Railroad Park Foundation

Railroad Park is a 19-acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as "Birmingham's Living Room," Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham's downtown area with Southside and UAB's campus. During 2022, there were more than 500,000 visitors to the park. Railroad Park has been the catalyst for tremendous change not only in the physical landscape of Birmingham, but also in the perception of what Birmingham can be. In 2022, Railroad Park Foundation continued to focus on four primary goal areas: Economic Development,Families and Community, Health and Wellness, and Maintaining and Preserving the Park.ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTSHere are some of the ways Railroad Park Foundation promoted the continued growth of our city and supported Economic Development across Birmingham in 2022:* Promoted local, minority businesses with the debut of two new programs: * Savory Saturdays featured local food trucks on the Regions Bank 17th Street Plaza two weekends per month from April - July. * In August and September, Magic City Pop-Up Plaza showcased local merchants in addition to local food vendors. * Welcomed more than 500,000 visitors in 2022* Garnered local, national, and international press recognition, including Garden & Gun's "Small-Town, Big-City Flavor: Find out why Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the most exciting food cities right now."* New construction projects continued, stimulating further investment, development, and economic growth within the City and Parkside District. New business openings include the Lumen and Citizen apartments. * Ongoing development projects and the continued renovation and development of multi-family and commercial space added to the more than 40 new developments and business openings since 2010. FAMILIES & COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTSRailroad Park Foundation provided dynamic, diverse programs to enhance Families & Community, including the continuation of community partnerships to provide free programming to Birmingham residents throughout the year:* Financial Forums on the Railroad presented by PNC: More than 45 participants attended free, virtual financial education workshops on topics such as personal finance & budgets, home mortgage information, and small business guidance.* Collaborated with the City of Birmingham to present The 99 Neighborhood Rally: Connecting City of Birmingham Residents to The World Games 2022, which featured TWG2022 assets, food vendors, a local DJ, lawn games, and a vendor area for local minority-owned businesses, artists and makers. * More than 80 client events were hosted at Railroad Park in 2022, which included everything from painting classes to the annual Addiction Prevention Coalition's End Addiction Walk. Railroad Park also hosted events for The World Games 2022 and multiple UAB private events. * Celebrated 3rd annual Protective presents Picnic with Railroad Park: * FREE event celebrated Birmingham's community - programming highlighted our City's abundant talent by including more than 100 entertainers, artists, small businesses and food vendors representing many of Birmingham's 99 neighborhoods. * Featured more than 50 Birmingham-based small businesses, generated more than $22,000 in taxable sales for the City of Birmingham and provided business license income. * More than 100 officers from 43 neighborhoods were officially represented on the day of the event, which included a special celebration in honor of our 99 Neighborhood Associations' officers. * More than 5,000 people attended this FREE community event. * Raised more than $170,000 in corporate & individual donations, picnic purchases, and vendor feesHEALTH & WELLNESS HIGHLIGHTSHere are some of the ways Railroad Park Foundation promoted Health, Fitness, & Wellness for our entire community in 2022:* Get Healthy on the Railroad sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama returned for a 12th season, reaching 3,000+ participants, including Parent Power, a pilot class introduced in the Fall for new parents and children under five. * Hosted the return of the popular Get Healthy on the Railroad Cooking Classes for a 7th year, providing more than 220 participants free produce and a recipe card to replicate healthy cooking at home. * Presented our 3rd annual Senior Fit Health Fair, which provided more than 100 attendees with free exercise class demonstrations, healthy refreshments, and valuable resources and information provided by more than a dozen local health organizations. * Self-Guided Walking Workout exercise stations along 1st Avenue South continued to inspire an average of 10,000 weekly Park visitors and were expanded to include Spanish translation thanks to a generous donor. Maintain & Preserve the ParkRailroad Park Foundation worked tirelessly to Fortify the Park & Environment and provide a world-class greenspace for more than 500,000 visitors and countless species of plants and animals. Railroad Park enhances environmental health for all: * Offered 19 acres for natural exploration, including ponds, streams and 100,000+ plants and trees that have led to a vastly increased diversity of insects and birds, which creates a more robust and diverse ecosystem, which leads to healthier plants, animals and Birmingham residents. * Provide a thriving habitat for more than 110 species of birds, which is especially crucial as recent research shows that more than half of U.S. bird populations are shrinking. Proactive conservation is the fastest, most effective way to prevent birds from becoming endangered. * Nourished heavily used lawns, gardens, water features, and trees - both for health and enjoyment and to help thousands of species of native flora and fauna thrive. Maintained three miles of Railroad Park walking trails, which provide a great walking, running and biking experience for thousands of Railroad Park visitors each week. * Supported emotional, mental, and physical health and well-being for Birmingham residents and beyond. Time spent in greenspaces promotes general fitness, reduces stress, and boosts mental health. Railroad Park is proud to offer a place of respite for anyone who needs it, including those with loved ones receiving care at nearby hospitals and families staying at Ronald McDonald House. * Served as Birmingham's "Front Lawn." Many Birmingham residents drive from their homes or take the new Birmingham Xpress (Bus Rapid Transit) to enjoy the benefits of Railroad Park's outdoor greenspace on a daily or weekly basis.