Cool News (Birmingham, Huntsville, Hoover: foods, firms, locations)

[magiccity3]

Originally Posted by bhamblazer

I was at the food hall yesterday. Ashley Macs is replacing the Ethiopian place. Unos Tacos is going where Waffle Works was. Another new spot, Spoon & Ladle (soups/sandwiches), is open where the original Taco place was next to Waffle Works. The former Busy Corner Cheese spot has been turned into more seating.

Hopefully they can get another sit-down restaurant open in the Fero space. I would think the Sidewalk Cinema and New Ideal Condos would help that effort.

Yeah I figured Ashley Mac's was probably replacing the Ehtiopian place - it was never crowded. I enjoyed it, but I think they had an uphill battle to survive. Tacos are long overdue for the food hall and I think they will do well - Chuy, the guy opening it, owns the bar as well and has done a great job.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the Fero space and with Yellowhammer, who I suspect will eventually move now that their Pepper Place location is open. Certainly the food hall has dead times, but during business week lunches, on the weekends, and whenever there are nearby events it is always buzzing. You wouldn't think they'd have issues filling anything, but I imagine rent is high.

[pjg66]

According to the Birmingham Business Alliance, the seven county Birmingham metro area saw $492 million in capital investments in 2019.

http://al.com/business/2019/12/birmi...t-in-2019.html

This represents 32 projects with 1180 jobs announced. Over the past five years there has been $3.7 billion in capital investment and 14,300 jobs announced.

The article quotes Mayor Woodfin as saying that since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008, 60% of all jobs created in the U.S. have gone to only 25 cities. And Birmingham is not one of those cities.

So what we have here is the Birmingham region continues its economic and job growth at a modest pace. Whether we ever get closer to those top performing cities, only time will tell.

In the meantime, the region remains on an economic upward trajectory and that is good news.

[wardamnbham]

Being in Alabama is not helping our region's prospects, that's for sure.

[bfmx1]

Originally Posted by wardamnbham

Being in Alabama is not helping our region's prospects, that's for sure.

Being in Georgia didn't help Atlanta, nor did being in Tennessee really help Nashville. They blazed their own trail.

Back to the issue at hand though, yes this is a big slowdown in growth but you have to remember where you're coming from, the bounce-back from the recession which is always inflated. So this is more of a correction of the Bham market if anything.

Where this might rear into a big problem is if we go into another recession, I predict we will, in a couple of years. I'm not sure that Birmingham is poised to weather that storm very well given the stagaring growth of those 25 cities Woodfin mentioned. I think they'll just get stronger.

[wardamnbham]

Originally Posted by bfmx1

Being in Georgia didn't help Atlanta, nor did being in Tennessee really help Nashville. They blazed their own trail.

Back to the issue at hand though, yes this is a big slowdown in growth but you have to remember where you're coming from, the bounce-back from the recession which is always inflated. So this is more of a correction of the Bham market if anything.

Where this might rear into a big problem is if we go into another recession, I predict we will, in a couple of years. I'm not sure that Birmingham is poised to weather that storm very well given the stagaring growth of those 25 cities Woodfin mentioned. I think they'll just get stronger.

True on the recession. The state being a severe hindrance is perhaps a bit reductive. But Georgia has not been as intentionally harmful to its principal city as Alabama has been. But to your point, both cities used local capital and leadership to push back and insulate, to a degree, themselves against harmful state actions. Birmingham didn't have that luxury necessarily. Regardless, ATL and Nashville are a great case study for rising southern metros in the South.

[magiccity3]

Originally Posted by wardamnbham

True on the recession. The state being a severe hindrance is perhaps a bit reductive. But Georgia has not been as intentionally harmful to its principal city as Alabama has been. But to your point, both cities used local capital and leadership to push back and insulate, to a degree, themselves against harmful state actions. Birmingham didn't have that luxury necessarily. Regardless, ATL and Nashville are a great case study for rising southern metros in the South.

Birmingham also has it worse because of how the Alabama state constitution is written.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by bfmx1

Being in Georgia didn't help Atlanta, nor did being in Tennessee really help Nashville. They blazed their own trail.

Back to the issue at hand though, yes this is a big slowdown in growth but you have to remember where you're coming from, the bounce-back from the recession which is always inflated. So this is more of a correction of the Bham market if anything.

Where this might rear into a big problem is if we go into another recession, I predict we will, in a couple of years. I'm not sure that Birmingham is poised to weather that storm very well given the stagaring growth of those 25 cities Woodfin mentioned. I think they'll just get stronger.

Yes, being in Alabama does hurt the city Birmingham greatly. Alabama won't allow Birmingham to be it's own governing body unless they have the first say so. Preventing the city to advance and create avenues for more business and their citizens without sort of speak "asking us first before you do anything" is bogus by Montgomery. Passing new laws just to prevent the city from further creating successful and progressive avenues to compete with other major cities is what's wrong with those in Montgomery. Nashville and Atlanta don't have to put up with much B.S. from their state leaders. They recognized their populous area are great for the state.

[cherokee48]

Originally Posted by wardamnbham

True on the recession. The state being a severe hindrance is perhaps a bit reductive. But Georgia has not been as intentionally harmful to its principal city as Alabama has been. But to your point, both cities used local capital and leadership to push back and insulate, to a degree, themselves against harmful state actions. Birmingham didn't have that luxury necessarily. Regardless, ATL and Nashville are a great case study for rising southern metros in the South.

Well put.

[cherokee48]

Very interesting, this would fit very well in the Civil Rights District and take a top tourist attraction to another level

Global human rights hub discussed for downtown Birmingham
https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2019...wn-birmingham/

Freedom Walk Vision Comes Into Focus During Urban Impact Conversation
https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2019...-conversation/

[magiccity3]

Originally Posted by cherokee48

Very interesting, this would fit very well in the Civil Rights District and take a top tourist attraction to another level

Global human rights hub discussed for downtown Birmingham
https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2019...wn-birmingham/

Freedom Walk Vision Comes Into Focus During Urban Impact Conversation
https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2019...-conversation/

Wow that would be a great addition to that part of town. Interested to see if it comes to fruition.