Business View Magazine | August 2019

186 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 scale redevelopment of Fair Park, which would combine athletic facilities with residential, retail, and entertainment venues, with the centerpiece of the redevelopment being the indoor track and swimming complex. On April 8, 2008, the Birmingham City Council approved the use of city funds to initiate construction. In April 2011, as construction neared completion, the Alabama High School Athletic Association agreed to a five-year contract to use the building for its state track meets and other events beginning in 2012. “So, we opened in August 2011,” says Kirk. “They built an indoor hydraulic track that doubles as a volleyball venue after the indoor track and field season is over. On the other side of the venue, there’s an indoor, Olympic-size pool – 50 meters long. The only building left standing from the fairgrounds was a 5,000-seat arena. We upgraded it about five years ago, so it now falls under the umbrella of the Birmingham Crossplex, giving us three venues under one roof.” The Crossplex is a department of the city designed to attract local, regional, and national sport competition, meetings, concerts, and events. “Originally, we had to figure out what we were going to be,” Kirk remarks, “an event facility or a public facility. We decided that our mission was to bring in competitive events, and we put ourselves out there as a championship-caliber venue to bring in as many events as we can. We market ourselves to event stakeholders on all levels to include collegiate, high school, and club athletics, and even outside of sporting events for concerts in the arena. Additionally, we do trade shows and conventions in the arena. We position ourselves in the market to attract event planners, coaches, administrations, and conferences. We work with the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau; our CVB has a sports wing that assists, not only locally, but across the southeast and the country, as well.” In 2018, the Crossplex held over 200 events that took up 250 “event days.” “We look at number of days because a lot of the events have gotten so big, now, that they’re more than just one day,” Kirk notes. “With our pool, our