Newsroom

Renovation coming to Masonic Temple in Birmingham

The renovation of Birmingham's Masonic Temple is just a few months away. The empty building - an economic and cultural hub of Birmingham’s early African-American community - is also a key part of redevelopment planned for the city’s northwest quadrant. Project developer Irvin Henderson told property owners in the civil rights district that work to turn the building into an economic incubator should begin this summer and finish by summer of 2021. "The northwest quadrant plan really gives us an opportunity to sync a lot of plans together to actually use the masonic temple as a catalyst for a number of other development opportunities" says Urban Impact Executive Director Ivan Holloway.

Continue reading

Opportunity Alabama wins national award and grant

Opportunity Alabama, the nation’s first nonprofit organization to create a marketplace for Opportunity Zone (OZ) investment in a state, has been named the best OZ organization in the U.S. for rural communities. Forbes, in partnership with the Sorenson Impact Center, examined more than 100 OZ organizations around the country, judging them on the Opportunity Zone Reporting Framework, which prioritizes community benefit and engagement, transparency and impact. Forbes awarded Opportunity Alabama the grand prize Feb. 5, saying the organization is the best in its category of connecting OZ communities, investors and entrepreneurs, plus larger institutions like banks, universities and development organizations.

Continue reading

Main Street Wetumpka Receives Grant for Signage

Main Street Wetumpka receives grant for signage that will mark the locations that films like "Big Fish" and "The Rosa Parks Story" were shot in the downtown.

Continue reading

Birmingham’s innovation district expands, rebrands

Birmingham’s innovation district has a new name and a bigger footprint. Tuesday night during the Velocity Accelerator 2020 announcement at Innovation Depot, The Switch was unveiled as the city’s new epicenter of innovation. David Fleming, CEO of REV Birmingham, said The Switch brings partners across 14 Birmingham organizations together in harmony with Birmingham’s new City Center Master Plan.

Continue reading

Opelika slowly clearing hurdles to growth, oanow.com

The city of Opelika has been growing over the last decade, and that shows no signs of slowing down. The city’s downtown district has welcomed a number of restaurants, shops and businesses that are giving new life to old storefronts. That’s happening, in part, because City Engineer Matt Mosley and his department have worked with Opelika Main Street to get people into those downtown properties.

Continue reading