US Coast Guard Buys Birmingham Southern College
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media
March 5, 2026
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Birmingham Southern College and its 192-acre campus has been sitting empty since May 31, 2024, after 168 years of operation due to insurmountable financial debt of more than 36 million dollars.
There have been several offers to purchase the property during that time, but the property continued to sit empty until now.
The United States Coast Guard has now purchased the former Birmingham-Southern College and chosen it to be the site of a new, top-tier Coast Guard training hub that will bring recruits from across the nation to Alabama.
The project was announced on Wednesday by U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and U.S. Rep Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), along with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and USCG Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday.
The facility will further establish Alabama as a leader in education at all levels and a great supporter of our military.
As chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds Homeland Security, Britt drove the effort.
“This is a huge day for Birmingham, our great state, and the U.S. Coast Guard,” Senator Britt said.
“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…Alabama stands as a proud leader in military excellence, and we’re honored to host this new training center that will help mold the next generation of Coast Guard members.”
The United States Coast Guard plays a very important role in our nation’s safety and here along the Alabama coastline providing security, search and rescue operations, law enforcement and drug interdiction.
The project has been in motion for months as the Coast Guard, under its Force Design 2028 blueprint, has pursued a major expansion of training capacity due to record-breaking recruiting numbers.
In late 2025, the Coast Guard publicly issued a nationwide request for information seeking an “additional training center” with infrastructure sized for recruit training throughput — including lodging for 1,200 recruits, extensive classroom and medical capacity, athletic facilities, and 150-250 acres of land.
“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.”
This is also a big win for the metropolitan Birmingham area as the school will bring hundreds and thousands of students and staff to the area.
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem billed today’s Birmingham announcement as proof that “this is the most exciting time to join the Coast Guard in 235 years.”
“Thanks to President Trump’s visionary leadership and historic investment in the Coast Guard, the Service is shattering records across the board — including in recruitment. 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,” Noem said.
“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.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is breathing new life into a school that once stood tall and was not only prominent in the area but in the nation said area alumni.
BSC alum Rep. Aderholt made it clear he supports the repurposing of the campus.
“As a proud alumnus of Birmingham-Southern, it is important to me that this campus continues to serve those seeking to learn and improve their lives,” U.S. Rep. Aderholt said.
“I’m confident the United States Coast Guard will do exactly that. I want to thank Senator Britt for her partnership as we worked together to encourage the Coast Guard and the White House to ensure this campus remains an important footprint in Alabama.”
Now, this property is being repurposed for a federal mission.
USCG and DHS selected the BSC campus for the new facility, saying it far exceeded the necessary criteria.
Alabama is not only the home of USCG Sector Mobile and the USCG Aviation Training Center, but the state also hosts several premier military installations that are critical to supporting the U.S. Armed Forces. This includes Redstone Arsenal, a Federal Center of Excellence, in Huntsville, Army Aviation at Fort Rucker in the Alabama Wiregrass, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, and a major U.S. Army center at Anniston Army Depot.
“We must invest in our most valuable treasure—our people—to meet the increasingly complex maritime security challenges facing the Nation,” Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said.
“The acquisition of the historic Birmingham-Southern College as our new training center is a critical step in our Force Design 2028 strategy, providing the right facilities necessary to grow our service and ensure the Coast Guard stands always ready.”
Alabama is the proud 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.
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