The Birmingham City Council voted to extend and increase the city match for a site assessment grant for the Hensley Works brownfield site and then entered executive session to discuss potential litigation.

Council approved a resolution to extend the city's participation in a site-evaluation and economic development strategy program administered through the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama for the Hensley Works site. The resolution moved the city's match from $1,000,000 to $2,015,625.

Councilor Clark said he wanted clarity on who was leading the work and the broader implications: "I just wanna know what's going on because this site has long been dormant in our city, and it's a big opportunity. It could change all of Western Birmingham." Mayor Randall L. Woodfin described the grant work as part of continuing efforts with state partners to assess brownfield sites and accelerate opportunities: "We're grateful for this grant to...accelerate the opportunity to understand what exists here as it relates to this Brownfield site."

After discussion, Councilor Clark moved that the council go into executive session. The mayor cited Alabama law in support of the move: "It is my recommendation under Alabama State Law 36 25 a 7 a 3 that we go into executive session to discuss potential litigation." The council recessed and returned to public session before concluding the vote approving the resolution.

No final development agreement or purchaser was named on the record; council members described the action as an assessment step to identify opportunities and constraints at the site rather than a commitment to any specific redevelopment plan.

The council's executive-session motion was made under Alabama statutory authority cited in the meeting. No additional public details about the litigation discussion were disclosed when the meeting resumed.

Votes at the meeting showed the resolution passed after the executive-session pause.