Talks continue on Next RFP and May bond vote
By Lisa Brody
Birmingham City Commissioners were presented with further options for new designs for a new Next and the YMCA building at their meeting on Monday, October 7, as well as a possible bond vote to pay for the new building that would go before Birmingham voters at a May 2025 special election.
Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker noted that commissioners had been presented with two design options at a previous meeting, with commissioners reaching a consensus that neither represented where they wanted to go. She said staff had been asked to explore further options for a designs, especially with a change in leadership at the YMCA in the last year and further financial constraints.
“The commission discussed changing course and providing an integrated building, and coming back with two options – one for a building for Next and a pool, or building Next, a pool and the YMCA all together at once and making sure all of the needs are provided” to all resident groups, Ecker said.
Ecker said they looked at all the programming at Next and the YMCA to see whether they were compatible, to make sure they could fit in a combined building of 53,300 square feet, where each would have their own space as well as there would be shared space and space for community groups of all ages to utilize.
She said two different options were developed, one with Next and a pool that would be 44,500 square feet, and a second, with all of the requested space, at 53,000 square feet with a pool, for Next and the YMCA, as well as a shared gym.
Assistant city manager Melissa Fairbanks said it would also leave room for growth.
Fairbanks provided a cost analysis of each plan. She said a 53,000 square foot building with a pool is estimated to cost $32 million; an estimated bond, which would go before Birmingham voters, is estimated not to exceed $32 million over 20 years, with an annual payment of $2.32 million. It would have an estimated millage of .6715 mills, meaning annual taxes for the average Birmingham homeowner of $211.70 a year for 20 years.
Fairbanks said a 44,500 square foot building with a pool is estimated to cost $27.5 million, with an estimated bond of $27.5 million payable over 20 years, with an annual payment of just under $2 million. It would have an estimated millage of .5771 mills, meaning annual taxes for the average Birmingham homeowner of $181.93 per year.
She said there is a 10 percent contingency built into the cost estimates.
Ecker said she is recommending a May election for the bond vote in order to make a construction completion deadline of September-December 2026. Commissioner Brad Host responded, “To have a special election is an absolute no-no.”
She said, “We weren't in a position to do it in November, so our only choices were May or August (2025). If you want to wait until November (when there is a city commission election), it's pushing the schedule back too far.” It was noted that in odd-years, only November is not a special election.
Commissioners felt the entire preliminary timeline was rushed, as well as requests for proposals (RFP) for architects for schematics, construction managers and construction companies.
Commissioners directed staff to update the RFP for architectural work in order to help determine the appropriate size of the building, and to invite neighboring communities which will benefit from Next to an upcoming city commission meeting.
