BBA launches Blueprint Birmingham
Hundreds of area residents joined the Birmingham Business Alliance in declaring Birmingham “Open” for business as they helped launch Blueprint Birmingham on September 23, 2010. This five-year strategic plan is the most comprehensive, regional plan ever developed for the seven-county region. Blueprint Birmingham is the product of more than nine months of citizen input, qualitative and quantitative data collection, collaboration with strategic working partners and the development of an extensive implementation and measurement schedule.
“Today’s launch is the culmination of extraordinary planning and collaboration throughout the region,” said Barry Copeland, interim president of the BBA. “While we have a lot of work to do to implement this plan, today is an important milestone for our region.”
“We are fortunate to have so many outstanding business leaders serving on our Steering Committee, led by HealthSouth CEO Jay Grinney and Hoar Construction President Rob Burton,” Copeland said. “Their collective perspectives and leadership should give the residents of the Birmingham region great confidence that Blueprint Birmingham will serve as a turning point in the region’s future.”
Blueprint Birmingham’s vision is that the Birmingham region will provide abundant economic opportunities, excellence in education and an unparalleled quality of life for its citizens.
The plan is organized around four goal areas:
- Establish an infrastructure for dialogue and cooperation between public and private leadership.
- Broaden minority and ethnic participation on boards and commissions.
- Engage young professionals for leadership opportunities.
- Develop and advocate a legislative agenda.
Workforce Development
- Support the transformation of the UAB Research Foundation into a best-in-class foundation supporting technology transfer.
- Launch a new Business Retention and Expansion program.
- Establish Business Leadership Councils in targeted growth industries.
Community & Regional Stewardship
- Develop a consensus on local and regional transit capacity and needs.
- Develop downtown entertainment district(s).
- Promote efforts to improve regional air quality; achieve EPA attainment status for Jefferson and Shelby Counties.
- Establish a Brownfield and Greyfield Redevelopment Authority.
Through an unprecedented alliance of the region’s media outlets, an advertising campaign leading up to the Blueprint launch challenged the region’s residents to be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Beginning today, the multi-media campaign will feature a dozen residents who recognize the potential of Blueprint Birmingham.
The development of Blueprint Birmingham began in November 2009 when the BBA hired Market Street Services of Atlanta as the project consultant. Market Street has worked in more than 100 cities around the country.
Jay Grinney, CEO of HealthSouth Corp., and Rob Burton, President of Hoar Construction, led a 39-member Steering Committee, which included the BBA Executive Committee, through the plan’s development.
To review the Blueprint Birmingham plan documents, or to request additional information, go to www.blueprintbirmingham.com
To see elements of the advertising campaign, go to www.bhamisopen.com.