Job creation for Birmingham will be a priority for new mayor William Bell, scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, council members Jay Roberson and Kim Rafferty pointed at the growing worries about economic development in the city.

“Regionally, we’ve got to cooperate on certain projects to create jobs,” Roberson said.

“We need opportunities for investment and bringing businesses into Birmingham,” Rafferty said, “in the past, the city stagnated in developing those opportunities.” Watch the full interview here.

Concerns about stalled economic development in Birmingham have been a topic for lawmakers, too. Rep. John Rogers (D) says the governor must focus on development this year. Rogers still appears to be hurting from the decision to keep Bryce Mental Hospital and its jobs in Tuscaloosa. Since then, he has taken part in a leadership meeting to determine new projects for the city.  Rogers even threatens to stall legislation if Birmingham doesn’t get its due.

Candidates for governor have been talking up jobs creation in Birmingham, particularly Republican Tim James. Last week, he again floated his plan of opening an office in the city to have a presence and coordinate economic development. Read his plan here and watch the news conference here.

James particularly targeted life sciences and a renewed focus on UAB’s strength as a regional research university in his plan. He’s the latest in a growing list of politicians and business leaders touching on that theme.

Last week, Birmingham metro job growth received a boost from SurModics, a spin-off of Southern Research Institute. During the announcement, Gov. Bob Riley pointed to the potential, calling SurModics “a great example of a successful business model we need to see replicated.”

Rick Journey

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