The Birmingham City Commission voted to approve a multi-stage street reconstruction staging plan covering Elm, Haines and Woodward after commissioners raised detailed concerns about timelines, business access and pedestrian detours.

Commissioners pressed staff and the project representative on how long each construction stage would close streets and affect local businesses. Commissioner Andrew Hague and others said the plan lacked clear phase timing and explicit access plans for affected businesses (Walgreens and nearby retailers), and asked for mitigation and communications commitments. City staff said the contract frames work between 2025 and a required completion date of March 31, 2027, and explained that MDOT requires long taper distances for lane closures and typically determines specific openings for business access as part of the MDOT permit process.

Project representatives on Zoom (SACSI Development) acknowledged that the packet lacked some timing detail and offered to provide specific dates and durations; commissioners requested that those dates be supplied to the commission by the end of the week and incorporated into communications to the public. Commissioners also requested ADA-compliant pedestrian detour plans and clearer exhibit labeling to remove ambiguity about detour routes.

A motion to approve the agreement as written, with a noted update to provide phase timing and access details, passed on a roll call vote. Commissioners signaled they may bring a future policy item requiring contractors to compensate the city for extended use of parking and road space during construction.

Next steps: project team to deliver phase timing and MDOT access detail for commission communications; staff to consider a future agenda item about charging commercial construction projects for use of streets/parking during work.