Birmingham council approves support for World Games bid, clarifies city exposure

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham City Council voted on July 22 to authorize an agreement with the TWG 2021 Birmingham Foundation to prepare a bid for the international World Games, and council members signaled conditional support for a city contribution if Birmingham is chosen as host.

Attorney Melissa Smiley told the council the agreement before members is between the city and a nonprofit foundation that would prepare and submit the bid to the International World Games Association. She said the document being approved does not, by itself, bind the city to the host-organizer agreement with the IWGA; the city would only be responsible for obligations that are explicitly assigned to and accepted by the city in any future host-organizer contract.

“The agreement before you is one between the city of Birmingham and the foundation, which is going to submit the bid package,” Smiley said. “If the city is selected to host, that host agreement would have to be finalized between the city and the International World Games Association, and any obligations would be subject to negotiation and acceptance by the city.”

The foundation has asked the city to be willing to commit $3,500,000 in the event Birmingham is selected; Smiley described that request as a contingent, future commitment tied to selection. Council materials cited a projected event budget of roughly $75 million. Councilor Abbott pressed for clarification after reading background material that referenced a much larger total cost figure; Smiley and colleagues confirmed the city was not being asked at this stage to commit the larger budget total cited in some backup documents.

Supporters said hosting the World Games would bring economic activity and visibility to Birmingham. Council President Pro Tem James J. Roberson Jr. and others framed the vote as a step to position the city to compete for a major international sporting event.

The council moved and approved the resolution to allow the mayor to execute the project agreement with the foundation so the bid could be prepared and submitted; the final host-organizer agreement and any mandatory city expenditures would be a separate future decision by the council.

What’s next: The foundation will submit the bid package to the International World Games Association. If Birmingham advances, council members said the city would review any proposed host-organizer agreement and the detailed financial commitments before authorizing further obligations.