More than 60 North Birmingham residents gathered at the North Birmingham Library on Tuesday night to hear the city’s plan for tackling long‑standing brownfields—vacant industrial sites contaminated by past manufacturing. Residents voiced frustration over years of neglect, with Katie Shelton noting that many buildings have been empty “for years and years and years” and are now deteriorating, harming the neighborhood.
EPA grant program and assessment phase
City project manager Tim Gambrel explained that Birmingham is using a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess brownfield sites in North Birmingham and the neighboring Ensley community. “There’s a lot of old industrial sites that are defunct that need to be repurposed,” Gambrel said, describing the effort as an opportunity to turn blighted land into community assets.
The first grant covers site assessments, and Gambrel said the city will apply for a second assessment grant once 70% of the initial funds are spent. “This fall, we intend to apply for a cleanup grant to actually clean up a site that we’re going to do some assessment work on this year,” he added, emphasizing a revolving cycle of assessment and cleanup grants that will continue year after year.
Community concerns and calls for transparency
Local residents expressed a desire for concrete results. John Gahan of the Norwood neighborhood said he has lived in the area for seven years and wants to see real momentum in revitalizing former industrial sites. “The city said there was a lot of momentum now, but we will see. Not much actual change has happened yet in our area,” he said.
James “J” Clark, another Norwood resident, suggested that a vacant site between Collegeville and Norwood be incorporated into the Red Rock Valley Trail System. He recalled that the Norwood Neighborhood Association tried to have the property tested for contaminants years ago, but the owner refused, leaving the land “got a lot of crap on it.”
Sandra Brown raised concerns about the allocation of previous EPA funds, arguing that money should have been directed to northern Birmingham neighborhoods such as Collegeville, Harriman Park, and North Birmingham. She claimed that funds were sent elsewhere, including to Lawson State, without clear communication to local taxpayers.
Commitment to regular reporting
Rev. Anthony Douglas, president of the Hooper City Neighborhood Association, asked for a regular reporting schedule so residents would not be left waiting for updates. “How often might there be a report that goes back to the neighborhood? Other than that, we just sit idle,” he said. He suggested quarterly updates to keep taxpayers informed.
Gambrel agreed, outlining a three‑meeting plan for the assessment grant: an introductory meeting (the one held Tuesday), a follow‑up progress meeting, and a final report‑out at the end of the program. He added that the city intends to meet with the community at least two more times to discuss progress and accomplishments.
When pressed for a more concrete timeline, Douglas said the community is tired of endless discussion and wants a six‑month reporting cadence. Gambrel responded, “We can commit to reporting back. We can do that,” reinforcing the city’s willingness to provide transparent updates.
Looking ahead
The brownfields initiative reflects Birmingham’s broader effort to clean up and repurpose industrial land for the benefit of local neighborhoods. By securing EPA funding and establishing a clear reporting framework, city officials aim to turn neglected sites into opportunities for economic development, recreation, and improved quality of life for residents of North Birmingham and surrounding areas.
Residents are encouraged to attend future meetings and stay engaged with the city’s brownfields program, ensuring that the promised assessments, cleanups, and community benefits move forward as planned.
Original reporting: BirminghamWatch — read the source article.
