By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
Mayor Randall Woodfin used his State of the City address at the downtown Kiwanis Club on Tuesday today to call on Birmingham’s business, civic and community leaders to unite around a shared economic vision, emphasizing education, equitable growth and long-term investment in the city’s next generation.
“Central Alabama is only as strong as Birmingham is,” Woodfin said during his 26-minute address. “And right now, we need to be stronger.”
Speaking before an audience of elected officials, corporate leaders, nonprofit partners, and members of his administration inside the downtown Harbert Center, Woodfin urged listeners to move beyond siloed decision-making and take an active role in shaping the city’s future.
“I will not allow any of us in this room — elected officials, civic leaders, corporate leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs — to sit on the sideline and remain silent,” he said.
A central theme of the address was education as the foundation of economic development. Woodfin highlighted recent gains by Birmingham City Schools and later reinforced that message during a post-speech gaggle with reporters.
“Our future workforce is our students,” Woodfin said. “When future employers look at a city, their number one commodity is the workforce. Birmingham City Schools is our pipeline — cradle to career — and we want our young people not only educated, but career-ready.”
The mayor praised Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan and district staff for significant progress, noting that Birmingham City Schools earned its highest-ever state report card score in 2025. He also said the number of schools receiving failing grades dropped to 1 this year from 15 in 2023.
“That didn’t happen by accident,” Woodfin said. “It happened because principals, teachers, parents and students showed up and did the hard work.”
Woodfin reaffirmed that Birmingham remains “open for business,” citing redevelopment efforts at the Carraway and Montclair hospital sites and continued work to secure the future of the Birmingham-Southern College campus.
At the same time, he stressed that growth must be intentional and inclusive.
“At City Hall, we have a clear mandate to make sure economic development is done in the most equitable way it can be done,” he said.
The mayor touched on a number of topics.
Economic Vision
Asked during a Q&A with the audience afterwards how the city defines its broader economic vision, Woodfin said that work is still underway — by design.
“That’s the actual work we’re doing right now,” he said. “Quietly in 2024 and 2025, working with the Birmingham Business Alliance, Prosper Birmingham and others. In 2026, you’ll see a very public approach where we bring everyone together and say: this is our shared vision.”
He emphasized that the goal is regional collaboration, not a mayor-driven agenda.
“It’s not so much my vision,” Woodfin said. “It’s our vision — and how we hold ourselves accountable to it.”
Competing With Other Cities
Birmingham must measure itself against peer cities across the region, Woodfin said.
“Any major city in the South is our competition,” he said. “We have to get workforce, safety, development and quality of life right if we want to remain competitive.”
Data centers
Woodfin also addressed concern among many about data centers, saying the city supports business development but wants clearer rules in place.
“The city of Birmingham is pro-business,” he said. “But we want to strike a balance.”
He noted that Birmingham currently has no ordinance regulating data centers and said concerns such as water usage, power demands, noise and neighborhood impacts must be addressed.
“This is not about a moratorium — it’s about a pause,” Woodfin said. “An ordinance is needed. That doesn’t mean we don’t want data centers. We do. But our citizens deserve smart growth.”
Start of the Legislative Session
As the Alabama legislative session began on Tuesday, Woodfin said the city will push legislation aimed at holding negligent property owners accountable.
“We have over 15,000 tax-delinquent properties,” he said. “These are properties where owners are not being good neighbors, and the city is left holding the bag.”
High-Speed Rail
The mayor reiterated support for a proposed high-speed rail connection between Birmingham and Atlanta, calling it a potential economic catalyst.
“What would it take?” Woodfin said. “Money — state, federal and public-private partnerships. But the economic opportunity would be tremendous.”
