In a series of stories, AL.com will continue to explore big ideas for transforming Birmingham.

When REV Birmingham hosted a tax seminar for small business owners last month, it was working toward a larger mission: strengthening and revitalizing downtown.

But REV, a big advocate of historic tax credits for preservation initiatives, has more than one tool on its belt. One such tool is the business growth program Magic City Match, which provides financial and mentorship support to local Black entrepreneurs. REV used this program to help Patrick Packer with his business.

Packer, the president and CEO of Datus Henry Industries, believes Birmingham’s historic Fourth Avenue business district is in the midst of a revival.

“The energy in the Fourth Avenue business district is just amazing,” said Packer. “Lots of business owners, a lot of innovative activations of getting foot traffic down here.

“Business owners networking together to support each other and to create an environment that can benefit the citizens of Birmingham and particularly the tourists that came to this sector.”

Packer’s enthusiasm for the district’s momentum is exactly what REV Birmingham is going for.

REV has played a key role in preserving the city’s history through initiatives that inspire optimism for the community’s future.

‘Linking businesses and people’ in Birmingham

For 14 years, REV has committed to revitalizing downtown Birmingham and, in particular, the Woodlawn neighborhood, through strengthening existing places, creating experiences, and supporting local business owners.

The nonprofit was formed through the merger of Operation New Birmingham and Main Street Birmingham, creating what they call the “ultimate economic dream team.”

Through the Magic City Match and Birmingham Open for Business, REV provides grants to small business owners. Magic City Match is a partnership with Prosper, a nonprofit focused on fostering inclusive and thriving economic ecosystems in the Southeast.

According to REV’s website, the initiative funds resources to Black-owned brick-and-mortar businesses in Birmingham, helping them grow at every stage of development. To qualify, businesses must be majority-owned by entrepreneurs who identify as Black American Descendants of Slavery.

2024 Magic City Mach awardee event JuneREV Birmingham

As one of the 2024 recipients of the Magic City Match, Datus Henry Industries secured guidance and assistance on marketing strategies, and technology to sharpen its marketing materials and reach a larger audience with its products.

“Because we are a small business, we typically can’t afford major marketing plans and ad buys, so we have to go after free media. Our image in those spaces must be crisp and professional even though we may not be able to afford a marketing and ad design company. We were able to use the funds to have technology to develop our own marketing material and social media posts and ads. So, it has been very helpful to address that particular need of our small business,” said Packer.

Datus Henry CBD Wellness and Health Store on 1525 4th Ave N.Diane Mwai

REV’s Birmingham Open for Business works with the PNC Foundation to support entrepreneurs who need help launching, expanding or scaling their businesses, according to their website. Small or minority businesses in the city’s low-to-moderate income neighborhoods or business districts are welcome to apply.

Birmingham Open for Business Open Stage awardeesREV Birmingham

Across the two business growth programs, REV awarded $1,125,000 total grants to 45 small business owners including 15 brick-and-mortar businesses.

“We want to help give small businesses a resource, really build a pipeline of businesses that can actually occupy spaces because we want to see less vacant storefronts. That helps people feel like it’s a safe place even,” said David Fleming, President and CEO of REV Birmingham.

Fleming said specifically in Woodlawn, his team has been successful in strengthening district management resources. They brought in a district manager whose work focuses on keeping frequent contact with business owners in the area while addressing any physical, marketing or economic needs that may arise.

“We really started under Main Street in 2004, working in Woodlawn and that was a time when nobody was really interested in doing anything from a real estate investment standpoint there,” said Fleming.

Over time, REV started acquiring commercial buildings as a non-profit developer to align the properties with their mission and create a catalyst for the market to respond.

“For example, one building we bought had several storefronts. It was 60% vacant and by the time we were able to renovate it, we didn’t have to kick anyone out that was there, but we were able to get it to 100% occupied,” Fleming explained.

REV believes small businesses are at the heart of Birmingham’s commercial districts. The organization has worked in various neighborhoods such as Ensley but now primarily focuses on downtown and Woodlawn.

‘The truth about downtown’ Birmingham

Amid the significant economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on Birmingham, Fleming and his team at REV recognized a need for easily accessible, data-driven information about the city. This information would help inform residents about Birmingham’s economic health and development.

REV pulled together data from various sources around the city to curate a data report they release every two quarters that can be found on downtownbhm.com under the ‘Do Business’ tab.

For instance, in 2024, there were 40 business openings and 16 soon-to-open businesses in Southside, Five Points South, Parkside, and City Center.

Fleming said it’s more than just a report– it should be a tool that city policymakers utilize. “We want that to be a tool for people in the private sector to say, all right, what are the initiatives we need to do to strengthen downtown,” said Fleming.

“If you really want to understand what’s going on in the downtown market, you gotta call us.”

REV provides residents, business owners, developers and policymakers data on topics ranging from residential growth to building occupancy.

The organization created downtownbhm.com as a resource for community members and tourists.

Map of downtown Birmingham, courtesy of REV

“We have a downtown website that we did not have five years ago. There was not one place that you could go to find out things about downtown Birmingham. [Like] where to live, where to park, what’s going on,” said Fleming.

Fleming said resources such as the downtown website and the data report are tools to promote opportunities and tell the story of Birmingham, so people can get a better understanding of the city.

Expanding the Business Improvement District

Downtown Birmingham has had a business improvement district (BID) since 1995, which REV now manages.

Property owners can pay a fee–similar to a homeowner association– that funds supplemental services in the area, physically represented by the CAP Clean and Safe Team. They are recognizable by their blue shirts, and help keep downtown clean by removing graffiti and picking up trash.

CAP pressure washingREV Birmingham

Fleming explained that Birmingham’s BID leverages REV’s strengths in planning, economic development, communications, and marketing–resources, which include hiring the CAP.

“They’re also trained in security, so they keep their eyes open for issues and challenges,” said Fleming.

BID played a key role in working with the city to refresh 20th Street leading up to the World Games, the first major update to the street since the 1970s.

20th Street bistro seatingREV Birmingham

Last year, BID expanded beyond the City Center to include Five Points South and the area around Innovation Depot, now known as The Switch.

What’s next for REV Birmingham?

REV is motivated to take what they have developed in Woodlawn to business districts located downtown.

Fleming’s team will continue to maintain and manage the Birmingham business districts while strengthening their efforts. “Take vacant buildings that have been vacant a long time and position them better for new market opportunities,” Fleming said.

Currently, the nonprofit is working with consultants to create an economic growth strategy for downtown that will bring more opportunities and position REV to be a great city partner.

“Downtown is still the single largest concentration of employment in the region. And we want to continue to grow that. We want to grow the residential neighborhood, grow the visitor base. But we need to know what in today’s environment we can possibly do,” said Fleming.

Fleming said industries such as professional services, life sciences, innovation and technology, food and beverage, hospitality, and logistics are key areas for job opportunities in Birmingham.

“I would certainly like from a REV perspective to be able to help coordinate better, all the various members of the economic development ecosystem for downtown,” said Fleming.

“Critical to all that remains people’s experience.”

Fleming wants to create more experiences and events that drive people to the area. This will fill in gaps around prominent events such as Sloss Tech and Sidewalk Film Festival and encourage focus on the city’s storefronts.

“We have such a great urban fabric. Historic preservation is important to me. It’s important to this whole city because we have this really great sense of place,” Fleming said.

“In both downtown and Woodlawn, there are a lot of strengths to build off of. And that’s not accidental. A lot of that is because of intentional work and effort over many years.”

REV’s greatest hits across the city

In a series of stories,AL.com continues to explore big ideas for transforming Birmingham- ideas, programs and initiatives aimed at making the city stronger, more prosperous, better educated and safer than it is today.