The Birmingham City Commission voted Nov. 10 to approve a multi‑stage staging and construction agreement involving Woodward, Elm and Haines, but several commissioners pressed staff and the developer for clearer timelines and assurances about business access during closures.

Commissioner Andrew Hague said the plan lacks specific timing for each stage and warned that some streets in the plan have been closed for extended periods in the past. "We're losing city streets for an unknown period of time," he said, expressing concern about a 540‑foot MDOT taper that could reduce Woodward to three lanes and about access to businesses such as Walgreens and Papa Joe's.

City staff responded that the contract includes an overall schedule beginning in 2025 and finishing by March 31, 2027, and that MDOT’s permitting process controls lane taper lengths and access points. Staff said MDOT will provide openings for businesses as part of the permit; staff also noted the federal requirement to provide an ADA‑compliant pedestrian detour and said access will be maintained.

Commissioners pressed for specifics on how long particular phases would close streets and how lost parking spaces would be handled. Commissioner Hague and others asked that the contractor provide a phase schedule and that staff post the timetable to the commission as a communication; staff agreed to provide dates and durations by the next week or in the next communication.

When the motion to approve the agreement moved to a roll call vote, Commissioner Hague voted yes, Commissioner Cole voted no, and the remaining voting commissioners voted yes, producing a majority approval for the staging plan. Commissioners noted they voted to approve the plan "as written with a noted update" and recorded that they expect follow‑up timeline details and clearer phasing to be provided.

The vote clears the contract to proceed with the understanding that the commission will receive phase‑level timing and additional exhibits that clarify pedestrian detours and business access.