Now the News: Carraway Hospital demolition, Birmingham receives $1.5M award, new openings + more

Happy Monday, Birmingham! It’s May 16 and we’ve got the highlights you need to know right now, including details on the Carraway Hospital demotion, new openings, a $1.5 million award supporting at-risk youth and more. 

Check out 5 of Birmingham’s hottest openings, including a new Mexican restaurant in Chelsea

Ready to check out some new spots coming soon? Here are five new openings you won’t wanna miss:

• Fuddruckers is making its way back to the Galleria in Hoover with specialty burgers and fries.
• The Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education (WISE) in Brook Highland is a local nonprofit supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Jones Valley Teaching Farm is providing 100% free produce and seeds at their 2022 Farm Stand in downtown Birmingham.
• Las Mesa Mexican Cantina, a new restaurant bringing delicious food and top-notch service to Chelsea, opens mid-May.
• Pamper your pooch at The Dog Nanny grooming salon, now open in Vestavia Hills.

Demolition of the old Carraway Hospital set to begin this month

Pending approval from a Birmingham City Council vote on May 17, demolition will soon begin on the former Carraway Hospital in North Birmingham. The site will be developed into The Star at Uptown, a multi-family housing project that will include single-family homes built at the northern end of the property.

“The plans for Carraway will take a dormant site and transform it into a vibrant place that will improve the lives of our residents and generate new reasons for people to visit Birmingham. We are glad to get moving with demolition, but ultimately, we are eager for this revitalization to occur.”

Wardine Alexander, President, Birmingham City Council

Alabama’s 2nd QuikTrip to open on I-65 near Birmingham in late May

If you’re a die-hard fan of Buccee’s or Love’s, you know how it feels to be loyal to a gas station. Well, fan-favorite travel stop QuikTrip is opening its second Alabama location in Birmingham in late May. It’s located off I-65 Exit 231 to Calera. According to the developers, the stop will have a spacious kitchen (for those road trip snacks), great customer service, 20 gas pumps and six diesel bays for trucks.

Birmingham awarded $1.5M for educational & job programming for at-risk youth

According to the Birmingham Times, the Department of Labor’s YouthBuild program is providing two $1.5 million grants to the Housing Authority of Birmingham District and the Bessemer Housing Authority. The grant money will fund job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth, including programs that train young people for employment in health care, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, culinary arts and hospitality.

BONUS: Bike Month Events

Cyclists are invited to participate in the Ride of Silence, where cyclists will ride in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

The Birmingham Bicycle Club will be hosting a Ride of Silence on Wednesday, May 18 at 7PM starting at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. For more information, email Gene Wallace, Ride of Silence Coordinator.

Plus, CommuteSmart and Redemptive Cycles are hosting a Bike to Work day event on Friday, May 20 from 7-10AM. Stop by Redemptive Cycles for free coffee and CommuteSmart swag. Redemptive is doing free safety checks for participants. Register to ride.

That’s all we’ve got!

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