Council Approves Sidewalk and Park Contracts, Sets Land‑vacation Hearings

The Birmingham City Council approved corrections and awards for several capital projects and set public hearings on two right‑of‑way vacations.

Council rescinded an earlier resolution because of an incorrect bid amount on the Florentine Building sidewalk improvement project and approved the corrected lowest bid to John Kreese Construction for approximately $420,000. Staff confirmed the work has been completed and said the city's contribution to the project was modest under a developer agreement.

The council also accepted a lump‑sum bid to Richardson Construction for AG Gaston Park renovations (bid amount listed in the record) and heard praise from council members who noted new lighting and safety improvements. Councilors discussed the importance of lighting in parks and asked staff to consider broader lighting upgrades across the city's parks system.

Separately, the council set public hearings for March 10, 2015, to consider vacating a 637‑square‑foot alley to permit a crosswalk from a parking deck and to consider vacating approximately 26,296 square feet of Powell Avenue to support Alabama Power's redevelopment plans. Members clarified these are hearing dates for further consideration and review.

Next steps: staff to execute corrected contract documents for the Florentine sidewalk, complete and monitor AG Gaston Park renovations and lighting improvements, and proceed to public hearings on the vacations with mapping and stakeholder notices.