SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The former Birmingham-Southern College campus has been selected as the site for a new U.S. Coast Guard training center, federal officials announced Monday, giving the historic property a new purpose after months of uncertainty.
The campus has remained vacant since Birmingham-Southern closed in May 2024 after more than 160 years of operation.
Following the closure, several institutions explored purchasing the property. Alabama A&M University submitted a bid to acquire the campus, and Miles College also entered negotiations to purchase the site, raising hopes the historic property might continue serving higher education—particularly within Alabama’s HBCU community. However, neither proposal ultimately moved forward, leaving the campus without a confirmed future for more than a year.
Federal officials said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard have now selected the site to serve as a new training center designed to recruit and prepare Coast Guard personnel to address modern security challenges.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, joined officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, and members of Alabama’s congressional delegation—including Sen. Tommy Tuberville and U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt—for the announcement.
Britt said she advocated directly for the Birmingham location and emphasized the importance of supporting Coast Guard personnel as they work to address emerging national security threats.
She also highlighted broader efforts to strengthen Alabama’s role in national defense, including helping secure more than $169.4 million for military construction projects at Alabama installations through the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Officials say the new Coast Guard training center will help prepare service members for modern security challenges while expanding the federal presence in Alabama.