UAB Pep Rally and Press Conference

UAB head football coach Bill Clark talks during a pep rally and press conference on the UAB Campus Green, Wednesday, September 16, 2015. UAB extended the contract of Head Football Coach Bill Clark for five years. (Tamika Moore/tmoore@al.com)

(Tamika Moore)

The one-year anniversary of UAB football's return has passed, but fundraising momentum continues to be strong.

Tommy Brigham and Hatton Smith, members of the UAB Athletics Foundation, confirmed that they have raised $14 million to this point for UAB's football operations building and turf field.

Stage one and two of that process was green-lighted by the UA System Board of Trustees in February.

Stages three and four are expected to approved at the June 16-17 board meeting.

"We have solid pledges in hand," Brigham said. "We're right at 14 million dollars with another eight million (that we've asked for) out there right now that we've made proposals to.

"It's overwhelmingly successful in terms of the response of both the public and private sector from our perspective. We think it sends a resounding message to our community that our city is unified in making sure that UAB football and UAB as an institution is a centerfold in being the most important economic engine in our city."

Brigham said that the foundation has been in discussions with the Board of Trustees about expanding the project to something that would cost around $20 million. The plan, if it can all get approved and the money can get raised, would be a football operations building, covered pavilion over one full-length turf field with another turf field outside and an 80-yard grass field outside.

"We feel like, at minimum, we'll get the facility, pavilion and two turf fields," Brigham said. "If we continue having success, we'll get it all done. (The Board of Trustees) have bent over backward from my perspective working with us, being collaborative with us moving forward."

The project is expected to break ground in August and be completed by the 2017 football season.

UAB operations facility rendering 2 Gallery: UAB operations facility rendering

But where will UAB play?

The Blazers will be back in Legion Field in 2017. That's for certain. Smith is hoping that they'll play in a downtown stadium by the BJCC in 2018.

That project along with proposed BJCC renovations would be around $250 million to complete, Smith said. But there is a holdup - last December, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo struck down a $60 million sales tax plan.

It would allow Jefferson County officials to refinance nearly $600 million in school construction debt and divert $60 million in savings each year to other non-educational projects. The county will appeal the judge's ruling.

"This is something we need to get resolved," Smith said. "It really affects all 67 counties, not just the BJCC."

Smith said it would go to the Supreme Court for a hopeful overturn. If not, the hope is to have a bill in the state legislature to address the BJCC funding needs and continue the tax plan in place.

"It is our hope, and I emphasize the word hope, to play in 2018," Smith said. "If we get this done quickly, we can do it. If not, we're looking at 2019. We need quick action."

Smith said that having UAB football games in a revitalized Uptown District could attract casual fans like the Birmingham Barons do in the 4-year-old Regions Field.

Smith said that there are renderings for the stadium, which could seat between 45,000 and 50,000 and host other events like the Birmingham Bowl, Magic City Classic, 2021 World Games or soccer events. There is also a fundraising plan in place that the BJCC is spearheading.

"When you think about what you're going to do on a Saturday, or a Tuesday or Thursday or whenever they play, it can be, 'I think I'll go to the Blazer game,'" Smith said. "We'd have a big downtown tailgate. When you go to the Barons game, you don't even know who they are playing. You're going for fun. That's our aspiration."

Once that hurdle is cleared, the next step is to revitalize Graymont Ave., and the area around Legion Field. Smith said he's met with senator Richard Shelby, Birmingham mayor William A. Bell and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He said he's garnered support from all parties.

"Our strategy is to have an urban renewal in the Graymont area," Smith said. "Everybody's benefiting from this."

It could mean demolishing Legion Field.

"I think what you've got to do is ultimately, you need to tear down that stadium and repurpose that land," Smith said. "Bring retail of some form into that neighborhood or a grocery store and parks. Make that area nicer.

"You're seeing a lot of urban renewal in Birmingham and this is going to lead the north side."