Protective Stadium being prepared for its public debut in Birmingham
Work on Protective Stadium in Birmingham is ahead of schedule. The stadium is expected to be ready for its public debut when UAB hosts Liberty University Oct. 2, 2021. (contributed)
Standing on the broad concourse that overlooks Birmingham’s Protective Stadium, Tad Snider took a moment to look back with pride and forward with anticipation. As executive director and CEO of the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority, Snider is responsible for the ongoing expansion of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), of which the 45,000-capacity stadium will be a focal point when it opens this fall.
“We broke ground in January 2020,” Snider recalled. “Just before the world changed.”
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While the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt in all aspects of work and life, Snider noted that the stadium project has remained on schedule and within budget from Day One. As work moves toward completion, Snider said he is optimistic that the stadium will open officially Oct. 2, when the UAB Blazers host the Liberty University Flames in a football matchup between nationally respected programs.
“The UAB-Liberty game has always been our target for the first event in the stadium,” said Snider. “Liberty is expected to be ranked in the Top 25, and anybody who follows college football knows what UAB has accomplished over the past few seasons. There’s a lot of reasons to be excited about that first game.”
Earlier this week, workers began installing the field turf inside the stadium.
During a tour of Protective Stadium, Snider pointed out construction features and other amenities geared toward optimizing the event experience. Entering the stadium at concourse level, fans can see the field at all times, whether they are in stadium seating, the club level boxes on the stadium’s west side, or on the wraparound concourse itself. The concourse has spaces for large gatherings – including a designated student section for UAB games and an area featuring family-oriented activities – while concessions are configured for convenience and to help prevent long lines.
The stadium’s design also caters to the comfort of individuals and teams, so they perform at their best. For instance, Snider pointed out the north-south orientation of the playing surface, which ensures players won’t ever be looking directly into the sun.
He credited the architect, Populous, and the lead construction firm for the project, Brasfield & Gorrie, for executing the people-friendly design with an efficiency that has the stadium on track for completion ahead of the original construction schedule. Originally estimated for a buildout timetable of at least 24 months, Protective Stadium is on schedule to be done in less than 20. While the contract includes incentives for completing the project ahead of schedule, Snider said Brasfield & Gorrie’s role in the stadium project also has civic significance.
“There is great value in having a local company filling that leadership role on a project of this magnitude,” said Snider. “Brasfield & Gorrie’s reputation and capabilities are international in scope, but they have always been a company that cares about this community. They want Birmingham to succeed in every way.”
While UAB Football is the stadium’s primary tenant, other events are already on the schedule. The Super 7Â Alabama high school football championship games and the annual Birmingham Bowl will be played at Protective, and the stadium will host opening and closing ceremonies for the World Games, which come to Birmingham in July 2022.
The new stadium is not the only construction activity transforming the BJCC complex. The expanded and renovated Legacy Arena will open in December. It’s already scheduled to host first and second round games in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament in 2023 and games in the women’s NCAA Tournament in 2025. Legacy Arena will also be home to the New Orleans Pelicans’ G-League professional basketball team. In terms of numbers, Snider offered what he called a “conservative” estimate of an additional 225,000 in attendance at BJCC events each year, pushing the annual total to roughly 1.1 million.
Meanwhile, amenities like the Uptown entertainment district, the under-construction City Walk BHAM – a 10-block, 31-acre common space connecting the BJCC and downtown Birmingham – and the nearby Topgolf entertainment venue are already contributing to the growing vibrancy of the area. That trend will continue, Snider said, especially once the stadium is open.
“Within the next three to five years, BJCC footprint is going to feel completely different,” Snider declared. “As we imagine what that looks like, Protective Stadium is a big part of it. We look forward to welcoming the community into the stadium for the first time.”
