By Jordyn Davis | For the Birmingham Times
For Brandon Cummings, there’s nothing like the sights and sounds of Downtown Birmingham. As one of the newest members of the REV Birmingham team, serving as the Vice President of Economic Development, he believes downtown is filled with economic potential and that it’s his job to make it happen.
“I think that collaboration for economic development is crucial for a city to grow. I feel like we’re heading in the right direction,” Cummings said. “I think for Birmingham, specifically, there are a lot of eyes on us. We’re in this transition state of ‘okay, how can we get it from just attention to actual place-making here in the city.’”
Building a Better Birmingham
Cummings is a native of Montgomery but grew up in Hoover. As a child, he was always drawn to the intricate details of skyscrapers and other buildings. His interest in real estate began at an early age, as he started developing ideas for buildings, construction, and how cities can help produce more infrastructure. After graduating from Spain Park High School, Cummings attended Auburn University, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in business.
“What drew me to economic development was my first job at Retail Strategies,” Cummings said. “I had no intentions of going into economic development. I really didn’t know what it was at the time. There are so many key partners we work with. I mean, you’re working with property owners. You’re working with developers. But then it also opens my eyes to the public policy side of things.”
Before joining the REV Birmingham team, Cummings worked his way up to the development side of business. In 2018, he served as the Business Development Manager for Doster Construction Company before joining Hoover Economic Development as a coordinator in 2025. Soon after, he received an offer from REV.
“One thing I was raised on is to be a servant,” Cummings said. “I give props to the Rotaract Club for really engaging with us professionals, which also helped me grow as a leader. To me, being a servant leader means being a good steward of the resources that I have, the jobs that I’m in. That’s really the primary goal for me in my future.”
Changing downtown for the better
REV Birmingham focuses its efforts on downtown and the historic Woodlawn district. REV team members pride themselves on helping local startups and small businesses. For Cummings, his specific role focuses on sustaining businesses and placemaking.
“Whether it be brick and mortar space or a research and development lab— we take these concepts and turn them into a physical location,” Cummings explained. “We really try to exhaust all options for business owners to be successful. We ensure that business owners have all the resources needed, not just from us but with our partners and other organizations.”
Although he just joined the team, Cummings has already made himself at home at REV. His personal goals are to increase and diversify downtown retail.
Like many, Cummings found himself drawn to the vibrant city life and wide variety of food options Downton offers. He says it’s one of his favorite parts about Birmingham.
“I’m an adventurous eater and love experiencing different cultures through their cuisine. You can easily find me grabbing a quick lunch from a local food truck, stopping by a historic staple like Green Acres, or trying out the newest concepts from our city’s award-winning culinary talent. For me, the sheer variety of tastes and traditions makes dining downtown a constantly rewarding experience.”
While some of the popular streets of Downtown are lined up with different authentic food and drink options, Cummings believes Downtown has way more to offer than that. One of the biggest parts of being on the REV team is applying his skills to expansion. He wants to see Downtown thrive in other areas.
“Our culinary scene is thriving, but a truly vibrant downtown integrates how people live, work, and play,” Cummings said. “We see a clear demand for a dynamic retail landscape that builds on the success of our restaurants.”
Cummings said the goal of REV is to attract retail spaces that get residents to fully engage with downtown.
“This means bringing in concepts such as specialty clothing, footwear, and bookstores, alongside recreational hubs such as bocce ball, golf simulators, and bowling,” he said, adding they’d also like to see a specialty grocery, pharmacy, and convenience retail.
“We want to offer residents and visitors an experience,” he said, “not just a transaction.”
To learn more about REV Birmingham, visit revbirmingham.org.
