmingham will be just like it is now (or worse)? I just don't see it changing any. I do see Hoover becoming Century Plaza/Eastlake about 2015.

BTR Wrote:How many of you think that when I come back home 4 years from now Birmingham will be just like it is now (or worse)? I just don't see it changing any. I do see Hoover becoming Century Plaza/Eastlake about 2015.

BTR, personally, I see big changes coming for the Ham.
In 4 years, I believe that:
- a dome will be built, or will be under construction
- The Railroad Park will be a boost for the downtown area
- I'm not sure about the success of the 'entertainment district'
- Hoover will continue to grow like weeds
- I'm guessing that the RSA will invest in building construction downtown, like they have done in Mobile
- 'light rail' service will still only be a dream

mobileblazer Wrote:

BTR Wrote:How many of you think that when I come back home 4 years from now Birmingham will be just like it is now (or worse)? I just don't see it changing any. I do see Hoover becoming Century Plaza/Eastlake about 2015.

BTR, personally, I see big changes coming for the Ham.
In 4 years, I believe that:
- a dome will be built, or will be under construction
- The Railroad Park will be a boost for the downtown area
- I'm not sure about the success of the 'entertainment district'
- Hoover will continue to grow like weeds
- I'm guessing that the RSA will invest in building construction downtown, like they have done in Mobile
- 'light rail' service will still only be a dream

Hopefully Red Mountain park will have opened.
Red Mountian Park

mobileblazer Wrote:

BTR Wrote:How many of you think that when I come back home 4 years from now Birmingham will be just like it is now (or worse)? I just don't see it changing any. I do see Hoover becoming Century Plaza/Eastlake about 2015.

BTR, personally, I see big changes coming for the Ham.
In 4 years, I believe that:
- a dome will be built, or will be under construction
- The Railroad Park will be a boost for the downtown area
- I'm not sure about the success of the 'entertainment district'
- Hoover will continue to grow like weeds
- I'm guessing that the RSA will invest in building construction downtown, like they have done in Mobile
- 'light rail' service will still only be a dream

- Taxes will be Higher
- Higher Taxes/Fees will cause many local businesses to relocate outside Birmingham/Jefferson County
- Another Pro football program will have come and gone
- James Span will have a new toupee

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:

Schard Wrote:Langford's first real action was crime-related... he got Nunn to step down, established two police chief positions, and has the Hoover police chief at the top of his list.

Yes, the dome made the headlines, but he's already done more for the police dept and crime in Birmingham than anyone realizes.

If I were the Hoover police chief, I would accept the job today, and move tomorrow. When the Propst thing finally explodes, and the football program collapses, that entire city will look like Detroit after a basketball championship.

idiot

draak ijveraar Wrote:

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:

Schard Wrote:Langford's first real action was crime-related... he got Nunn to step down, established two police chief positions, and has the Hoover police chief at the top of his list.

Yes, the dome made the headlines, but he's already done more for the police dept and crime in Birmingham than anyone realizes.

If I were the Hoover police chief, I would accept the job today, and move tomorrow. When the Propst thing finally explodes, and the football program collapses, that entire city will look like Detroit after a basketball championship.

idiot

I don't think it will happen like he said but I do see Hoover in a slide with all of the competition from all over town. 15 years ago there was no where else to go but Hoover. Now you basically have all of the shopping from Hoover spread all over the city. I have been in Birmingham since March and visited the Galleria a grand total of ONCE and will probably only go back the day after Thanksgiving.

There is lots of competition ahead for Hoover and I believe that it has seen the highest point and is probably going to gradually turn into Century Plaza.

Hopefully Patrick Cooper wins his court challenge and Langford is not the mayor.

blazerman2006 Wrote:Hopefully Patrick Cooper wins his court challenge and Langford is not the mayor.

Worked for Al Gore.....wait. No it didn't.

BTR Wrote:There is lots of competition ahead for Hoover and I believe that it has seen the highest point and is probably going to gradually turn into Century Plaza.

Between your new avatar and the above quote I almost spilled coffee on myself this morning!

BTR Wrote:I have been in Birmingham since March and visited the Galleria a grand total of ONCE and will probably only go back the day after Thanksgiving.

You, sir, are INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Full article today: Link

Also, an article on the future I-22: Link

TMcCarty Wrote:Full article today: Link

Also, an article on the future I-22: Link

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise:

Also Tuesday, Langford talked about:

Considering a tax increase to address some of the city's problems. "The fact is the city of Birmingham has not reinvested in itself in a long time," he said.

It will take years for the SEC and B.F. Collins to unravel the mess that Langford made out of the county's finances.

In the I-22 story I did notice that the road will be open just in time for the UAB - Memphis football game that weekend!

I am happy to see the changes.
Hopefully Cooper will go pout somewhere else! Maybe he can move to Hoover and run for Mayor!

The new Motto of some around here "Blame Larry"

Time to move this to the political forum.

ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:I am happy to see the changes.
Hopefully Cooper will go pout somewhere else! Maybe he can move to Hoover and run for Mayor!

The new Motto of some around here "Blame Larry"

Time to move this to the political forum.

You are just holding out for a huge construction contract with some of that new tax money

ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:The new Motto of some around here "Blame Larry"

For the record I have never blamed Larry for the poor quality of UAB football.

I just want him to get his hands out of my nearly empty pockets. We don't need "Vision-Dome" what we need are the schools fixed and crime brought under control (and new badges are not going to stop criminals). That 500 million bucks he wants to spend would be better spent on training people for jobs other than selling hotdogs and beer at the SEC championship game.

BlazerRob Wrote:

ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:The new Motto of some around here "Blame Larry"

For the record I have never blamed Larry for the poor quality of UAB football.

I just want him to get his hands out of my nearly empty pockets. We don't need "Vision-Dome" what we need are the schools fixed and crime brought under control (and new badges are not going to stop criminals). That 500 million bucks he wants to spend would be better spent on training people for jobs other than selling hotdogs and beer at the SEC championship game.

If you think any dome that is ever built in Birmingham will get the SEC championship game back, you are sadly sadly mistaken. Atlanta is probably going to replace the Georgia Dome soon, and as a city, Atlanta has the infrastructure (read: TRANSIT!!!!) in place to support a large event like that.

mixduptransistor Wrote:

BlazerRob Wrote:

ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:The new Motto of some around here "Blame Larry"

For the record I have never blamed Larry for the poor quality of UAB football.

I just want him to get his hands out of my nearly empty pockets. We don't need "Vision-Dome" what we need are the schools fixed and crime brought under control (and new badges are not going to stop criminals). That 500 million bucks he wants to spend would be better spent on training people for jobs other than selling hotdogs and beer at the SEC championship game.

If you think any dome that is ever built in Birmingham will get the SEC championship game back, you are sadly sadly mistaken. Atlanta is probably going to replace the Georgia Dome soon, and as a city, Atlanta has the infrastructure (read: TRANSIT!!!!) in place to support a large event like that.

I was there in 03 and let me tell you Hotlanta is light years ahead of the Ham at the moment. Not saying we will never get the championship back but it will be a long, long, long, long time before we can even think about that

It's called "future I-22" because the federal transportation folks don't want any responsibility for building it until it is finished.(Interstates are 90% FED and 10% STATE funded whereas U.S. highways are 50-50 in funding) Then they are willing to take it over. Because of my long residency in B'ham (1941-2003), I am suspicious of delays that I fear may pop up to put off completion of Corridor X until late next decade. The state has always delayed completion of Interstates in metro B'ham for decades at a time. I remember that EVERY INCH of Interstate in rural Alabama was completed before a SINGLE Interstate was linked up through the city of B'ham.
I'm hoping that Gov. Riley's spoken support for helping Metro-B'ham to enjoy some of the fruits of development instead of being constantly pushed to the "back of the line" as it was throughout the 20th Century will be followed through. We shall see.
BTW, I am expecting the "Northern Beltway" intended to connect I-20-59 through north Jeffco to I-59 and I-20 to be "under design" and then "under construction" when my grandchildren are driving THEIR children around north Jeffco.