By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Edward Eaton can’t wait to welcome his new neighbor “with open arms,” he said.
Eaton, vice-president of the Druid Hills Neighborhood Association along with residents, got their first look at the $46 million Coca-Cola Amphitheater, which is nearing completion and opens next month not far from where they live.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” said Eaton, who got a walk-through last Thursday. “[Developers] seem to have a real good plan. So far, so good.”
The amphitheater, in the Druid Hills community, will have a capacity of 9,380 for its festivals, concerts and community events and is slated to have its first show June 22.
The project is a joint effort between the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), the city of Birmingham, Jefferson County and Live Nation.
Eaton said he is pleased with how project organizers worked with residents. There was concern about how parking would impact streets and personal yards as well as the noise and acoustics when the concerts begin, he said.
“Anything we’re brought up they’ve addressed it so far,” he said. “Lighting, parking, we don’t want anybody blocking driveways — and getting sidewalks repaired. They seem to have a real good plan.”
Shuttles will run from the Uptown Entertainment District, so BJCC parking decks can be used for amphitheater parking. Two other parking decks near the amphitheater on the former Carraway campus could be ready next year.
On show days, one of the streets bordering the Coca Cola Amphitheater, 25th Street, will close to provide pedestrian safety at the main entrance. A free trolley service will run several blocks from popular hotels and restaurant destinations to the venue. The on-site parking plan is still being finalized, construction staff said.
The amphitheater, which is a short walk from Eaton’s Druid Hills neighborhood, is part of the Star Uptown redevelopment of the Carraway hospital site, which has been idle for 15 years.
The new entertainment venue has 31 planned shows for 2025, which could bring 220,000 visitors to the venue throughout the year, according to some estimates.
Jay Wilson, who oversees concerts for Live Nation in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, pointed out that the amphitheater is on the former campus of the demolished former Carraway Methodist Medical Center.
“It used to be the state’s No. 1 trauma center,” said Wilson. “Now it’s going to be the state’s No. 1 place to rock and roll.”
The Dave Matthews Band is scheduled to play on June 24, after a June 22 show by comedian Matt Rife.
