January 25, 2005

Night of the living dome

The dome that will not die is back again, with Birmingham, Alabama stadium boosters making their umpteenth pitch for a domed football stadium for a team that doesn't quite so much actually exist yet. (The dome would also serve as an expansion of the city's convention center, about which I think enough has been already said.) Reports the local NBC affiliate:

Most of the civic center expansion money would come from Birmingham, Jefferson County and possibly the state government. Private investors would contribute millions more to build a hotel, entertainment district and infrastructure nearby.

Planners of the new facility have said it would bring new jobs and income.

"The facility will pay for itself through the return to the various government entities that will be making the investment," said Jack Fields, the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center executive director.