Public-private partnership firm chosen for city

By Grace Lovins

Plante Moran Realpoint was selected by the Birmingham City Commission during the Monday, January 12, meeting to serve as the city’s professional owner’s representative to help evaluate potential public-private partnership opportunities.

City staff and commissioners have been discussing whether and how Birmingham should pursue partnerships with private entities for months. The city first began formally exploring the concept in mid-2025 after developers expressed interest in projects involving city-owned property, according to the memorandum included in the meeting packet.

In October, city staff issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a professional owners representative to help the city navigate complex legal, financial and operational agreements, per the memorandum. The city received 11 bids from firms, some of which were national.

Assistant city manager Mark Clemence explained that an internal evaluation committee composed of members of the Birmingham Shopping District, city manager’s office, planning department and building department reviewed all submissions. Of the 11 proposals, Plante Moran Realpoint received the highest overall score, and an interview with the firm in December led staff to formally recommend them to the commission.

Doug Smith, principal and project lead with Plante Moran Realpoint, explained the firm’s multi-step framework for the process that will begin with developing evaluation criteria based on the city’s priorities and values. He said from there, the team will analyze each partnership’s proposal for legal, financial, market and physical constraints before giving the city a formal recommendation.

Smith also stated that if a project moves forward, Plante Moran Realpoint would assist with partner selection, drafting development agreements and implementation.

Commissioners voted unanimously, 6-0, to approve the agreement between the city and Plante Moran Realpoint. Mayor pro tem Anthony Long was absent from the meeting.