Bringing People Together

Taylor, a writer by profession, moved back to his native Birmingham three years ago after living abroad six and a half years in places such as Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, San Francisco and Amsterdam. He says he wants to be a part of changing outdated ../images and stereotypes about Birmingham being backwards and racist. “I’m tired of people from other cities looking down their noses at us.”

And being president of one of Birmingham’s most vibrant Downtown neighborhoods is one way to do that.

He campaigned on three issues: securing an enclosed park for dog-owning loft dwellers; creating a database of the 800 loft and other residents to keep them informed and involved in the neighborhood; and unifying its ethnically and socio-economically diverse residents around activities outside monthly meetings.

In addition to new residents in the loft districts and Park Place, Taylor says he’s reached out to former Metropolitan Gardens tenants, some of whom faithfully attend neighborhood meetings. And he has reached out to tenants of Bankhead Towers, a high-rise rental apartment complex for elderly and disabled people, some of whom also attend.

Taylor and his new Central City leadership organized events to bring residents together, such as last year’s Christmas lighting. “Hopefully we can be an example for the entire city. . . I think we’re off to a good start.”

Their most successful event became the 1040 Fest. Taylor and people on the “fun committee,” headed by Leda Dimperio, organized the mini-music festival across from Downtown’s main post office. It encouraged people dropping off last-minute tax returns April 15 (which happened to be on a Friday) to stick around the new neighborhood and visit its stores, bars and restaurants, which offered special prices.

“It was a complete success in showing what our neighborhood could be – diverse, mixed income, extending to all races, ages and socio-economic backgrounds,” Taylor says. “The 1040 Fest got national recognition. And, what I am most proud of, we did it with a zero budget.”

Until recently, Central City Neighborhood had one remaining Metropolitan Gardens tenant in its leadership. But Rickey Taylor (no relation to Jay) reluctantly resigned his neighborhood vice presidency after a disagreement with the Housing Authority over his residency at Park Place.

Residents recently chose loft condo owner Camille Spratling to fill the vacant vice presidency. And they picked Toni Leeth to replace Will Johnson, a former assistant to City Councilman Elias Hendricks who resigned as secretary to pursue an MBA.

Now, all of Central City’s neighborhood leaders are loft residents under age 40.

Central City’s boundaries extend east from 19th Street to about 32nd Street, south from Interstate 20/59 toward the railroad tracks. It includes Downtown’s banking centers, the offices of major law firms and the seats of City and County government.

The neighborhood also includes one of the City’s signature skyline buildings and historic landmarks, the City Federal, which is being converted to lofts.

Future Changes
Both Jay Taylor and Doris Powell are excited about the new loft condominium and apartment projects springing up across their neighborhoods.

One of them will be the Kessler Building on Third Avenue North that Taylor and his family have bought and are renovating. He, his wife Amy and their dog Bailey will live in one of the planned seven loft units.

Powell and Taylor say loft conversions in the City Federal building on one end of Downtown and the Cabana Hotel on the other will raise depressed property values, add new lights to the City skyline and bring new vitality to their collective Northside Community.

“I think it’s a win-win for all,” Powell says.