Hoar Program Management has been selected as the owner representative on the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex’s new football stadium and renovation of Legacy Arena.
The $330 million projects include building the 45,000-seat football stadium that will serve as the future home to the UAB Blazers and the renovation and expansion of the 44-year-old Legacy Arena. Work is now underway and is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of this year.
The projects are an investment from the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation and the Birmingham corporate community.
Hoar Program Management was initially chosen as program manager for the pre-construction phase of the Legacy Arena renovation. It has been working with Steel City Services to deliver the projects.
“We are pleased to expand our relationship with the BJCC Authority, which has been a trusted partner of ours for many years now,” said Mike Lanier, HPM president. “That history provides HPM with an integral understanding of the BJCC’s processes and overall vision for this campaign, and allows us to hit the ground running by developing a strategic plan that sets clear goals and benchmarks for all project partners.”
Originally opened in 1976, Legacy Arena renovations kicked off in the spring of 2020, with planned improvements including a new suite level, an upper-level club area, a variety of enhanced food and beverage options, new seating, a 360-degree ribbon board in the seating bowl and refurbished lobbies. A modernized glass-and-steel façade enhances the exterior appearance.
Protective Stadium, a $174 million complex jointly funded by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Birmingham corporate community, began with site work in the fall of 2019, with construction following in January 2020. Its main entrance will open onto a large event plaza leading to a variety of retail and restaurants that will function as an extension of the Uptown entertainment district. In addition to the UAB Blazers, the stadium will serve as home for the AHSAA high school football state championship games on a rotating basis, the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, concerts and other events.
