More than $6.4 million in baseball related spending on Birmingham City Council docket Tuesday

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Proposed spending related to Birmingham's downtown baseball stadium is now $6.45 million, more than double the $3 million proposal that has been the subject of debate for several weeks between Mayor William Bell and the City Council.

The council Tuesday is set to vote on Bell's spending list, which includes the $3 million for extras at the new facility, and adds $1 million for parking, $2.05 million in neighborhood projects and $400,000 to design a companion Negro League museum.

Funding for the bulk of the spending comes from last month's $2.9 million sale of city-owned land to Alabama Power and a proposed $3.1 million sale of nearby land to an apartment developer that's also on Tuesday's agenda.

The money for the museum project comes from the 3.5 percentage-point lodging taxes increases dedicated for the baseball project. City officials told al.com/The Birmingham News that the proposed $400,000 represents excess money needed to pay the bonds on the larger stadium project.

The $2.05 million proposed for neighborhood spending is a compromise from Mayor William Bell that comes after the majority of council members initially rejected his plan to use proceeds from the apartment land sale to pay for extras, which include seating, a possible beer garden and ice cream shop.

Several council members, including Valerie Abbott, Johnathan Austin and Steven Hoyt, who voted for the original stadium funding, have said recently they would have a hard time explaining to their constituents any additional money for the downtown amenity or any extra money for the Barons.

Under the mayor's plan, the $3 million would come from a proposal to sell city-owned land near the site for a new apartment building. In that transaction, Inland American Communities Group Inc. would pay $3.1 million to build a $33 million, 245 unit apartment complex near the ballpark.

While the city promises opening the ballpark in time for the next season, the anticipated Negro League museum remains a vacant space with no solid timeline for completion.

Tuesday's agenda item would set aside $400,000 for planning the museum, which would sit next to the stadium and B&A Warehouse. Architect Clay Dorsey and Expo Displays were tapped to draft initial plans for that project, said Virginia Williams, Bell's senior aide in charge of capital projects.

"At this point we have funding for the Negro League museum. We have purchased the property, done the site prep work, hired the architect and hired the expo design folks so we can provide a more interactive and technological museum," Faush said.

While the city bought the property and did prep work on the land, a budget for constructing the facility has not been completed.

"We don't know exactly what the number is going to be until we have the design," Faush said. "So right now on a very basic level we have the funding."

Council members remain divided over the proposals.

Councilwoman Kim Rafferty said she'd support spending the $3 million on the ballpark because the land was bought as part of the larger project and proceeds from the sale should be reinvested there.

"The acquisition of this property was made with bond money associated with the ballpark," she said in an interview this evening. "So my stance is that this money needs to be returned to the ballpark."

However, when it comes to the other spending, Rafferty said the council needs time to discuss those items in a committee meeting before voting.

Hoyt remains opposed to $3 million more for the stadium.

"That's a $3 million change order and that's not the way you do business," he said. "We've got senior staff up there, and if they are not doing their job, then they need to go home."

Hoyt, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee wants all the other proposed spending to go to his committee. He said there are too many questions that have not been answered and it is unreasonable to ask the council to spend more money without discussing it first.

For example, Hoyt questioned the need for another design for the museum when designs were already drafted when the facility was originally slated for Rickwood Field by former Mayor Larry Langford.

"That's wasting money and I'm not inclined to waste money," Hoyt said.

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/01/more_than_64_million_in_baseba.html

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