Birmingham is continuing its push to be an entertainment capital of the South, with a completely renovated Uptown area leading the charge. The city just announced plans for a new amphitheater that would sit 9,000 people and bring larger acts to the city on a consistent basis. This exciting announcement is a part of the current conversion of the old Carraway Hospital to a mixed-use development space called The Star. It joins the recent renovations to the BJCC and Legacy Arena (home to the Birmingham Squadron) and the completed Protective Stadium (home of the UAB Blazers, Birmingham Legion, and host of the 2022 World Games).
The proposed amphitheater has a sleek modern design that features the Birmingham cityline behind the stage, and sunsets at concerts enthusiasts can only wait in anticipation to see in person. Named “Carraway Amphitheater”, the venue looks to match the beauty of other cherished Alabama outdoor spaces like Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and The Orion in Huntsville. The Uptown District has hosted music legends including Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, and Garth Brooks this year - along with an NBA preseason game - and still has Bonnie Raitt, Kevin Hart, and plenty more coming. The North Birmingham area is also hosting games in the first and second rounds of the NCAA March Madness in 2023. The streak of top-quality acts coming into town with the promises of venue greatness make for interesting possibilities and invigorating futures.
The Star project that the amphitheater is a part of is planned to also include housing, restaurants, office space, and precious parking spaces where the old hospital once stood. Pictures of funny wall art in one of Birmingham’s most famously abandoned buildings will soon turn into pictures of plated meals and music sensations on stage. The 52-acre piece of land was given a 5-year buildout plan in 2021 with a focus on market-rate residential housing, and plans to use the well-recognized star from the former hospital as a centerpiece of the redevelopment concept.
Birmingham is already a different city than the one many of us grew up in, and new projects continue to expand our city’s landscape and entertainment scene. Here’s to more great tunes, tourists, and pride in the Magic CIty!
All images from Corporate Realty
