REBUILDING BIRMINGHAM'S RAIL DISTRICT ETON CORRIDOR COMING TO LIFE BY LISA BRODY
he Eton Road Corridor, or Birmingham's Rail District, as Birmingham has renamed it, is in the midst of being born anew after floundering in quiet disuse for many years as Birmingham's forgotten area. Populated by a creative class, as well as those offering educational opportunities for youngsters, along with landscapers, a towing company and other industrial users, it's an amalgamation of new and old; repurposed spaces and original users. It's bordered on one side by railroad tracks, and on the other by Eton Road that traverses between Maple and 14 Mile Road. It's southern border is Lincoln; it's northern, Maple Road. What was once a strictly industrial area of Birmingham is now being reborn as a mixed use community of commercial businesses, retail, residential, with some restaurants being thrown in for good measure. In October 1999, Birmingham's City Commission and Planning Board, along with city staff, developed the Eton Road Corridor Plan, an addendum to the city's master plan and a document which examined the area and looked at how to best redevelop it. Ironically, over 12 years later, with economic hiccups hijacking development in between, the plan remains on target. With minor modifications to time and circumstances, it forecast the rejuvenation of the Rail District and it's vital role as a destination at the eastern edge of Birmingham. Birmingham city commissioner Scott Moore was mayor of Birmingham at the time the Eton Road Corridor Plan was created, and is elated the essential substance of the plan is being examined and enacted. “It's time has finally come, and I couldn't be happier,” he said. “It's an important, vital part of the community.”
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