Birmingham Leaders Are Failing Five Points West While Irondale Wins Big
Costco is coming to Irondale. Not Birmingham.
A $105 million investment. Hundreds of jobs. Millions in future sales tax revenue. And a retail anchor that boosts surrounding businesses wherever it goes.
It could have been Birmingham. Instead, it’s another missed opportunity.
Irondale’s Mayor Did the Work. Birmingham’s Didn’t.
Mayor James Stewart, Jr. of Irondale made it easy for Costco. The city had land ready, streamlined approvals, and clear incentives. Business leaders describe Irondale as “welcoming” and “the best support we’ve ever received.”
That’s the opposite of what we hear about Birmingham City Hall, where projects often get stuck in red tape, delayed by indecision, or undermined by lack of preparation. Companies don’t wait around for a city to get its act together. They go where leadership shows urgency.
And right now, that’s not Birmingham.
The Forgotten Side of Birmingham
The people who suffer most are those in Five Points West.
This community has over 23,500 residents across neighborhoods like Belview Heights, Bush Hills, Central Park, and Ensley Highlands. The wider West Birmingham region tops 99,000 people. That’s not a small market; it’s larger than entire Alabama cities that already have full-service grocery stores.
Median household incomes in Five Points West hover around $35,000, but that hides important nuance. Belview Heights alone has five households with a combined income, which I know personally, making well over $1 million annually, proof that disposable income exists on the Westside. The problem isn’t a lack of people or money. It’s that the city hasn’t fought to change the narrative or prepare the ground for investment.
Today, residents are left with discount operators, aging retail centers, and the indignity of being told by corporate site selectors that their neighborhoods don’t qualify while the suburbs keep getting new stores.
Kroger, Publix, and the Costco Problem
Companies like Kroger and Publix don’t ignore Birmingham because they “don’t like us.” They look at data.
Retailers want to see:
Household incomes in the $45,000–$60,000 range or higher across trade areas.
10,000–20,000 households within a 3–5 mile radius.
Shovel-ready sites with road access and utilities.
Safety and shrink controls.
Right now, Birmingham isn’t delivering those conditions in places like Five Points West. That’s why Kroger never opened a physical store here. That’s why Publix has chosen Hoover, Gardendale, Vestavia Hills, Hueytown, and Trussville instead. And that’s why Costco, despite Birmingham being the regional hub, planted its flag in Irondale.
The result? Jobs, taxes, and opportunity keep bleeding out to the suburbs.
A Pattern of Neglect
This isn’t just about grocery stores. It’s about credibility.
Every time a Birmingham neighborhood gets passed over, it tells the next retailer, developer, or manufacturer: Don’t waste your time with the city.
Meanwhile, Hoover expands its retail corridors. Trussville’s growth corridor explodes. And now Irondale is on the map as a business destination.
Birmingham is watching, waiting, and missing out. That’s not a strategy. That’s surrender.
What Birmingham Leaders Must Do
If the City wants to stop the bleeding and finally deliver for places like Five Points West, leadership has to change course:
Assemble land. Don’t wait for businesses to ask. Control and prepare 8–12-acre parcels now.
Offer competitive incentives. Suburbs do it. Birmingham must, too.
Fix public safety. Create enhanced security zones in retail districts to reduce theft and improve perception.
Recruit aggressively. Stop waiting for Publix or Kroger to call. Put deals in front of them.
Invest in housing. Raise medians by promoting new mixed-income housing and infill development.
It’s not impossible. It just takes leadership willing to fight as hard for Birmingham residents as Irondale’s mayor fought for Costco.
Leadership, Not Excuses
The lesson is clear: suburbs are growing because their leaders are hungry. Birmingham is losing because ours are too busy being local social media stars.
Five Points West has the people. It has the history. It has the potential. What it doesn’t have is a City Hall that treats it like a priority. (i.e., Downtown and Avondale)
Until that changes, Birmingham will keep watching opportunities and the dignity of real investment drive past its neighborhoods on the way to the suburbs.
The question is simple: how much longer will Birmingham leaders sit on the sidelines while others run the game?