Governor Ivey Joins Nick & Terry at Groundbreaking for Tuscaloosa’s $120 Million Saban Center

Wednesday was a joyous day in Tuscaloosa, where Governor Kay Ivey joined Mayor Walt Maddox and Nick and Terry Saban for a ceremonial groundbreaking for their $120 million Saban Center learning hub.

The event was held inside the Tuscaloosa Rivermarket to accommodate hundreds of guests and stakeholders whose support has made the Saban Center possible, including a delegation from the Poarch Creek Indian tribe, who announced a $5 million donation to the project on Wednesday.

"When Nick and I first dreamed of Saban Center, it wasn't about dreaming of putting our name on a building. Rather, it was about putting our hearts into a cause that was very important to us," Terry Saban, a former teacher, told the crowd. "We imagined a place where curiosity could be sparked and creativity nurtured by the Tuscalosa Children's Theater, and that every child, no matter their background, would have an opportunity to go there and to learn - to have fun and to socialize and have a chance to look into their future and decide how their interests could emerge into a vocation. Today, that dream is actually breaking ground, and we'd like to thank the city of Tuscaloosa first for starting that vision with us from the very beginning."

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Ms. Terry introduced her husband, Nick Saban, who, despite being arguably the best college football coach of all time, said he hopes the Saban Center will be their enduring legacy in Alabama.

"25 years from now, they're going to forget about the score of the games, they're going to forget about how many games we won and how many championships we won," Saban said to a laughing crowd who was not as sure his gridiron successes would be so soon gone from memory. "But they will always remember that the kids will have an opportunity to be able to use this Center for years to come."

Both Sabans said the greatest gift anyone can give a child is an education, and their Center will help children and teachers statewide.

The celebration also honored the Poach Creek Indians for their $5 million donation to the Center's cause, and tribal chair Stephanie A. Bryan said the gift represents an investment in the future.

"This investment is an investment that has a return that all of us in the state of Alabama will be very proud of, and it's our children's future education. This will be a program that will leave a legacy that will live on," she told the crowd. "I oftentimes also tell people we all work to make a living and make money, but we can't take that with us. But we can leave a legacy for the future generations of this wonderful state, the great state of Alabama."

Mayor Walt Maddox and Governor Kay Ivey also praised all the contributors to this common cause who have made the $120 million Center possible.

The city of Tuscaloosa will invest $65 million in the project, the Sabans themselves have contributed a multimillion-dollar sum for the development, Governor Ivey has pledged $25 million in state money, and sponsors like Coca-Cola, Alabama Power, and the PCI are leaders in the effort to raise more than $30 million in private money for the task.

"Children across Alabama will soon experience the one-of-a-kind STEM and Arts campus for interactive learning. As Coach Saban has made clear, the most life-changing achievement is getting an education," Ivey said. "The biggest obstacle to many a child's success in learning is the absence of inspiration, the lack of personal discovery. How do we ignite that spark of passion so that every child is able to learn, dream, and create? We accomplish that by opening the Saban Center."

The celebration featured dozens of elected and appointed officials as well as business and nonprofit leaders. They looked through new renderings from the Center and also saw an exhibit of the building materials planned for use in various parts of construction.

Maddox said if there are no bad weather days, the buildout is expected to be complete in two years, allowing the Saban Center to open in the fall of 2027.

When finished, it will house the Tuscaloosa Children's Theater and IGNITE, a rebranding of the Tuscaloosa Children's Hands-On Museum, as well as rotating exhibits tying lessons about science, math, and art to real-world vocational opportunities, plus a permanent exhibit highlighting Nick Saban's success at Alabama.

When finished, it will be the crown jewel of Tuscaloosa's growing River District, near the Mercedes-Benz Ampitheater and a seriously revitalized downtown.

"Communities usually are born beside their river, and Tuscaloosa has been able to take that idea and have the community come back to the river." Maddox said. "And it's not a very sexy name, but the MLK Phase 3 project that will open up the train trestle right next to the Saban Center is going to open up over 100 plus acres of undeveloped property that will continue our riverfront growth. The Saban Center's tagline is 'The Center of It All.' Not only did we mean it for education, we also meant it for economic growth and 20 years from now, I think that will be the center of downtown and waterfront growth in Tuscaloosa."

For ongoing coverage of the project and the growth it is expected to bring to downtown Tuscaloosa, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.