Legacy Arena
Enormous efforts on the part of city officials, businesses, and organizations have gone into making Legacy Arena Birmingham’s favorite entertainment venue. What began as an idea for a center of entertainment grew into a bridge between Birmingham’s government and businesses: the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority. Below, we highlight some of the most important events that define Legacy Arena’s history.
Legacy Arena’s Timeline
In the late 1950s, the citizens of Birmingham saw the need for a massive center for entertainment for their burgeoning Southern city. By the mid-60s, a group of architects conceived of “Operation New Birmingham”: a plan for what would come to be called the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The plan called for the establishment of an Authority, which reflected a form of corporate governance growing in popularity during that time, due to its ability to get things done. To this day, the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority carries a local government’s mandate to conceive of new projects, along with the ability to wield corporate fundraising powers.
Timeline
This Authority would be responsible for building the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. It took nearly two decades since its inception to build the BJCC, and here’s what it took to make it happen:
A Vision Grows Operation New Birmingham The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority Sets To Work The BJCC Authority Issues Bonds Ground Broken for the Colosseum Legacy Arena Opens Its Doors To The Public Rebranded as Legacy Arena Upgrades to Legacy ArenaA Vision Grows
Operation New Birmingham
The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority Sets To Work
The BJCC Authority Issues Bonds
Ground Broken for the Colosseum
Legacy Arena Opens Its Doors To The Public
Rebranded as Legacy Arena
Upgrades to Legacy Arena