Residents of Birmingham's Smithfield neighborhood and others spoke out against the city helping fund a stadium on Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Complex-owned property downtown during a community meeting Thursday evening.

They said they want the city to invest in 90-year-old Legion Field and their neighborhood instead of investing $90 million downtown.

"We want the world to know that Legion Field is just as iconic for us as Vulcan is for (others) in another neighborhood," said Smithfield resident Pat Davis.

Onoyemi Williams, of Smithfield, said Legion Field only hosts 17 events a year. She said there's not enough events to support two stadiums in Birmingham.

"Now, we are going to have a structure that no one is going to want to maintain," she said, of Legion Field.

State Rep. Juandalynn Given, D-Birmingham, hosted the community meeting at Parker High School to discuss proposed legislation that would impose a 6 percent tax on automobile leases and rentals in Jefferson County. According to the bill, 3 percent of the tax would support the new stadium, Legacy Arena renovations and expansion at the BJCC, and 3 percent would go towards tourism and economic development in other parts of the city.

The bill is still being advertised and hasn't been introduced.

The Jefferson County delegation in the Alabama Senate on Wednesday approved a different bill by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, that would impose a 3 percent tax on automobile leases and rentals in the county to help support the BJCC renovations and expansion.

The Legislature passed a law in 2001 authorizing the Jefferson County tax, but the tax has not been collected. Waggoner's bill amends the law and says the tax will take effect when the BJCC Authority certifies that it has signed a contract committing to the construction of the stadium.

Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, is handling an auto lease tax bill for Jefferson County in the House of Representatives.

The open-air stadium at the east end of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., would seat 45,000 with the capacity to expand to 55,000. The main tenant will be UAB football but it could also be used for soccer, concerts, high school football playoffs and other events.

The $174-million stadium is part of a $300-million master plan that includes a makeover of the BJCC's Legacy Arena and renovation of an outside piazza.

The rental tax is expected to generate about $3.5 million a year to help pay the debt service on the project, which the BJCC Authority estimates will be about $21.5 million a year.

Other entities have been asked to contribute to the BJCC expansion.

The Jefferson County Commission has committed to paying $1 million a year for 30 years. The BJCC Authority will contribute $10.7 million in annual debt service.

A 10-year taxable private placement secured by naming rights, sponsorships, corporate community contributions and UAB will provide $4 million per year for the first 10 years of operation.

Last week, the city of Birmingham passed a "resolution of intent" to pay $3 million a year for 30 years towards the project.

Mayor Randall Woodfin has said the city needs to help fund the construction of the stadium to generate new revenue to pay for street paving, demolition of dilapidated houses and rebuilding sidewalks.



He said the city doesn't currently have the money to pay for those priorities.

Two members of the Birmingham City Council on Thursday made it clear the city's contribution is far from a done-deal.

Councilor Sheila Tyson said she is against the stadium and would have voted no. Due to a recent surgery, she was unable to attend last week's meeting.

"I promised the voters in District 6 that I would vote for what you wanted," she said. "District 6 said they didn't want it."

Tyson said she doesn't believe the BJCC expansion will generate the revenues the body is projecting.

Councilor Darrell O'Quinn of District 5 said he isn't sold on the stadium project either.

"What I am really concerned about is making investments in our community to improve quality of life," he said. "This is really the only reason I am giving this serious consideration."

O'Quinn said the BJCC projects sales tax revenue from the expanded BJCC would be $9.9 million when it's completed.

That figure, though, is based on the addition of two new hotels near Uptown and new shopping and entertainment venues, he said.

"I haven't seen evidence of those two things happening," O'Quinn said.

State Sen. Rodger Smitherman, who also attended Thursday's meeting, said he wants to see Legacy Arena at the BJCC renovated. He also wants to see renovations at Legion Field.

He admitted, though, that getting a 6 percent tax increase passed could be a hard sell in an election year.

"We need to put in beautiful seats instead of bleachers" at Legion Field, he said, adding that the wants luxury boxes added as well as a parking deck.

Smitherman also supports adding a retractable dome to Legion Field.

"We can't allow Legion Field not to be fixed up," he said. "We don't need blight in our neighborhood."

Givan said she isn't in favor of the legislation instituting a 3 percent tax only to support the BJCC. She called the issue a "tale of two stadiums."

"I believe the people of Birmingham especially those who love the Magic City Classic ... would rather see the possibility of a 6 percent full on tax," she said, adding that half of the tax could be used to redevelop Smithfield and renovate Legion Field.

Givan said UAB already has an open-air stadium, Legion Field.

Resident Walter Floyd asked his Smithfield neighbors to stand up and let their city councilors know they don't support the city helping to fund the stadium.

"Now is the time to say no," he said.

Floyd said he's seen Birmingham make a lot of mistakes over the years.

"Instead of cleaning up the area, we move the venue," he said.