Sloss Furnaces Unveils $12M Master Plan with Lighting Upgrades

Historic Birmingham site aims to enhance visitor experience with corporate support and local engineering expertise.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:36pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen-style illustration featuring multiple repeated images of a Sloss Furnaces smokestack in a grid pattern, using vibrant neon hues and heavy black outlines to transform the industrial landmark into a modern pop art piece.Sloss Furnaces' iconic smokestacks take center stage in a bold, pop art-inspired illustration celebrating the site's upcoming lighting upgrades and master plan enhancements.Today in Birmingham

Sloss Furnaces, a historic site in Birmingham, Alabama, is advancing a $12 million capital campaign to fund major improvements and additions to the property. While construction on the larger master plan is still in the 'quiet phase' of fundraising, the organization has already completed several lighting projects that will make the site more prominent in the city's skyline. Sloss is also leveraging local engineering and construction expertise to help bring the master plan to life, rather than just seeking cash donations.

Why it matters

As one of Birmingham's most iconic landmarks, Sloss Furnaces plays a key role in the city's history and culture. The planned upgrades and enhancements will help preserve this historic site while making it a more vibrant destination for visitors, boosting the local economy and community engagement.

The details

Sloss Furnaces is currently in the 'quiet phase' of a $12 million capital campaign to fund major additions and improvements to the site. While construction has not yet begun, the organization is actively reaching out to corporations, foundations, and individual donors to secure funding. In the meantime, Sloss has completed several lighting projects that will make the site more prominent in Birmingham's skyline. This includes drenching the 1,000-foot 1st Avenue Viaduct in high-quality LED lighting and completing Phase II of the stack lighting, which will be significantly brighter and feature custom programming. Additionally, Sloss is leveraging the expertise of local engineering, construction, and project management firms to help bring the master plan to life, rather than just seeking cash donations.

  • Within the next 30 to 40 days, Sloss plans to unveil the new lighting displays.
  • The public phase of the $12 million capital campaign is expected to launch in 12 to 14 months, once about 70% of the goal is met.

The players

David Arias

The Executive Director of Sloss Furnaces, who provided updates on the organization's fundraising efforts and upcoming projects.

Richard Carnaggio

A local architect who designed the entry gate that Sloss plans to build as part of the master plan.

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What they’re saying

“It just takes time to introduce folks to exactly what we're trying to do and see what level of commitment we might be able to get from them to support this project.”

— David Arias, Sloss Executive Director

“Birmingham has some of the best engineering and construction companies in the United States. We're approaching companies who might be able to build some of the components that make up that overall plan.”

— David Arias, Sloss Executive Director

What’s next

The public phase of the $12 million capital campaign is expected to launch in 12 to 14 months, once about 70% of the goal is met.

The takeaway

Sloss Furnaces' ambitious master plan showcases the historic site's commitment to preserving its legacy and enhancing the visitor experience through strategic partnerships with local businesses and a focus on sustainable funding. The upcoming lighting upgrades will make the site a more prominent fixture in Birmingham's skyline, further solidifying its role as a beloved community landmark.