City leaders call plans for US Coast Guard training center at former Birmingham-Southern campus ‘transformative’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - City leaders say the U.S. Coast Guard plans to acquire the former campus of Birmingham-Southern College to build a training center.

The city anticipates a multi-million dollar economic impact from the influx of people coming in and out of Birmingham. The training center is anticipated to bring 1,000 jobs to the campus.

Mayor Randall Woodfin said the jobs represent significant growth over what the campus previously supported.

“Those 1,000 jobs represent a minimum of three times the number of jobs that were already there, so just do the simple math of that,” Woodfin said.

Birmingham City Councilor Sonja Smith, who represents District 8 and is a Birmingham-Southern alumna, said the announcement brings relief to the community.

“As an alum, it makes me proud and warms my heart to know that the property is going to good use and it’s able to stay intact,” Smith said.

The U.S. Coast Guard sought a site with lodging, dining, medical facilities, classrooms, and more.

Smith said the existing campus infrastructure aligns with those requirements.

“If you think about the structures that are already there on campus, you think about what the Coast Guard wants to do and how it wants to make this a training facility — it does make sense in terms of accessibility and transportation,” Smith said.

Smith said most community members are excited about the future of the campus and the presence of their new neighbor.

“It was able to be repurposed in such a quick time span, is bringing a lot of relief and comfort to individuals in that area,” Smith said.

Woodfin said the announcement reflects the city’s broader goals.

“The City of Birmingham will continue to be intentional about growth, will continue to be intentional about reimagining sites — what they once were can be repurposed for economic vitality,” Woodfin said.

The City of Birmingham previously issued Birmingham-Southern a $5 million loan prior to the college’s closing.

Councilor Smith said she anticipates the campus purchase will allow Birmingham-Southern to pay off its debts, and the city will recover that loan.

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