Tag Archives: ONB

ONB announcement means Main Street Birmingham changes

Posted on October 10, 2011 | 1 comment

Fleming and Tasker The news became official this morning as Operation New Birmingham (ONB) announced they’d named a new president and CEO. David Fleming, the founding executive director of Main Street Birmingham (MSB), will take the reigns of the downtown revitalization organization effective November 1.

It can be viewed as a homecoming of sorts for Fleming, who left ONB as its vice president for planning and urban development in 2004 to launch MSB. He was one of four candidates considered for the position which has been vacant since the departure of Michael Calvert earlier this year.

MSB released its own statement later in the day naming Elizabeth Barbaree-Tasker as the organization’s interim executive director. The seven year-old neighborhood revitalization organization has been enjoying success recently, including an arts incubator in Woodlawn that hosted an open house this past weekend as part of the WOODLAWNx after-party for TEDxBirmingham.

Incidentally, I’ve got some thoughts on Fleming, his new job and what it means for The Magic City over on Dear Birmingham.

Photo: left, David Fleming; right, Elizabeth Barbaree Tasker.

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Posted in Business, News

Tagged announcement, David Fleming, Elizabeth Barbaree-Tasker, executive director, Main Street Birmingham, msb, ONB, Operation New Birmingham, President, press release

Dreaming about across the street from Railroad Park

Posted on February 2, 2010 | 1 comment

There seems to be a growing number of people interested in the suggested development proposals presented at last week’s Operation New Birmingham breakfast briefing.

For those of you who did not see yesterday’s piece in The Birmingham News or the reader’s poll on AL.com, the elevations created by Erdreich Architecture, The Garrison Barrett Group, Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds, Sims Architectural Studio, TRO Jung|Brannen and Williams-Blackstock Architects were presented for a vote – but the elevations only tell part of the story.

Each proposal envisioned the types of businesses that could be included and tried to work in the results of a compact agreed to by property owners and developers months earlier (including ensuring that parking was handled inside of the block. The proposals are just that – ways to visualize what is possible before going to the next step. We invite you to check out all of the proposals submitted and share your thoughts.

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Posted in architecture

Tagged AL, Alabama, architect, architecture, B'ham, Birmingham, development, images, ONB, poll, proposals, Railroad Park, renderings

A new circulator for downtown Birmingham?

Posted on June 24, 2009 | Leave a comment

breeze-bus That’s what the topic will be at tomorrow’s Operation New Birmingham breakfast briefing, particularly why it would make sense to get on these new buses, the Breeze circulators. Charles Ball, executive director of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham plans to be available to answer questions about the current status of the three year old In Town Transit Partnership and about how the downtown circulator would serve as the basis of a rethinking of the region’s transit system. You’ll be able to see portions of the presentation on the ITP website beginning late tomorrow morning.

It was also the last topic of conversation during last night’s first #bhamchat; the recap’s up over on my Birmingham.

Looking both ways in downtown Birmingham

Posted on May 19, 2009 | 2 comments

Tonight those in the Birmingham Public Library‘s Arrington Auditorium beginning at 5:30 p.m. will hear the results of a study conducted by Operation New Birmingham, the Regional Planning Commission, the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization and the City of Birmingham to look at turning some of our one-way streets back to two-way streets. They’ve been looking at 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Avenues North and 13^th, 14^th, 17^th and 18^th Streets. Here’s some more info.

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Posted in The City

Tagged AL, Alabama, Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization, conversion, downtown, information, ONB, one way to two way, Operation New Birmingham, Regional Planning Commission

On the agenda: Langford reccommends cutting ONB budget

Posted on May 19, 2009 | 2 comments

Most of the time when Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford makes an announcement, you’re never quite sure of what he means exactly. Take this morning for example when he casually spoke of cutting funding for Operation New Birmingham and moved on the next subject.

Needless to say this was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but recognizing the potential for a conversation we sent out this tweet:

“Mayor Langford suggests that ONB be included in new Chamber/MDB/Region 20202 reorganization.”

Yes, we did notice the typo. Aside from that the local media had been pretty quite until now… This article posted by The Birmingham News removes any doubt about whether the mayor meant what he said. No official comments have been made by ONB, but considering that they received $450,000 in city funds last year, this could be a serious blow.

Image: ONB 50^th anniversary logo.

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Posted in On the agenda

Tagged AL, Alabama, Birmingham, City Council, cut, funding, Larry Langford, On the agenda, ONB, Operation New Birmingham, reduction, story, Twitter

New hotel possible for Birmingham’s midtown

Posted on February 27, 2009 | Leave a comment

Shortly after Larry Langford finished his remarks at yesterday’s Operation New Birmingham (ONB) Breakfast Briefing, ONB President Michael Calvert eluded to the possibility of another developer possibly announcing plans to build a new hotel on Birmingham’s Southside in the near future.

The Birmingham Business Journal provides additional information about this and other announcements made yesterday. We’ve also heard that the proposed hotel may operate within the Hilton family.

UPDATE: The Mayor speaks at the ONB Breakfast Briefing

Posted on February 26, 2009 | 3 comments

This morning Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford speaks to a crowded room at the Harbert Center to review progress on various projects taking place in the City. He has already spoken about the loss of common sense in the city as well as the city’s new 3D map, focused on Birmingham’s City Center. There has also been a presentation of the DVD created to make the case for the funding of the Birmingham Zoo’s expansion.

Take the jump and follow along: Continue reading →

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Posted in Larry Langford

Tagged 35203, AL, Alabama, Birmingham, breakfast briefing, Citywide, comments, Larry Langford, ONB, projects, speech