Cool News (Birmingham, Jacksonville, Jackson: loft, crimes, shop)

[Tourian]

Good article about how "The Cut" was transformed in to the Rotary Trail.

More Magic in Birmingham

Central Birmingham is experiencing a widespread renovation not seen in more than a half-century, from the creation of the Railroad Park greenspace on the western edge of the city center to the revitalization of the historic Avondale neighborhood in the east to the establishment of the Uptown and Second Avenue North entertainment districts.
But in the middle of it all sat The Cut, a long-abandoned rail bed that ran underneath the bridges connecting Birmingham’s north and south sides. Weeds and trash regularly filled the gulley, and hard rain routinely provoked flooding. Most of the buildings on either side of the trench were abandoned or in a state of disrepair.
“We have all these amazing things happening around Birmingham, but to get to any of them you always had to go by this place of blight at the heart of our city,” says architect and community planner Cheryl Morgan, former director of the Auburn Urban Studio and a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club. “It was like this stain in what’s becoming a dynamic tapestry of development.”
That is no longer the case, as The Cut has been transformed into a half-mile linear park called the Rotary Trail, which opened in April after two years of planning and construction. Funds for the $3.5 million project were raised primarily by the Rotary Club of Birmingham, which had been looking for a legacy project to help celebrate its 100th anniversary, she says.

[GotLuv4Ham]

Birmingham school superintendent fired... just found out via Twitter. Is this true or a hoax?

[steveklein]

deleted post

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by GotLuv4Ham

Birmingham school superintendent fired... just found out via Twitter. Is this true or a hoax?

True.

[GotLuv4Ham]

Thanks for verification. The best way for Bham to turn things around is to start with the school system. Kudos

[TimCity2000]

she had only been on the job for a year though. many would argue she wasn't given enough time to make any noticeable difference.

[_OT]

I see they're putting down sidewalks on Green Springs, about time.

[wardamnbham]

Agreed. Not wide enough nor is there enough protection from high speed traffic, but good start and needed nonetheless.

[Tourian]

Cool indeed.

Railroad Park to debut a winter ice skating rink | AL.com

[GotLuv4Ham]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

she had only been on the job for a year though. many would argue she wasn't given enough time to make any noticeable difference.

Agreed.

I kind of like Trump's position on schools and think vouchers and school choice would help Birmingham schools more than figurehead change.