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Looks like the city of Birmingham didnt screw this one up for us. For a while it was looking like they might try to back out of their pledge.
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Unanimous vote gives money for Sloss center
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

The Birmingham City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to spend $900,000 beginning in two years to help build a $15 million visitor center and museum at Sloss Furnaces.

The council voted one week after city officials announced at a finance committee meeting the city intends to come up with $300,000 in fiscal 2008, 2009 and 2010 for the project.

Bob Rathburn, executive director of Sloss Furnaces, said the money will help in building a new entrance road, lighting and other infrastructure.

The Sloss Master Site Plan, prepared in 2002, calls for the construction of a 30,000-square-foot visitor center and museum with 6,000 square feet of exhibit space near the west end of the site.

Construction could begin by January and is expected to take 15 months, Rathburn said.

In other business, the council:

Delayed for three weeks appointing someone to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority to fill the unexpired term of Bob McKenna, who resigned last month. Councilwoman Carol Reynolds nominated Guin Robinson, but council members asked for more time to review resumes.

Voted to sell property along Eighth Avenue North to Opus South Corp. for $3.5 million for the Social Security Administration's Southeastern Program Center and a 1,755 space parking garage.

E-mail: bwright@bhamnews.com