Birmingham, AL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Section 7-1-414 lets the city council designate, by ordinance, an individual property as a historic property or a geographic area as a historic district, with the boundaries entered on the official zoning map. Only the Birmingham Historical Commission (BHC), an 11-member body established under Section 7-1-413, can recommend that nomination to the council, though any individual or organization may first submit a request to the BHC. A property or district qualifies for local designation if it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, if the BHC believes it meets National Register guidelines, if the state historic preservation officer finds it eligible, or if it meets a criterion in Code of Ala.

1975, Sec. 11-68-1 et seq. Before recommending designation, the BHC must commission a historical survey by a professional historian or preservationist, adopt a written preservation plan for any district, and hold a public hearing with mailed notice to record owners at least 15 days ahead. The city council then holds its own public hearing, with the same 15-day mailed notice and newspaper publication of the full ordinance text at least 22 days before the hearing. Once a property or district is designated, Section 7-1-415 requires a certificate of appropriateness from the Design Review Committee, or a waiver, before any exterior alteration, demolition, move, or repainting, and Section 7-1-417 lets the city withhold a demolition permit on a designated historic building for up to 12 months while it considers financial incentives to preserve it.