Birmingham City Council approves bid for Banks High School demolition, Councilor Williams applauds decision
On Tuesday, the Council voted to approve a bid from South East Demolition and Environmental Services, Inc., Montgomery, Alabama, in the amount of $397,700.00 for the removal of hazardous material and demolition of the former Banks High School in District 2.
Councilor Hunter Williams, who represents the district, has spearheaded the effort and worked with Mayor Randall Woodfin’s administration in recent years to have the blighted building repurposed or razed.
“Over the last few years, we have sent out multiple Requests for Proposals (RFPs) with the intention of attracting private developers to renovate and repurpose the blighted building,” Williams said. “My office also partnered with Auburn Urban Design Studios to work on design plans to save the building and entice potential developers. These efforts have not yielded any offers from developers and the City will be keeping its promise to raze the blighted structure. I want to thank Mayor Woodfin and his staff for the countless hours they’ve worked with us on making this happen, and the neighborhood leaders who kept pushing this project forward.”
The abandoned building has been an issue with residents for over a decade. It became a hub for illegal firearm activity, drug use and is an overall public safety hazard to the surrounding residential area. For many residents, this has been the main issue they’d like to see remediated in District 2.
With home values in South East Lake and surrounding areas on the rise, Councilor Williams said it was important for the city-owned property to be an asset to the neighborhood instead of a nuisance, one that is detrimental to the continued growth of the area.
The final demolition documents must be approved by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Demolition is expected to begin in July after the approval.
