On Our Radar: Birmingham Bond Work

Last fall, voters overwhelmingly approved a bill allowing the city to issue $150 million of bonds for capital projects and improvements in Birmingham. Here’s what passed:

  • $6.3 million for landfill improvements and expansion
  • $20 million for public park and recreational facilities
  • $48.7 million for street and sidewalk improvements
  • $19 million for industrial park and economic development
  • $45 million for public building facilities and equipment
  • $11 million for storm sewers

The first phase of work will be $72 million, with the remaining funding on hold for future use.

We are pleased to be a part of a significant expansion at the New Georgia Landfill, a 15.5 acre Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill unit just north of downtown. Work will include excavation, subgrade preparation, berm construction and installation of liners, collection systems and drainage structure. A protective layer and ditch system will also be put in place. Our Scope of work includes management of the project Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program for the project as well as all associated construction materials testing and inspections.

After a few months of debate, the Birmingham City Council still hasn’t given its final stamp of approval to all the capital projects, but the implications remain the same: There’s a lot of potential work ahead for local architectural, engineering and construction sectors.

In our view, the bond money will greatly influence the next few years of development in our industry, possibly marking the end of the Great Recession for Birmingham municipal construction.