Latest news with #BJCC
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sneak preview at newest concert venue in the Magic City
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — In just over a month, thousands of people will be able to enjoy Birmingham's newest venue: the Coca-Cola Amphitheater. According to Live Nation, it can hold 9,100 people. The Coca-Cola Amphitheater, which Live Nation says has been a project eight years in the making, is scheduled to open in June. 'We wanted to be part of the energy that's happening in downtown,' said Jay Wilson with Live Nation. One of the main questions people have about this new venue is what the parking situation will look like? 'There's two parking decks right across the street and then we're going to have 10 or so parking lots that are well-lit, staffed, secure, within three or four blocks, five to 10 minute walk,' said Wilson. The BJCC says on the amphitheater campus alone, there will be around 2,000 parking spaces but with the inclusion of the full BJCC complex, the number of spots doubles. If people park around Uptown or the BJCC, there will be a free shuttle service taking people up to the amphitheater. 'Grab something at one of the restaurants, grab a drink, enjoy yourself before the show, we move you up those three blocks on the shuttle, make it nice and easy for you,' said BJCC CEO Tad Snider. Live Nation says the only work left is finishing touches like railings, landscaping, restrooms, furniture and décor. One thing you notice walking around the Coca-Cola Amphitheater is how spacious it is, from wide walkways to multiple concessions areas to the large stage and loading area in the back. 'Our goal is to have their day, when they come here, to be as painless as possible and have a great experience when they come and play in Birmingham,' Wilson said. 'Because we want them to leave and say 'man, my day in Birmingham was great', then they'll come back.' 'Hats and Hearts' fundraiser scheduled for May 17 in Irondale But it's not just about the artist's experience. With certain premium tickets, people will be able to have access to what Live Nation has dubbed 'The Vinyl Room,' just to the right of the stage. 'I think we're going to have a DJ booth in there. They're going to have some higher end type food and drink amenities,' Wilson said. 'What we really think is going to be neat is it's sort of an indoor/outdoor concept to where you can still be outdoors in The Vinyl Room VIP Club, you can walk up and still see the artist on the stage.' With this addition to the BJCC complex, the Magic City will be able to attract artists with any venue need, from an arena to a stadium to a performance hall and now an amphitheater. 'I think you'll have very big artists. You'll have the big pop artists like Drake, you'll have rappers, R&B artists, country artists, all types of artists of different genres,' said Birmingham resident Reba Gist. 'I would love to see Meg Thee Stallion, that's one of my favorites, I think that'll be a pretty big attraction to the area.' Many people in the community are excited to see how the new venue benefits the city. 'It's going to bring a lot more business here, a lot more concerts here because that's what the citizens and the people of Birmingham want versus traveling like to Atlanta to go to a concert,' Birmingham resident Tiffany Bennett said. 'We have the access here because now we're going to have an amphitheater.' The BJCC and Live Nation say work is being done along 24th and 25th streets around the amphitheater to repave, add sidewalks and more lighting. 'The amphitheater was always conceived to be the anchor of this larger redevelopment, so just knowing that it's going to drive the energy and interests in everything that made up the former Carraway Hospital campus, for the developer working on that, that just makes Birmingham more vibrant and that's great,' Snider said. With all the new, there are still reminders of the old. Remnants of Carraway Hospital stand just a few hundred yards from the entrance of the Coca-Cola Amphitheater. 'This amphitheater and then across the street, that development, are going to be the engines that sort of elevate the Druid Hills and the northside communities for years to come,' said Wilson. 'What someone might look across the street and see a building coming down, we look at it as that's a sign of progress, and that's a sign of we're making forward movement and we're taking all the positive energy that's happened at the BJCC with their renovation, with Protective Stadium, we're taking all that and we're just moving it two blocks up.' Comedian Matt Rife will be the first act to take the stage on June 22. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Parking concerns for Birmingham's new Coca-Cola Amphitheater
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — While excitement grows for the opening of the Coca-Cola Ampitheater, which is expected to have a capacity of 9,300, there remains concern over parking and traffic in the area. The BJCC, who owns two parking decks set to be used for the Ampitheater, said its parking lots will be complete before the Ampitheater's first show on June 22. Alabama Senate leader says gambling proposal has 'too few votes' to pass Meanwhile the developers with C&R Endeavors, who are overseeing the project, say that may not be the case on their end. 'We're a little bit behind when it comes to preparing the parking decks that are out there,' said developer Matthew Smith. Smith took to the city's planning and zoning commission meeting on March 26 and requested to temporarily rezone space within the Druid Hills and Evergreen neighborhoods. Smith said the project to fix the Carraway parking decks won't be complete in time to meet the deadline of the Ampitheater's start date. 'It's not necessarily the discovery of parking; it's a matter of timelines and development. Market conditions haven't been favorable to us,' said Smith. 'We voted for that zoning variance to allow them to use some of the gravel lot for parking,' said Druid Hills Neighborhood President Janet Maycock. Maycock said though residents have approved Smith's requests, they are concerned with the overcrowding it may cause in their neighborhoods. 'Everything with this is a temporary situation, it's not a permanent situation. We're going to be inconvenienced but our hope is that this is a temporary fix to this situation and that those parking decks will be done when scheduled,' said Maycock. More Record Highs, Weather Aware Sunday for Strong to Severe Storms Smith did not give a set date when the Carraway parking decks will be complete, but the temporary request will last one year. The commission has not made an official vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BJCC executive director talks success of weekend events
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Birmingham has been quite busy over the past few weekends. Last weekend, the BJCC hosted NCAA women's basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games at Legacy Arena, Monster Jam at Protective Stadium and showings of 'Les Misérables.' The weekend before, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and SEC Gymnastics Championship were held in Birmingham. Alabama police officer denied immunity for shooting armed Black man in his front yard BJCC Executive Director Tad Snider said these overlapping events brought in thousands of people, many of whom he said took advantage of prepaid parking. 'It was a lot of congestion, no question, this past weekend,' Snider said. 'Especially Saturday, 40,000 people essentially in and around the area for most of the day. Of course, Friday and Sunday were a little softer because you didn't have monster trucks jammed into the basketball schedule. But no question that people seemed to receive it well, utilized it, and we're going to continue to tweak and refine that.' Snider said the new amphitheater will come with two parking decks, bringing about 1,400 spaces to the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BJCC shares how to navigate parking downtown ahead of weekend events
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — According to the BJCC, there are more than 14,500 parking spaces available within a 5-to-10-minute walk from the BJCC venue spaces along with hundreds of on-street parking. BJCC Executive Director and CEO, Tad Snider, said they're encouraging patrons to take advantage of all of them this weekend. 'We're really pushing the opportunity to pre-purchase parking, so you know the lot you're going to. You kind of know the best route in and out,' said Snider. Snider said guests can find the details on their assigned parking in a 'Know Before You Go' email sent to them following the purchase of a event ticket. 'We have basketball Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we have Les Mis running today through the weekend and we also have Monster Jam at the stadium Saturday 5 o'clock.' said Snider. Snider said there is also a BJCC Parking map available to view that may help navigate parking. Despite these tools some residents like Maya Bowers said it's not enough to navigate the parking traffic and confusion that may come with this weekend's events. 'I feel as if they should expand it because so many people come up to events and it's hectic.' said Bowers. Bowers said she is going to review her parking plans to avoid any hassle. Ural Mitchell is another resident who said he will be at Legacy Arena for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, he said he's already taken steps to make sure he secures his parking spot. 'If you get here early and find you a good parking space, you may have to park a few blocks out but hey it's worth the walk.' said Mitchell. BJCC's website is the only place to pre-purchase parking passes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Jr. to headline Alabama GOP dinner April 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Donald Trump Jr. will headline a 'Trump Victory' dinner hosted by the Alabama GOP on April 3. The son of President Donald Trump, Trump Jr. will speak at the dinner, which will be held at the BJCC in Birmingham. 'The Alabama Republican Party is proud to stand behind President Trump, and we are honored to welcome Donald Trump, Jr. to Alabama as we celebrate this historic victory,' Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl said in a statement. 'As a passionate defender of conservative values, Don Jr. brings a unique perspective on the Trump family, the early days of President Trump's second administration, and the battles ahead to secure our nation's future. His energy and insights will make this an event conservatives won't want to miss.' In its news release promoting the event, the Alabama Republican Party touted Trump Jr. as 'a prominent businessman, author, and political activist who has been a key figure in advancing President Trump's America First agenda.' During both of his father's presidential campaigns, Trump Jr. was actively involved in making stops in different cities to advocate for his father. In fact, several news outlets report that he had a significant influence on Trump picking J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate. Trump Jr. has also written two books, 'Triggered' and 'Liberal Privilege,' the former of which made The New York Times Bestseller list which was mostly due to bulk orders. Released a year later, 'Liberal Privilege' was self-published and released on Amazon, which posted significant sales in its first week. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. while the dinner will start at 7 p.m. More guests will be announced as the dinner date approaches. Tickets start at $250 per person. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
