A familiar part of Birmingham’s history is looking to forge a new path with an ambitious plan to further embed itself in the Magic City’s recreational and cultural landscape.
Sloss Furnaces will begin fundraising next year for a $12 million project that would connect the landmark with the city’s trail system, add a few attractions, and allow it to host more events.
Sloss Furnaces operated from 1882 to 1970 and was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world.
Executive Director David Arias said the furnaces, which has been a historical landmark since the early 80s, helped to make Birmingham the industrial powerhouse it once was.
“What we want to do is bring more people in to tell that story,” Arias said. “We want to give people space to breath, to recreate, to be with their friends, in a part of the city where people haven’t had the space to spread out.”
Arias, a longtime Birmingham resident, has directed Sloss since 2022.
About nine months of planning went into the proposed project. Studio A, KPS Group, Schoel Engineering and Allaway Consulting are all involved in the project’s conception. Its goal — to integrate the furnaces more fully into a part of town that has seen an increased amount of development, and to connect it more fully to the city’s trail system.
Currently, Sloss Furnaces, located on First Avenue at 32nd Street North, is owned by the City of Birmingham and supported by the Sloss Furnaces Foundation. Admission to Sloss is free, with self-guided tours available and more extensive tours for a small fee. It also plays host to many events, from concerts to food festivals.
But the furnaces only take up about half of the 32-acre property. And many of the proposed improvements would update or open up certain facets of the property that are currently not being enjoyed by the public.
“One of the changes we wanted to see is in answer to the question, how do we engage the community in a way that’s meaningful to them,” Arias said. “We wanted to explore more of what Sloss could become, and explore what made sense for our site.”
One directive — nothing over the top: take what’s already existing at the site and expand on what Sloss already does well.
A revamp of the overall plan for the park would change the entrance point, and the flow around its aspects.
Included in the plan are play areas for both smaller and older children, a new refreshment area, a climbing element, a maze in the former water reservoir, expanded green spaces and new restrooms.
At least one kilometer of trails could host runs completely on the property, as well as allow walking and training space for runners.
The furnace No. 2 Hoist Tower would be transformed into a vantage point for visitors, giving a chance to catch the sunset, or the city skyline. And the train platform would be remade into an elevated boardwalk.
Sloss Furnaces is also home to the largest metal casting program in the world, its Metal Arts classroom. It accommodates summer youth programs and school tours. The improvements would add an indoor space for finishing and fabrication attached to Shed No. 2 on the northside of the property.
Visitors would also have a new play attraction — railway pump handcars on a half-mile loop that would circulate the property.
But the plan would leave alone a green space on the property that is used for everything from parking to recreation.
Sloss Furnaces has a yearly budget of about $600,000 provided by the city, in addition to funds from the metal arts program and fundraising.
“It can be a place to play, but also to take time to learn,” Arias said.
