Birmingham, Magic City
Considering the national attention Birmingham has recently received regarding the amount of activity occurring in its downtown, I felt it appropriate to begin a Compilation thread to detail the large and important projects that are under construction, approve/planned, or proposed.
Two recent (within the last few months) articles by the Associate Press and the New York Times have been two of the top contributers to the national attention noted in the above paragraph.
AP: Once dying, Birmingham is suddenly hot
NYT: A Return to Downtown Birmingham
The above articles only underscore the potential that many of us locally believe the city to have. As is mentioned in the NYT article, the city largely escaped the demolish and pave movement that saw many older buildings in downtown areas torn down to make way for parking lots or horrid architecture. Because of this, much of the activity seen in downtown Birmingham has been in the form of renovations and new construction that meshes well with, or takes advantage of, the gritty nature of the cityscape.
For more consistent updates on construction progress or smaller projects that would clutter up this thread, please feel free to check out the
Birmingham Development News thread in the Southeast forum.
Now to begin the list of current projects that are under construction, approved/planned, proposed, or recently completed (mid-2012 or later). Starting with the more recent announcements/news. As of March 2013,
REV Birmingham reported to Forbes that public/private investment in downtown totaled $938.7 Million.
Recently Completed
Westin Birmingham - DwnTwn-UPTOWN
Source:
Starwood Hotels
The Westin Birmingham is located adjacent to the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel and the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. The addition of another hotel near the BJCC was a big goal for the city, as it would bring the total number of hotel rooms nearby the BJCC over 1,000.
The Westin Birmingham is also home to the
Todd English P.U.B. which has two locations nationwide, the other being in Las Vegas.
Regions Field - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE
Source:
Birmingham Barons
Source:
Birmingham Barons
Source:
Birmingham Barons
Regions Field is an 8,500 seat baseball stadium, completed this summer (2013), On the Southside of Birmingham and is home to the AA White Sox affiliate the Birmingham Barons, who moved to this new stadium from the B'ham suburb of Hoover.
29 Seven Apartments - DwnTwn-LAKEVIEW
Source:
AL.com; Tamika Moore
$15 Million project home to retail (4 restaurants) on the first floor, and 54 apartments above.
Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE-MEDICAL
Source:
Children's of Alabama
Source:
Children's of Alabama
LEED certified, 332 beds, 12 floors, 760,000 sqft.
Sloss Furnaces Visitor Center
Source:
AL.com
$5.8 million, opened in Fall of 2012.
Iron City Music Hall - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE
Source:
AL.com
Opened Feb 2013, 1,300 person capacity, $6 million.
Under construction/to be completed
Trinity-Grandview Medical Center - B'HAM-280
Source:
NBC 13
Source:
Business Alabama
$300 million, to be completed in 2016, will be the center of the Cahaba Center Business Park directly employing 5,500. Daniel Corp. has plans to construct a 200,000 sqft medical office building and 250 room hotel.
UAB Visual Arts Center - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE-UAB
Source:
AL.com
Source: Tim City 2000
$12.5 million, to be completed by Oct 2013.
Uptown Entertainment District - DwnTwn-UPTOWN -
WEBSITE
Source:
Bayer Properties
Along Richard Arrington Blvd. So far, the restaraunt Texas De Brazil, South, Mugshots, Cantina Laredo, Octane Coffee Bar, and The Ivy are future tenants.
FUTURE I-22 / Interstate-65 Interchange - NORTH BIRMINGHAM
$168.8 million, 14 ramps, 14 bridges, 1.5 miles long, ties together Future I-22/I-65/US 31. Will open in late 2014, connecting Birmingham to Memphis.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Intl. terminal modernization
$201 million, upgrade Concourse C, new Concourses A and B, US Customs office, to be completed in 2014. LEED Silver certification anticipated.
Riverchase Galleria renovation - HOOVER
Source:
AL.com
$60-90 million, Von Maur and Old Navy opening in Fall 2013, new (larger) Forever 21 location opened in Aug 2013, Wynfrey Hotel renovation and conversion to Hyatt Regency ($20 million). Announced 9/3/2013, Michael Kors and Cathy Jean will open stores in the mall. Announced 9/4/2013, Belk will invest in a renovation to make it's Galleria location a
flagship store, giving Birmingham its second such location and Alabama its third. The Belk store will also soon hire 55 new employees.
Birmingham School of Law - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE
Source:
AL.com
$3.5 - 4 million, 114 seat lecture hall, rooftop patio/meeting area.
Financial Center renovation - DwnTwn-CBD
Source:
AL.com
$5 million
UAB Student Center - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE-UAB
Source:
UAB
$48.5 million, to be completed by Fall 2015
Lyric Theatre restoration - DwnTwn-THEATER DISTRICT
Source: Lyric
Theatre
Source: Time City 2000
Whitmire Lofts - DwnTwn-THEATER DISTRICT
Source:
AL.com
LIV Parkside - DwnTwn-PARKSIDE
Source:
AL.com
$30 million project, 6 floors, 228 apartments, adjacent to Railroad Park, 2,900 sqft of retail on first floor. To be completed by spring of 2015.
Booker T. Washington Building renovation - DwnTwn-THEATER DISTRICT
Source:
Birmingham Biz Journal
The Parisian[/COLOR] - $7.5 million, plans call for 32 apartments, ground floor retail/dining, rooftop deck, and 163 space parking deck. Planned groundbreaking in November with the project finishing in late spring 2014. Went ahead and moved this one to under construction since it's only about a month away.[/COLOR]
Approved/Planned
L&N Parkside - Dwntwn-Parkside
Source: AL.com
6 floors, 129 apartments, 12,000 sqft of retail/restaurant space on first floor, 200 space parking deck attached, adjacent to Regions Field.
Five Points South Residential Tower
Source:
AL.com
$40 million, 15 floors, upscale, main tower will have 223 apartments with adjoining parking deck surrounded by an additional 88 apartments.
Deck will include 525 spaces, building will include storage for 50 bikes.
VA Clinic/Parking Deck
Source:
AL.com
$50 Million. 2,800 space parking deck. 70,000 square foot clinic. At the corner of 25th St South and University Blvd. Might as well be at the corner of Red Mountain Expressway and University Blvd South.
Pizitz Building renovation - DwnTwn-CBD
Source:
Birmingham Biz Journal
Grocery store/restaurant on the first floor with 145 apartment suites on floors 2-7. Previous proposals had a substantial amount of office space instead of residential space. Construction is expected to start early 2014 and be completed in 2016.
The Stockyard @ Railroad Park - Dwntwn-PARKSIDE
Source:
AL.com
Crowdsourced development located adjacent to Regions Field. So far, only the name has been selected. Next, the public will vote on a design for the building on
BirminghamsBuilding.com.
5 Points S - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE-5 POINTS SOUTH
Source:
AL.com
2 new restaurants, $15 million Homewood Suites.
20/59 Downtown Viaduct - DwnTwn-CBD
Would replace the current elevated viaduct through downtown with a new elevated viaduct. The current proposal by ALDOT has drawn much criticism from the public, but the plan shows no signs of being changed.
University Flats - DwnTwn-SOUTHSIDE
$6.6 million project, 60 units near UAB, primarily marketed to grad students.
Lane Park - MOUNTAIN BROOK
Source:
AL.com
$140 million project, multi-use, could potentially be partially delayed to 2019, though.
Downtown Inter-modal Facility - DwnTwn-CBD
Source:
AL.com
$30 million project to combine passenger service for Amtrak, Greyhound, local buses, and potentially Megabus as well as provide a "farmers' market" type market. Construction should begin in Oct 2013.
Birmingham VA - DwnTwn
The VA has plans for a 60,000 sqft facility including a 2,000 car parking deck in the CBD.
LIV Birmingham_Additional Residential Development - DwnTwn-PARKSIDE
LINK to LIV's current, more solid project
A second project proposed by LIV Development to be constructed in the Parkside area on the Southside. Current plans call for a $30 million development with around 220 units (estimated based on my own evaluations).
Proposed
Thomas Jefferson Tower renovation - DwnTwn-CIVIL RIGHTS
Source:
Birmingham Biz Journal
20 floors, 306 units planned. Official costs and plans have not been released.
Stonewall Building renovation
Firestone Building - Dwntwn-SOUTHSIDE
Has been mentioned for possible redevelopment as a grocery store and apartments (potentially 30). Source:
Birmingham Biz Journal
3rd Ave S/16th St S Apartments - DwnTwn-PARKSIDE
$33 million, 245 unit apartment project.
Rumored large apartment project in Parkside