U.S. Coast Guard chooses campus of former Birmingham-Southern College for new training center

The campus of the former Birmingham-Southern C0llege will get new life as a training center for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The announcement came today from U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Alabama) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday.

Birmingham-Southern College closed in May of 2024 after 168 years, leaving the campus on Birmingham’s west side vacant.

Last November, the Coast Guard began looking for a place to house a new training center following record-breaking recruiting numbers. The C0ast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security outlined several requirements for the new facility, criteria that the former college campus not only met but exceeded, according to Sen. Britt.

“Last year’s recruitment exceeded 110% of active-duty enlisted goals, and the Coast Guard is on track to add 15,000 new members by 2028. This next generation of heroes deserves training centers and support facilities worthy of their mission, and that is exactly what they are going to have in Alabama,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

“This is a huge day for Birmingham, our great state, and the U.S. Coast Guard. I have long been dedicated to strengthening Alabama’s military installations and the warfighters they serve. This exciting announcement further positions Alabama as a national leader in supporting our incredible U.S. Armed Forces and law enforcement personnel,” Sen. Britt said.

“I’m thrilled that President Trump and Secretary Noem have selected Birmingham Southern as the new land-based training facility for the United States Coast Guard. This move will save the American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” Sen. Tuberville said. “Alabama and the Coast Guard are a natural partnership. Alabama is already home to every branch of the military and we have the infrastructure, resources, and personnel ready to make sure our United States Coast Guard continues to be elite,” he said.

“The Birmingham-Southern campus has served as a cultural and economic anchor for more than a century. This monumental investment will breathe new life into the campus while bringing hundreds of new jobs and economic opportunities to the surrounding communities,” U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) said. The campus is in her district.

Alabama is home of the Coast Guard’s Sector Mobile and the Aviation Training Center. The state also hosts several other military installations, including Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Army Aviation at Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, and a major U.S. Army center at Anniston Army Depot.

Alabama is home to more than 26,000 service members and their families and ranks among the top states in the nation for its number of civilian veterans.