Stealth Dome apparently dead

Minds changing on deal for arena

Three of the five commissioners against it; Larry Langford only for it if he can get renovations to the eighty-year-old deathtrap that is Legion Field. So this idea looks to be toast.

CC President Bettye Fine Collins had been for it, but now she fears for the Jefferson County Occupational Tax, and will only support the Stealth Dome if the legislature reiterates support for the tax.

They also love the nightlife

Jeffco supports nightlife district

The county commission voted to "encourage" the Civic Center board to partner up with the Beale Street people to build an "entertainment district", whatever that is. They're still bickering about the Birmingdome, however.

I love the nightlife

Nightlife plans won't hinge on new arena

I don't really get these "downtown renovation" projects, or "entertainment districts", or whatever. It seems to me that just because something works in a famous area like Memphis' Beale Street doesn't mean it will in Birmingham's unfamous downtown area.

Meanwhile, Carol Hatcher and her builders are still hanging around, complaining that they aren't being taken seriously just because they won't say where the money is from.

This is looking ever shadier

Developer's Tuskegee deal failed

So apparently this "consultant", Carol Hatcher, was going to build a hotel in Tuskegee but the city withdrew from the project because her secret financiers couldn't be verified.

A Birmingham city councilman says that he is backing Hatcher until someone can prove she's not legitimate. I think he might want to be a little more careful. This whole thing is getting disturbing.

This should be good

Consultant offers to fund dome

Okay, there's this "consultant" who says that she has commitments of $1.5 billion from unnamed private donors to build a full-scale dome in Birmingham. She won't say who the investors are because it's a secret, I guess. I think it's probably elves.