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Smithfield resident opposes $50 million grant, raises civil-rights preservation and redevelopment concerns
Summary
Walter Floyd, a Smithfield resident, told the Birmingham City Council on June 17 that he opposed a $50 million grant tied to Smithfield-area redevelopment and urged the city to protect civil-rights-era landmarks and to better engage neighborhood residents.
Walter Floyd of 3416 Seventh Avenue South addressed the Birmingham City Council during the June 17 public-comment period to oppose a $50 million grant connected to Smithfield-area redevelopment and to raise concerns about preservation of civil-rights landmarks.
"I am opposed to the $50,000,000 grant that you all have already voted for," Floyd told the council. He criticized how engagement with Smithfield residents was conducted and said many residents were not present at meetings, arguing the city did not obtain an accurate reading of neighborhood sentiment.
Floyd warned that redevelopment proposals could harm the city’s civil-rights history and cited the example of a previously contested effort to move the grave of a person he identified as Tuggle. He said property sales near Parker High School have removed options the community might have used for future school expansion or career-technical programs. Floyd also said neighborhood petitions and communications about stormwater and infrastructure near Bowman’s grocery (now closed) raised unresolved capital-project needs.
His comments were delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the council did not take immediate action in response during the session. Floyd’s remarks constitute public testimony opposing the grant and calling for closer engagement with Smithfield residents and safeguards for historic sites.
(Reporting from the June 17, 2025 Birmingham City Council meeting.)
