Birmingham Mayor William Bell wants 2 architects off baseball stadium team

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Seven months after assembling a roster of builders and architects for a $64 million baseball stadium downtown, Mayor William Bell's administration wants to change the design team by eliminating two local architects.

A draft amendment to the project agreement, obtained by The Birmingham News through a public information request, shows the deletion of Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio and Hoskins Architecture.

The document had been set for a vote by the five-member Public Athletic, Cultural and Entertainment Board on Thursday, but the meeting was canceled, with board chairman Robert Jones citing the need for more information on the proposed changes recommended by the mayor's office.

Several City Council members said they now have questions and serious concerns about the project's stability and will discuss the issue at a Budget and Finance Committee meeting Monday.

The baseball park's design team includes GA Studio and Hoskins Architecture of Birmingham, along with Dallas-based HKS Architects, a nationally known stadium builder. The project developers are Corporate Realty Development and Brasfield & Gorrie.

"It's our job to raise issues about it to make sure it's done properly," Jones said of the contract amendment. "I had no knowledge of it until I got the proposal."

Reasons for the proposed changes remained unclear Friday.

Officials with Giattina declined to comment, citing ongoing client relations. Efforts to reach Hoskins Friday evening were unsuccessful.

The council last August voted overwhelmingly to approve the leases and land swap agreements needed to build the ballpark and a Negro League museum near Railroad Park. But even those who voted for it are saying now they are left in the dark when it comes to details of the project.

Councilman Steven Hoyt on Friday sent Jones a letter asking him to appear before the Budget and Finance Committee Monday to present an update. Council members say they want to know the ramifications of a design team change.

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Birmingham Mayor William Bell wants 2 architects off baseball stadium team