Railroad Park opens today to public
By Wade Kwon
A once-barren area in the heart of the city has found new life as a park.
Railroad Park brings a new four-block green space to Birmingham, complete with water features, wi-fi, a bistro, a skate park, two children’s play areas and workout equipment. The park opens at 10 a.m. today.
Located near the central rail lines, the space runs along First Avenue South between 14th and 18th Streets. Discussions about transforming the unused area started as early as the 1970s, but the effort became formalized with the formation of the Friends of the Railroad District in 2001.
The park will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. As part of today’s grand opening event, Railroad Park will show the animated movie, “Up.”
Transforming the vacant lot into a fully-realized city park took $25 million and a year and a half. Railroad Park is part of a three-park initiative which includes a new Red Mountain Park and expanding the existing Ruffner Mountain Park.
During construction, bricks and other materials found on the site were incorporated into the walls and seating areas. Hand-cast bricks and original cobblestone were recycled and used throughout the park.
The Railroad Park Foundation, which oversees park operations, continues to raise money through online donations to “buy” a piece of the park, starting at $25 per square foot.
For more information on Railroad Park:
- Official website | Facebook | Twitter @RailroadPark
- Birmingham News: “Railroad Park, downtown Birmingham’s new patch of green, has grand opening”
- Bhamwiki: Railroad Park
Photo credit: Railroad Park
Monday, September 20, 2010, 10:51 am
The park is beautiful but two things will be necessary to keep it going strong.
First is great programming. Movies, music, festivals — all draw people to the park and keep them coming back. What’s more, the park is big enough to host an event at one end, while leaving enough space for people to do other stuff.
Second is security. Consider what happened to Morris Avenue. All it might take is one unfortunate event to ruin this momentum. Security, both in the park and the adjacent blocks, is key. Also, if something bad does happen, how the city handles that will be crucial.
Monday, September 20, 2010, 11:00 am
A much needed addition to our city.
Monday, September 20, 2010, 12:40 pm
I spent a few hours both Saturday and Sunday walking through the park with my family. The park is beautiful and has a great balance of open green space, water features and hardscapes to provide a variety of things to do.
It was fantastic seeing a wide variety of Birmingham residents all coming together in one place to relax and have fun. Our city really needed something positive to celebrate and now that we have it, we’re looking for even more to be proud of as the city continues to re-develop and re-invent downtown.
The good news is there are several other projects lined up to keep the momentum going: Red Mountain Park scheduled to open next Spring, the Pizitz building rehab that will hopefully begin soon and now the discussion of building a downtown baseball park.
Having walked both through and around the park, the only thing missing is a critical mass of other retail businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues close to the new park. Right now the mix of industrial or warehouse buildings on the park’s edge is a little bleak. Little wonder that Mayor Bell wants to build a baseball stadium close by to make this area an even bigger draw for residents and tourists alike.
Monday, September 20, 2010, 12:50 pm
I took my boys to the Railroad Park on Saturday. It is certainly a good addition to downtown Birmingham and a wise use of that space. I agree with Carlton about the business close to the new park. It is bleak, but hopefully that will change. In the height of summer – which lasts a while here in Birmingham – the park will be more pleasant in a few years once those trees have grown. I don’t know what such a facility would add to the costs of the park, but it also seems as if it the Railroad Park is a perfect place for some sort of water play area.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 3:19 pm
All good suggestions.
I’d like to see community exercise programs, as done in other cities’ parks. Yoga, tai chi, fun runs, ultimate frisbee, etc.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 12:54 pm
I took my two month old son the park Sunday and I can’t wait to bring my wife and 8 yr. old there this weekend. The fact that you can wade in the stream or ponds is very cool (literally). From big open grass areas to the various playgrounds and walking paths, it’s very easy to spend a whole morning or afternoon there.
We can never have enough good reasons for people to come into the city. I live in the subs but I take every opportunity to bring my family downtown so they can experience the Magic City that Birmingham truly is.
It was nice to see Park Security there and I agree with Kyle’s comment above. I hope that Birmingham, the City and it’s residents, will take good care of this park. I’ve been an evangelist for the Railroad Park all week telling everyone I know and blogging about it.
A big thanks to the Friends of the Railroad District. I count this as a big win for Birmingham.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 12:57 pm
[…] Read Wade Kwons’s blog about the Railroad Park here. […]
Thursday, September 30, 2010, 10:49 am
@Chris – Park Rules at http://railroadpark.org/about.html state:
“NO WADING, JUMPING, SWIMMING OR FISHING IN THE LAKES AND PONDS”
Thursday, September 30, 2010, 10:49 pm
Despite the rules protecting the water, I think it’s a sensible call on security’s part to allow people to enjoy walking the water without abusing the privilege.