By james art 
Birmingham City Council agreed Tuesday to lease a former Buffalo Rock dispatch center and use it as a warehouse for police and fire equipment.
The 109,000-square-foot facility is at 34 West Oxmoor Road, northwest of the Homewood Sports Complex. The council voted to lease the structure from Edward B. Lumpkin Jr. of Lumpkin Development for six months at $45,000 a month. The agreement includes an option to purchase the property at any time for $7 million.
“This storage space is extensive and kind of ideal for storing the equipment that is used by our first responders, whether it’s training equipment, vehicles, what have you. The City of Birmingham has a lot of equipment that needs to be stored and secured,” said Council President Darrell O’Quinn. “I think the option to eventually purchase the facility is something that is much needed as our current equipment management facility is sandwiched between road and rail and there is limited space to expand operations.”
Lumpkin Development owns and manages more than 2 million square feet of commercial real estate in Central Alabama and Atlanta, according to the company’s website.
According to the Jefferson County Geographic Information System, Lumpkin purchased the property in August 2021 for $6.3 million.
City lawsuits against Kia, Hyundai over car safety issues
The council also on Tuesday approved a resolution allowing the city attorney to pursue any claims the city may have in connection with a class action lawsuit against Kia America Inc. and Hyundai Motor America Inc. In May 2023, the automakers reached a $200 million settlement in the lawsuit that defective designs made Hyundai and Kia cars easier to steal.
Before voting on the resolution, Councilwoman Valeria Abbott asked the city attorney, “Are we doing this because our police officers have to respond to so many requests to investigate stolen vehicles?”
“That’s true, and also that it’s a public nuisance and a drain on the city’s resources when it needs to be responded to,” attorney Nicole King told her.
The council also renewed an agreement to support Railroad Park for another four years at $900,000 per year.