Again?!

Yes, again.

Four years after a quixotic and shamefully costly bid failed to lure the 2016 Democratic National Convention to Birmingham, the city will once again vie for the party's quadrennial gathering to select its presidential and vice-presidential nominees, city officials confirm.

This time, though, the bid is not an unsolicited hope-against-no-hope Hail Mary whose only accomplishment was to funnel barrels of cash to favored friends.

Last month, in a letter to mayor Randall Woodfin, obtained by AL.com, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez asked the city to "consider" vying for the 2020 convention, which he called "an historic event that could shape the future of Birmingham for years to come."

Perez noted that noted past host cities saw "$150 million to $200 million" injected into the local economy.

On Friday, Birmingham is expected to be among several cities named by the DNC as having applied for the convention.

Prior to receiving the letter, city officials say, bidding on the 2020 convention was not on the mayor's radar.

Now?

"We are very excited that the Democratic National Committee has recognized the City of Birmingham as an attractive, possible site for the 2020 Democratic National Convention," Woodfin told AL.com. "Such recognition shows how much progress our city is making when we receive these kinds of unsolicited invitations."

U.S Congresswoman Terri Sewell said she "thrilled" about the bid.

"Birmingham is the perfect destination with our historic Civil Rights sites, vibrant downtown, and diverse food culture," she adds. "Our southern hospitality is second to none and would make Birmingham the ideal city to host the Democratic National Convention in 2020!"

Okay, whoa. Let's take a deep breath and recall that the previous bid, conceived and crafted behind closed doors, cost the city far more than it appeared to gain.

To bid for 2016, Birmingham spent $275,000 on three consultants--Partnering for Progress, a firm founded by Jefferson County Chief Tax Assessor John Powe that has ties to Oliver Robinson ($100,000); the Podesta Group ($175,000), a now-defunct lobbying firm founded by Tony Podesta, brother of Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman; and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's law firm of Covington & Burling ($25,000).

This time, Woodfin promises that won't happen.

"The application process will be handled by internal staff,'' he said. "In 2014, the City of Birmingham paid external partners to help with the bid package for the 2016 DNC. We will not have new contracts to pursue the nomination."

One thing has not changed, though: Birmingham still does not meet many "preliminary requirements" outlined by the DNC, which were included with the letter. Among them, that the host city possesses 17,000-18,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 luxury suites within 30 minutes of the arena.

Even with the addition of several new hotels since 2014, Jefferson County still only has just under 15,000 rooms, according to the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. (There are an additional 3,000 rooms in Shelby County, said the BCVB.)

The DNC also noted the desire for 650,000 square feet of "usable space" in an arena and convention hall (the BJCC, which is slated for an extensive renovation, currently boasts just 350,000 square feet), an arena seating at least 18,500 (Legacy holds 17,654).

Woodfin would not specifically address each requirement, but city officials are banking that "preliminary" means the DNC will be flexible in its criteria.

They also believe Birmingham has more than a puncher's chance this time, in part, because, right or wrong, the perception of Alabama has changed since the election of Sen. Doug Jones last December. No Democrat had won a statewide office in Alabama since 2006.

While in Alabama, Ellison engaged with grass-roots leaders

DNC vice chair Keith Ellison even ventured to Alabama in early March, meeting with elected officials throughout the state. He called Jones' victory a "dramatic statement."

"Alabama is in play," Ellison added. "Alabama is leading the way. Alabama is showing people how to do it."

Not surprisingly, Birmingham did not make the list of finalists for the 2016 convention. Announced in November 2014, they were: Columbus, Ohio, New York and Philadelphia.

The 2016 convention was held in Philadelphia.

"We are excited about this opportunity," Woodfin said, "and how selection as the host city will expose the world to our communities that are rich in history, restaurants, parks and more - all elements that we love about the Magic City.''

DNC Letter by KentFaulk on Scribd