Filed under: AL, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, Civic Engagement, civic/service organizations, Fresh Water Land Trust, McWane Center, Photographs, Region 2020, Sustainable Development, urban parks
One of the cooler hats that I wear is serving on Catalyst’s Board and as a co-chair of their Parks and Greenspace Pillar with Elizabeth Sims of Region 2020 and Brian Rushing of the Freshwater Land Trust. This past weekend our pillar group took a tour of the site of the future Red Mountain Park. A group of 12 people got a taste of the beauty and potential for this mammoth site, though we didn’t see that many animals (a group of twelve traversing through the wilderness is not necessarily good for animal spotting). Brian Rushing, vice chair of the Catalyst Board and Director of Land Conservation for the Land Trust, organized the early evening hike on Saturday. It was a rather simple one-mile hike through the heart of the site that borders several neighborhoods and towns on the western side of Jefferson County. Click here to view the photo gallery for the hike.
The image below links to a conceptual map of plans for Red Mountain Park.*
The following image links to conceptual plans for a regional greenway network that is much farther along than many people realize.*
*Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
There is a public workshop taking place this week Tuesday, August 8, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at McWane Center (200 19th Street North). Please click here to view the press release* with additional information. I would encourage as many of you that can to come out and attend this session as it provides you with an opportunity to offer an opinion on something that you will want to use in future years. If you are interested in attending the next Parks and Greenspace Pillar meeting for Catalyst, please send an e-mail to myself at my work address or Elizabeth Sims at Region 2020 and we’ll make sure that we notify you of the date.
Andre Natta – anatta@mainstreetbham.org
Elizabeth Sims – elizabeth@region2020.org
Or just keep your eyes peeled here as well.
Cheers.
And don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post.
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This is very exciting news. Is there an estimated date for construction of the park and of the greenway? I am not free on Tuesday; I ran a stop sign (they’re optional, right? 😉 ) and will be in traffic court at 5 pm.
Comment by megabeth August 7, 2006 @ 8:11 amWhat do you know about the High Line trail? I recall hearing that it is an elevated abandoned railroad track running into urban areas from Red Mountain Park that people want to turn into an elevated linear trail/park–which would be so fantastically cool. (New York City is actually doing the same exact thing with one of its old elevated railways in Manhattan.) But I keep thinking I may have made it up in my head.
Comment by cbuchanan August 7, 2006 @ 8:13 pm[…] Dre’s recent post got me thinking about the top 10 Birmingham-projects-in-progress I can’t wait to see finished. Some of these are just whispers, dreams, or drawings right now, and others are much further along, but hopefully all will become reality soon. […]
Pingback by Pop Goes the City » 10 to Anticipate August 7, 2006 @ 9:15 pm[…] The Parks and Greenspace Pillar committee met this past weekend for a walking tour of the proposed Red Mountain Park. See Andre’s blog posting here for details. Interested in learning more about the park plans? The Freshwater Land Trust, the Red Mountain Park Steering Committee and the Friends of Red Mountain Park will hold a Public Workshop on Tuesday, August 8, 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the McWane Science Center. Landscape design firm Wallace, Roberts & Todd – the landscape firm tasked with creating the park’s master plan – will provide an update on plans for the Park. Small group discussions will also be held as part of the meeting, providing an open forum for public input and discussion. […]
Pingback by Catalyst for Birmingham » Parks and Greenspace Pillar update August 8, 2006 @ 9:56 amHey Guys…Just wanted to respond to questions from cbuchanan and megabeth…
Regarding the High Ore Line railroad, this feature will be an integral part in connecting Red Mountain Park with Downtown. It is currently owned by U S Steel and is part of the purchase option the Freshwater Land Trust acquired from USS.
As far as a timeline for construction of the park in concered, I think it will be only a couple of years before we have parts of the park opened to the public. A lot of planning has to take place before this can be done, but the good news is that the park already has an extensive system of trails and abandoned rail beds that need very little work in order to be suitable for use. It is likely that these trails may become accessible long before the “active use” areas such as sports fields, picknick areas, etc. are constructed. However, the park commission that was established by the State will have the final say on when the phases of the park will be opened.
Comment by Brian Rushing August 14, 2006 @ 4:59 pmOops..I meant “picnic,” y’all!
Comment by Brian Rushing August 14, 2006 @ 5:01 pmThanks for the responses Brian!
Comment by dresramblings August 14, 2006 @ 6:14 pm[…] Pillar committee met this past weekend for a walking tour of the proposed Red Mountain Park. See Andre’s blog posting here for details. Interested in learning more about the park plans? The Freshwater Land Trust, the Red […]
Pingback by Catalyst 4 Birmingham » Blog Archive » Parks and Greenspace Pillar update February 12, 2007 @ 4:23 pm[…] that were counting on the money for acquisition costs, most notably Red Mountain Park (talked about here). This recent wrinkle in plans and hopes for planners may finally weigh the true public sentiment […]
Pingback by The Ticker: One last look back at ‘06, a challenge from an official and decision time for park supporters May 7, 2008 @ 9:13 pm