Alabama’s built environment is constantly changing, as existing buildings are updated, renovated or demolished, and new construction is added. Despite uncertain economic news throughout 2025, the state of Alabama kept building, with more than $1 billion in new commercial construction in the Huntsville area alone.
We take a look at some of the most interesting construction projects completed in Alabama in 2025 in a four-part series. The first of the projects we explore is the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Birmingham.
The new Coca-Cola Amphitheater, which opened in June 2025, already is redefining Birmingham’s downtown music scene and skyline. During its first season, the 9,300-seat amphitheater hosted more than 30 shows including acts like Alabama Shakes, Luke Bryan, Def Leppard, Jason Isbell, Dave Matthews Band, Nelly, Rod Stewart and others.
Because the theater’s operator, Live Nation, had pre-booked shows beginning in June, construction was on a tight, inflexible deadline. Stone Building Co. had just 11 months to complete construction, finishing one day ahead of schedule. The amphitheater debuted on June 22.
“One of the amphitheater’s most defining features is its setting. Built into the existing topography of the Druid Hills neighborhood, fans enjoy a sweeping hillside view overlooking downtown Birmingham’s iconic skyline, offering a one-of-a-kind concert experience,” says Greg Magley, AIA, Coca-Cola Amphitheater project manager at Goodwyn Mills Cawood. “Adding to its unique atmosphere, the amphitheater sits beneath the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport flight path, where planes often pass overhead during performances.”
The theater is located on the former Carraway Hospital site and is part of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center campus, which also includes Protective Stadium and Legacy Arena. The amphitheater has a number of shows booked for its 2026 season, which will run from April through October and include acts like Widespread Panic; Earth, Wind & Fire; Tyler Childers and Weird Al Yankovic.
Nancy Mann Jackson is a Madison-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the February 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
