Photos include aerial shots with downtown and/or the Civil Rights Institute.
By David Fleming, REV Birmingham CEO
In public planning processes, organizers ask the same three questions: What do you love? What do you want more of? What do you want less of?
Those questions are used again and again because they yield important answers that policymakers, elected officials and developers use to form strategies like the City Center Master Plan that is currently underway.
But I want to focus on one thing that always emerges from the “what do you love” question when posed to Birminghamians: The most universally loved thing about Birmingham is its history.
Birmingham has an impressive stock of historic buildings and renewed interest in saving and reusing them. We’ve lost some icons along the way, like Birmingham’s Byzantine-inspired Terminal Station that was demolished in 1969 – but we still have treasures like the Alabama, Lyric & Carver theaters, 16th Street Baptist Church and the 4th Avenue business district, the Elyton Hotel and John Hand Building, and many venerable beauties in between. Then, we have more historic buildings that haven’t quite yet been saved, but they’re still standing, waiting on the new life that redevelopment could bring.
Can you tell I’m a building hugger? Guilty as charged – but historic preservation is valuable far beyond saving architecture. Historic preservation is one of those rare things that serves not only as a tool for good economic development, but it is an outcome of good economic development as well. How so? Well…
- Historic urban fabric attracts and retains the talented workforce businesses and cities need in the modern economy because people want to live somewhere distinctive and authentic.
- Rehabilitation of historic buildings has been proven in many studies to have a greater positive impact on the local economy and local jobs than the same amount of new construction.
- Historic districts that have their integrity intentionally protected are usually areas where you find stable or higher property values than non-historic districts.
May is National Historic Preservation Month, as so celebrated for years by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. REV is celebrating too by focusing our content in May on the power and importance of historic preservation.
Follow REV on social media
We will feature places and people doing good historic preservation that results in positive outcomes for the community. We’ll also share more reasons it’s wise for communities to prioritize historic preservation rather than just accepting it as nice if it happens.
The National Trust’s ReUrbanism initiative says it well: “Historic preservation encourages cities to build on the assets they have—unleashing the enormous power and potential of older buildings to improve health, affordability, prosperity, and well-being. Ultimately, it’s the mix of old and new buildings, working together to fashion dense, walkable, and thriving streets, that helps us achieve a more prosperous, sustainable, and healthier future. By transforming the places we live to places we love, older buildings are a key and irreplaceable component of this future, and we are richer and stronger when they remain.”
At REV Birmingham, we agree.
Related News
-
12 anchor businesses in Woodlawn's historic commercial district
Filed Under: Business-Proving, Front Page, Small Business, Woodlawn
The historic Woodlawn commercial district has been home to some exciting openings in the last year. These new concepts represent the evolution of Woodlawn businesses, providing us a glimpse at what the future holds for this special place. However, as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day – and neither was Woodlawn! That’s why we want to tip our hats and raise a glass to some of the businesses that have paved the way for further development and growth in Woodlawn.
-
A cautionary tale: Birmingham's historic losses
Filed Under: Developer, Downtown Birmingham, Front Page, Historic Preservation
In case you haven’t heard, May is National Historic Preservation Month, as so celebrated for years by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. Here in Birmingham, a city rich in history and culture, this month-long celebration is not only a reminder to take stock of the historic treasures and charm we currently possess, but a time to mourn those we no longer have.
-
10 powerful examples of historic preservation in action
Filed Under: Downtown Birmingham, Filling Vacant Spaces, Front Page, Historic Preservation, Potential-Proving, Yaysayers
It’s easy to take for granted the historic gems we have here in Birmingham. Many beautiful, story-filled buildings dot the map of our city, their silhouettes adorning our skylines and their façades serving as the vibrant background to our everyday lives downtown. However, without attention, investment and a commitment by our community to prioritize these treasures, our historic buildings and the authentic character they give our city can disappear.