In recent weeks, candidates for governor have passed through Birmingham showcasing their focused plan for economic development. Jobs creation, they say, that will work for the Birmingham metro.

What many in Birmingham have learned  is that the metro must get its act together before seeing “real” commitment or help from those in Montgomery.

Gov. Bob Riley’s message has been clear to advocates of an on-again-off-again domed stadium: find agreement among yourselves and then the state may assist. On the matter of the Jefferson county sewer debt crisis and occupational tax debacle that threatened to shut down government, his message was often the same.

Sen. Richard Shelby  has sent the message he is in a position to land major federal investments in the region for mass transportation projects, but again…. find agreement among yourselves.

Enter the Birmingham Business Alliance and its current Blueprint Birmingham effort.

A survey conducted by Atlanta-based Market Street Services takes a targeted view at Birmingham’s “competitive realities” when placed next to cities like Louisville, Nashville and Oklahoma City. Read the summary here.

It finds a metro with a low-cost-of-living and affordable housing that also faces a high poverty rate.

The survey highlights a metro with thriving entrepreneurship, a strong bank and insurance sector and vibrant higher education opportunities.

But that same community has an aging workforce, flight from the primary county (Jefferson) and a growing educational divide between the “haves” and “have nots.”

Healthsouth CEO Jay Grinney sees those numbers and believes “if we can honestly assess both (strengths and weaknesses), we have the platform for establishing a plan to go forward.”

Grinney is part of the steering committee for BBA overseeing Blueprint Birmingham.

He’s encouraged by the new effort.

After speaking for the last year about the corruption scandals that have held the metro back, Grinney sees homegrown unity re-focusing Birmingham.

“The business community has come together to build a plan to bring prosperity to the metro.”                                         Watch Grinney’s interview here.

The project may be a key component for the promises made by the many candidates, once one of them becomes Alabama’s next governor.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

Filed under: Uncategorized