Gate City Neighborhood Association

Gate City Neighborhood Association

Gate City Monthly Neighborhood Association Meetings

The Gate City Neighborhood Association meets on the 2nd Monday of each month, at Gate City Elementary School.

The Elementary School is located at 6910 Georgia Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35212.

Meetings begin promptly at 6:30 PM.

We look forward to seeing you there!

About our association

History Behind The Neighborhood Association?

*The Gate City Neighborhood Association was created as the result of a mandate in the early 1970's by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop a Citizen Participaton Program (CPP). The Birmingham Community Development Department (CDD) was created in July 1972 under Mayor George Seibels and the CPP was drafted in October 1973.

In January 1974, the Community Resources Division was developed. Original staff members met with representatives throught the City of Birmingham to establish neighborhood and community boundary lines. As a result, 86 neighborhoods and 19 communities were formed. Plans were put in place to introduce the CPP in the neighborhoods.

After much scrutiny, public hearings and readjustment of the CPP by residents and community leaders, the Citizen Participation Plan was officially adopted by the Birmingham City Council on October 15, 1974.

The first city-wide neighborhood election was held on November 19, 1974 with a tremendous voter turnout. The first Citizens Advisory Board meeting was held on February 22, 1975. Rev. William A. Hamilton, president of the Ensley Community, was elected president.

Neighborhood Citizens Committees (NCC), as they were called back then, began to meet monthly to identify problems and priorities. These actions were a fundamental part of the process whereby the NCC's recommended projects to be funded with about $4 million of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. These projects addressed neighborhood concerns such as street improvements, recreational activities and storm drainage improvements. A by-product of the deployment of comprehensive neighborhood plans was the improved communications between citizens and city officials in being able to relate to the needs of their neighborhoods.

Yearly elections continued in 1975 and 1976; however, revisions to the CPP included changing the frequency of elections from yearly to every two years, as it current ly remains today. Also changed was the name of the Neighborhood Citizens Committee to Neighborhood Associations (NAs).

What Does A Neighborhood Association Do?

As areas were annexed into the City of Birmingham, the number of neighborhoods and communities increased, and so did the number of Community Resource Officers (CROs). These CRO's were charged with assisting the NAs by supplying resources and information pertinent to the operation of the NA.

Over the years, NAs became more sophisticated and more vocal regarding plans for their neighborhoods and the entire city. Resultantly, neighborhood officers began to receive and have direct input on all zoning and liquor requests, and proposed plans or projects which would directly affect their neighborhood.

Neighborhood Association Training Partners

To further prepare NA officers for their leadership roles, the Community Development staff initiated quarterly and annual educational/training workshops. National training and recognition came in the form of Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA). Birmingham hosted the 1982 NUSA conference, which became the most profitable and best attended in the history of the organization.

Neighborhood leaders were so enthused about NUSA, they requested and received permission from city leaders to attend the 1983 conference in Cincinnatti, Ohio. This action led to delegations going to every NUSA conference, which continues to this day.

Currently there are 99 organized Neighborhood Associations and 23 Community Advisory Committees within the City of Birmingham. Each NA is unique unto itself. With dedicated and focused cooperation, each NA has achieved at least one goal. In addition, many NAs have partnered to pursue ideals that benefit more people, and that is what we are all about--making our neighborhoods better places to live.


*Adapted from the Silver Anniversary Celebration, A Commemorative Booklet of the Citizen Participation Program 1974-1999