Chick-Fil-A at Five Points South

The Chick-Fil-A proposal in Five Points South has caused a stir in the community.  Since the announcement, scores of Birmingham residents have expressed their condemnation and dismay at the idea of a suburban style, drive-thru restaurant being built in the historic district.  I Believe in Birmingham opposes this development until a compromise can be found that respects the concerns of our community.

We are opposed to a drive-thru in the heart of historic Five Points South.   The charm of Five Points lies in its urban, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with its quirky shops, colorful characters, and diverse attractions.  It is a destination, not a place that is simply driven through.  Having a development that in large part discourages people from leaving their cars, contributes to noise and air polution, and detracts from the je ne sais quoi of the neighborhood is untenable.  There are plenty of local, fast food businesses in that area that thrive without a drive thru and we ask why Chick-Fil-A cannot do the same.   In fact, Chick-Fil-A itself has been experimenting with urban-style, walk-up restaurants in several major American cities and sees this approach as vital to penetrating new markets.  Is it too much to ask for the same level of concern here in Birmingham?

Although most members of this group would like to see a locally owned restaurant or mixed-used facility in place of a Chic-Fil-A, it is not reasonable to ask the city to play favorites and choose a local business over a fast food chain.   Instead, we would like to recommend that our members concentrate efforts to persuade the city council to work with the developers to come up with an alternative to the drive-thru.

UPDATE:

After a long battle and lengthy debate, Chick-Fil-A altered their plans for the Five Points site to not include a drive-thru and to adaptively reuse the existing Ruby Tuesdays building for their purposes.  In addition, they plan to build a portico along 20th St including landscaping to hide the parking lot from view.  We applaud Chick-Fil-A for being responsive to the wishes and needs of the community and wish them well on this new direction for them.