BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Lawmakers and Coast Guard officials joined at Birmingham Southern College on Friday afternoon for a ribbon cutting to mark the start of the transitioning of the college into a military training facility.
The Coast Guard acquired the hilltop land on Birmingham’s western edge in March. During the ceremony, lawmakers and college officials alike called the shuttered college a perfect fit for the Coast Guard.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who chairs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Coast Guard funding, said that beyond protecting BSC’s legacy, the acquisition will “further contribute to the economic powerhouse that Alabama has become” by bringing new people to the city.
“I am proud to have helped connect the dots and work alongside local, state and federal leaders to make this a reality,” Britt said. “As you can see, this is the perfect fit. This is why we advocated tirelessly to help land this thing. BSC is nearly move-in ready, and I am excited to see what happens here on this campus.”
Britt also announced that the Coast Guard will keep the BSC logo around campus as construction begins.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said that President Donald Trump was the “dealmaker” behind the partnership, saying that the president “basically stole it as a negotiator.”
Tuberville emphasized that acquiring an already-built facility instead of constructing a new one saved American taxpayers millions.
“It came at a very good price for our country,” Tuberville said. “We saved hundreds of millions of dollars by having this facility already here, which if we would have had to build this facility, 10 years from now, we might have been able to move into it.”
Daniel Coleman, BSC’s final president, celebrated the Coast Guard for breathing new life into the 192-acre campus, addressing a crowd in the college’s former basketball stadium.
The 168-year-old Methodist-affiliated school closed in 2024 after years of financial difficulties. Legislative efforts to save the school through state loans failed. Legislation to secure a taxpayer-backed loan for the college had stalled in the Alabama State House.
Coleman said that though the past few years have been tough for the institution, the fit has been clear since the Coast Guard first expressed interest in the land last year.
“Two years ago, we had a funeral. It was intense and sad,” Coleman said. “Last week we had a graduation, a commencement. Today feels more like a wedding when I get to be the father of the bride, and I know my duties, and I know that my daughter, this campus, this legacy will be cherished and protected.”
Friday’s events brought many elements of the military’s ceremonial flair. The Coast Guard’s woodwind quintet entertained the crowd with classic American marches and ended with a performance of Semper Paratus.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed by the raising of the Coast Guard and DHS flags, a helicopter flyover and a performance from the Coast Guard’s silent drill team.
Admiral Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said that a new training facility is essential as the Coast Guard tries to increase its force by 15,000 people.
The campus, now named Training Center Birmingham Southern, will host members of the Coast Guard for leadership and strategy classes.
“As our force grows, so too our investment must grow in the men and women who lead them,” Lunday said. “Our enlisted core is the lifeblood of our service, the ultimate strength of the Coast Guard, and it relies on rigorous training discipline and advanced education. As we rapidly grow our Coast Guard, we also need to expand our training capabilities. We can’t just recruit thousands of new people, we have to provide them the leadership skills, the crafts and the professional skills to be able to conduct our missions in a dangerous and unforgiving maritime environment.”
Though changes will be made to the grounds, Lunday said that the Coast Guard looks forward to working within the community of Birmingham.
“As the Coast Guard assumes the watch here, our pledge to you is simple: we will be faithful partners and dedicated stewards of these historic grounds, we will preserve the character of this campus, ensuring a proud history and the story of Birmingham Southern lives on,” Lunday said.
Recently-tapped U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin gave an ad-hoc speech, doubling down on Trump’s role in the deal and the president’s interest in revitalizing the Coast Guard.
After the speeches, the crowd filed outside to witness the ribbon cutting. U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, and Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham were among those present. Aderholt is an alumnus of Birmingham-Southern, and the campus falls inside Sewell’s District 7.
Much of the construction needed has yet to start, but Lunday said that the facility will be open for training in the next few weeks.