Council approves new turf for Legion Field
Legion Field will soon be getting a facelift in the form of new turf. On Tuesday the Birmingham City Council approved a $714,000 bid to remove and replace the playing field at the historic stadium.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
“We are truly excited about this upgrade to Legion Field. Hopefully this will get started within the next week to 10 days,” Council President Pro Tem Parker said following Tuesday’s vote. “The turf has been there for about 12 years and it was due to be replaced…We’re working toward getting more games at Legion Field and this will definitely help us market the stadium to teams.”
Over the last year, Parker and other city officials have been actively recruiting additional college football games to Legion Field. “I think the new turf allows us to attract more opportunities. This definitely marks a big item off our checklist,” Parker said.
One of those opportunities outside of football occurred this past weekend. On May 25, Legion Field hosted the 2019 Funk Fest, a music and entertainment festival that brought thousands of people to sing and dance with the “Old Gray Lady.”
“When you go to New Orleans for Essence Fest and see all the activity that surrounds that event, it makes you wonder why Birmingham doesn’t have something like this. We’re not only a sports tourism destination, but also we’re one of America’s most influential music cities when you look at the talent and history we have here,” Parker said. “It’s my goal to bring a music festival to Legion Field as we continue to redefine how we use one of the city’s most iconic venues.”
While it is important that the new turf will be ready in time for this year’s UAB Football home games and the Magic City Classic, perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the upgrade is the 2021 World Games, which will kick off at Legion Field in several short years.
“Oh we’re going to be ready,” Parker said, flashing a grin. “And I can’t wait to show the world what Birmingham has to offer.”
