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Architect's Rendering of the now nearly completed Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts

The city of Birmingham has a lingering self-esteem problem.

I do a lot of different things. One of those things is working as a designer, draftsman, and CAD/Revit operator for a local electrical engineering firm.

The company I work for has been in business for nearly three decades and does a lot of consulting work all over the state. We have excellent relationships with other design firms, contractors, city inspectors, and materials suppliers. We have an impressive portfolio of large-scale projects and an ever-growing list of big-name clients.

We use cutting-edge software to create space-age-looking three-dimensional

design in which we construct a complete and functioning model of a building on a server before the first shovel hits the ground. We have a intimate knowledge of local design standards and codes and, most importantly, we really know what Birmingham is supposed to

look like,

in a broad sense.

This holds true for all of the top-notch

,

, and

in the city.

I have worked as a contractor in several other states and cities in the Southeast and elsewhere and am constantly impressed by the rapport between competing design firms and contractors in Birmingham. In other cities, not very far from here, construction projects are often delayed and postponed because the various parties (city/state inspectors, design teams, contractors) are in a constant state of passive-aggression, undercutting one another every chance they get.

Birmingham is not like that. We have a very tight-knit group construction professionals that are excellent at what they do and who love and really

know

the city of Birmingham.

I can't emphasize enough how valuable and rare this kind of situation is.

So it's a bit irksome to all of us when large, high-profile jobs come to downtown Birmingham or to UAB and the reins (and fees) are handed to an out of town design firm.

For example, a couple of months ago the Birmingham Design Review Committee approved a plan by LIV Development to construct what will likely be a

to the exploding Railroad Park area. The general contractor and landscape design firms are both local, but the architecture will be handled by a CBA out of Maitland, Florida.

CBA, I'm sure, is a great firm that will do a good job on the project (plus they've got a

) and LIV is certainly entitled to hire whomever they prefer, but we have capable architects and engineers here with local roots that could do just as good, if not better, of a design.

Architect's rendering of the LIV Parkside development slated for construction near Railroad Park and Regions Field.

This is not exclusive to city projects. UAB is notorious for it as well. The

building across from the Alys Stephens Center was designed by Randal Stout from Los Angeles, California and the overhaul of the

is being handled by Hastings & Chivetta out of St. Louis, Missouri.

This isn't just about the city and state having pride in its local architects, engineers, and contractors. It's also important to note that the design fees for these large projects, too, go out of state. Most of the time, those fees are in the millions of dollars, which could have gone into the pockets of locals to spend locally.

The city of Birmingham, Jefferson County, and UAB should make a firm commitment to hire local design teams and contractors in city, county, and university projects.

Birmingham is growing. Not just its population and wealth, but in confidence. For decades it has been the norm to give the glitzy projects to out of state, 'big-city' architects, and this is part-and-parcel of our deep-held self-esteem issues.

If we're going to grow strong as a city, we should look upon ourselves in a positive light and have the composure to trust one another to deliver the goods and services we need.

If we do that, I think we'll find that Birmingham has all the magic we require.