Birmingham Development News [Archive]

Blazer85

01-02-2007, 10:13 PM

Here's some promising news:

U.S. Steel agrees to help rehab old Ensley Works site

Officials with U.S. Steel today pledged to help rehabilitate the abandoned Ensley Works industrial site as part of a deal where the Birmingham City Council agreed to deannex about 2,000 acres off Interstate 20 near Leeds.

U.S. Steel plans a residential development on the Interstate 20 site

The vote came after months of delays where city leaders balked at surrendering the land. Both Mayor Bernard Kincaid and most of the council eventually agreed they were contractually bound to grant the request.

Annexation of U.S. Steel’s property occurred in 1997 during a complex land deal involving the city, U.S. Steel and Hoover. Birmingham acquired 700 acres of U.S. Steel land where Barber Motorsports Park now stands, and Hoover acquired Spain Park, which was owned by Birmingham.

A term of the deal also involved the city annexing 2,000 additional acres of U.S. Steel land and deannexing the property when the company was ready to build a residential development. U.S. Steel will build houses on most of the deannexed land but keep its related commercial development inside the city.

On Tuesday, U.S. Steel agreed to commit to several projects including rehabilitation of the abandoned Ensley Works industrial site.

Kincaid said he’s sure the former industrial site can be reclaimed although there are no specific plans for the land.

The Ensley Works once employed thousands of workers. The factory closed in 1984, and a few rusted smokestacks mark the 600-acre site off Alabama 269.

Joseph D. Bryant

BTW, wasn't this the site that those Pittsburgh developers were looking at converting into some sort of retail/mixed-use complex or was that something different?

sabre0link

01-03-2007, 11:47 AM

Here's some promising news:

BTW, wasn't this the site that those Pittsburgh developers were looking at converting into some sort of retail/mixed-use complex or was that something different?

I think the other development was basically downtown... across I-65 from it, by Golden Flake..

DallasTexan

01-03-2007, 05:50 PM

Here's some promising news:

BTW, wasn't this the site that those Pittsburgh developers were looking at converting into some sort of retail/mixed-use complex or was that something different?

No.

mayhem

01-03-2007, 08:08 PM

Anyone care to make a list of all the proposed / UC / approved towers for the HAM?

sabre0link

01-04-2007, 04:45 PM

I went to Highland area this morning (pre-8am) and took some photos... Not many people out...

It's also pretty foggy... I had wanted to take some morning shots of certain angles.. but that didn't work. Blah.

Anyway... because I'm pretty tired right now and don't want to do the link thing... I'm finishing up uploading the pictures, and may or may not add them to the MCFG pool...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabre0link/

Randy Sandford

01-04-2007, 05:04 PM

Dystopos

01-04-2007, 08:06 PM

Anyone care to make a list of all the proposed / UC / approved towers for the HAM?

I suggest taking a look at BhamWiki:List of current development proposals (http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_current_development_proposals).

Corrections and suggestions are welcome.

sabre0link

01-05-2007, 12:51 AM

Great...you photographed those cool townhouses in Highland Park. I had those on my list of places to photograph last week but left the list at home. ;)

Heh... I parked and walked around... walked through alleys, etc.

I didn't even know where those things were really at until I saw a glimpse of them as I walked on Highland up to the Overpass with the view of St. Vincent's and Sloss...

heh.

I really like those townhouses, too... kindda iffy about the driveways, but I really like them...

DallasTexan

01-05-2007, 02:47 AM

sabre, I was looking through your photos, and someone's been at the Sheraton Midtown at Colony Squarreeeee ;)

sabre0link

01-05-2007, 11:20 AM

sabre, I was looking through your photos, and someone's been at the Sheraton Midtown at Colony Squarreeeee ;)

Yup... Enjoyed it too :)

I want a Dunkin Donuts here in B'ham... I seriously enjoyed going out the rear of the hotel and getting breakfast for 5 people for just over $6...

I did NOT like the previous year where me and another person walked from sub-level 1 to floor #27 for a meeting...

Yes, we walked... because the group I was there with (like, the 300+ of us) and frequent use of the elevators at PACKED capacity, had made all of the working elevators not work.

Heh. We got good at that (breaking elevators).

I did enjoy Midtown, too.. and the day I went over to Piedmont Park to get away from everyone... heh :) I want B'ham to have a park like that... HUGE. hehe.

Basically, combine the 3 parks on Highland (Caldwell's the first one, I think Highland is the second... not sure past that.. heh :\) and it'll be near the size I want. heh. I'm insane, but that's just me. :)

Blazer85

01-06-2007, 04:01 PM

I'm hopeful this might actually materialize now. It seems I recall there being wide support for expansion of the convention space, an entertainment center, and a new hotel. The dome itself seemed to be the big hangup. If they can get those other things going, it'll be outstanding for the area. This thing has been held up for far too long now, but I'm optimistic something might actually be approved this year.

BJCC lists new hotel, attractions as its goals
Board says clock running on dome
Saturday, January 06, 2007
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex board reshuffled its expansion priorities Friday, moving a new major hotel and an entertainment district to the top of its projects list.

Board members, whose eight-year expansion effort has stalled, held a special meeting Friday to outline goals for 2007. They decided to focus on building the hotel and an entertainment district that would include restaurants and retail shops adjacent to the current complex, said Jack Fields, BJCC executive director.

Both projects have been on hold while the board continues to seek funding for a multipurpose domed convention center that Fields said is critical to attract more meetings, entertainment and sporting events to the city. But Fields said the BJCC can't afford to wait much longer amid continuing debate on the proposed expansion, whose $623 million price tag has galvanized critics.

"We've got to have direction in terms of our expansion plans," Fields said.

Bayer Properties, the Birmingham developer that built The Summit shopping center, has backed out of its plans to develop the entertainment center because of the delay, Fields said. He said the BJCC plans to meet with other developers who a few years ago had expressed interest in building an entertainment district.

On Friday, the board heard an update from state Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, about a meeting last week with Gov. Bob Riley about possible state funding for the BJCC. Participating in the discussion with the governor were Fields, board member Kenny Clemons and a representative of Franklin Haney Sr., a Chattanooga developer who wants to build a hotel adjacent to the convention complex.

Haney has pledged $25 million to help fund the BJCC expansion, provided the state leases space in the Social Security Administration building he owns adjacent to the complex. Haney has said he will upgrade the building once the Social Security Administration moves into a new facility that is under construction downtown.

Waggoner said Riley told the group he won't commit to lease space in Haney's building or consider any state funding until Birmingham and Jefferson County officials agree to support the project. Birmingham has committed money for the expansion, but the BJCC lacks enough votes from county commissioners.

BJCC Chairman Clyde Echols said the complex hopes to woo enough support from state lawmakers to get a bill passed committing state funding once the regular session begins this spring.

"We're studying the cost of the expansion compared to a Plan B and we will have it ready to present," Echols said. "It is clear from our recent focus groups that the public realizes the importance of expanding the BJCC. What kind of expansion it will be we don't know."

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

LSyd

01-06-2007, 04:30 PM

heh, i had to walk from 3rd floor to like 18 in the Colony Square a few times a few years back.

i hope they don't destroy what's left of the Ensley works. :( they should put more into revitalizing downtown Ensley instead, even though it's probably not as easy to get so much land, etc, etc...too bad. in my vision for Ensley works' rehab, it'd be turned into a paintball, skateboarding and other recreation site. i can picture in my head how it'd be divided up, and use the existing brick warehouse buildings that are left.

-

Blazer85

01-07-2007, 07:58 PM

A little sad for Reed Books, but at least they're not going away for good. Also is good since it means Corporate Realty's big multimillion $ project is likely progressing along nicely. This is my first hearing about the project since the initial announcement probably 6 months ago.

Cafe, bookstore make way
Sunday, January 07, 2007
VICTORIA L. COMAN
News staff writer

Reed Books and Museum of Fond Memories will move by March 1 to a new location at 2021 Third Ave. North. But a popular eatery in the same 20th Street South building, Scott's Koneys, continues its search for a new home.

The two are making way for a proposed $100 million-plus development project along their block.

Jim Reed, a longtime rare book and Americana collector, and restaurant owner Scott Green, have leased space in the same building - Reed at 107 at and Green at 109 20th St. South - for more than 10 years. Green also manages the building.

Corporate Realty Development officials have plans for the block, which stretches between 20th Street and Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard. The block also includes a Kinko's copy center, a Birmingham Water Works and Sewer Board payment site, a parking garage and a surface parking lot. Corporate Realty officials have proposed a project which could cost as much as $125 million and include a hotel, shops, restaurants, offices and condominiums. The company is expected to lease the property from the city with an option to buy.

The move is the fourth for Reed's business, which started in his Southside home and later operated from two spaces in Wooster Lofts. He moved into space above Scott's Koneys in the late 1990s.

"It's the urban experience," Reed said. "You find a funky old building that you like and some developer wants to come in and flatten it."

Reed believes many have moved downtown partly because they are attracted to th eclectic small businesses like his. That flavor is being taken away by newer developments which often push smaller businesses out, he said.

"They'll wonder, 'Where did it all go?' Well, you're living on the property where (smaller businesses) were," Reed said. "That doesn't make it any nicer, but that's just the way it is."

Reed is moving his business "uptown" as he says, into the O'Neill Building next to the Lehr Middlebrooks and Vreeland PC law firm at 2021 Third Ave. North.

The space he is leaving behind has an estimated 5,000 squaree feet in a second floor attic-like space. There, customers climb a steep staircase with signs of encouragement saying "We know these stairs have you gasping for air. The good news is you're almost there."

"It's been great," he said.

In the new space customers will go into a storefront with about 3,500 square feet of space which already includes wooden shelves. It used to house a U.S. government bookstore. "The great thing is it's on the ground floor and handicapped accessible," Reed said.

His wife Liz Reed and employee Craig Legg will be happy because the move may force the paring down of his collection.

"They have high hopes that I'll throw some of the stuff out," he said. "They keep hoping."

Scott Green, who has run Scott's Koneys in the Midtown area for 30 years, is still looking for a new location. He is exploring two that are only blocks away.

"It's been a good fit," he said. The business went from offering hot dogs and some sides to an expanded menu in 1995 to include salads, deli and hot sandwiches and breakfast plates. His hours have remained the same, 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through the years. The move may prompt him to expand hours.

Green said if he doesn't find a place in the area, he'll settle into a space in his hometown, Trussville.

With the move pending he said he will miss the people most of all.

"We've got the best customers," he said. "Most of ours are repeat customers. If we don't know them on their first visit, we know their faces and what they're going to eat. People come first."

Jessie Smith, a long-time customer, was surprised to hear about Green's move. He had been referring fellow office mates at Golden & Associates to Scott's Koneys for a good meal.

"I don't like it," Smith said. "It's part of history right here."

Reed is already moving his merchandise but Green said he's not sure when his deadline is to leave the building.

"If you come in here and see the windows missing, that means we're not here," he said.

E-MAIL: vcoman@bhamnews.com

Blazer85

01-07-2007, 10:12 PM

Since Melaver bumped the proposed tower from 14-stories to 18-stories, that now will change this old projected skyline impact.

http://deongordon.com/birmingham/melaver_skylineimpact_jpg.jpg

Also... does anyone know if Standard Midtown has been officially scrapped or it is just in a holding pattern right now?

sabre0link

01-08-2007, 12:59 AM

Also... does anyone know if Standard Midtown has been officially scrapped or it is just in a holding pattern right now?

Beyond what the website says? No... but in looking at the website, it seems it's in a holding pattern..

http://www.standardmidtown.com/

Blazer85

01-08-2007, 03:26 AM

Quick question... I've only recently begun posting back again after a while off. Apparently I missed something regarding Corporate Realty's development. I'm aware of their highrise proposal, but did they officially announce that the 6-story midrise they talked about was going to be a Hyatt Place? I've seen that posted other places and just never read an article that said they actually got a committment from Hyatt to build that hotel. Tried to Google it, but didn't find anything.

sabre0link

01-08-2007, 09:15 AM

There's a Hyatt opening up in Hoover....

from Hyatt's site, the address of the hotel:

Opening Fall 2007 Hyatt Place Birmingham/Riverchase
2980 John Hawkins Parkway
Hoover, Alabama, USA
35244
Opening Fall 2007

Also one is slated for Inverness area...

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/place/about/coming-soon.jsp

Hotel Name Location Opening Date
Hyatt Place Birmingham/Riverchase Hoover, Alabama, USA Fall 2007
Hyatt Place Birmingham/Inverness Birmingham, Alabama, USA Spring 2007

An article (see below) from the B'ham News said that the Corporate Realty project will be a Hyatt Place.

It looks like Hyatt Place has a set design, etc, that each will follow... here's Hyatt's development site which details the look of the building, inside and out..

http://www.hyattdevelopment.com/hp_main.html

The Article from the B'ham News from mid-Dec.. I think this has been posted before..:
http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1166178318208060.xml&coll=2

City hotel projects edge to $100 million
Downtown `vitality' benefit seen
Friday, December 15, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer
Developers are spending nearly $100 million to build or renovate hotel space downtown, bringing more than 1,500 new or spruced-up rooms to the market.

The new wave of hotel rooms in the heart of the city are needed, according to Jim Smither, president of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"A recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers told us what we already knew - that between 1,500 and 2,900 more hotel rooms are needed downtown," Smither said. That report did not take into account the projects under development.

Three new hotel construction projects make up around $46 million of that investment, including a Hyatt Place, the latest extended-stay concept from the hospitality giant.

Corporate Realty Development is building the $24 million hotel that will have around 150 rooms set to come on line in September 2008. The hotel will be built at the site of the former Tom Williams Cadillac on 20th Street and Third Avenue South.

Another new project is the $23 million Marriott Residence Inn that Jacksonville, Fla.-based Clarkson Group is building at 821 20th St. South. That hotel is set to be complete in February 2008. It will add 120 rooms to the market.

As many as 200 more rooms could be part of the $40 million renovation and construction at the former Federal Reserve site between Fourth and Fifth avenues North along 18th Street. Savannah, Ga.-based Melaver Inc. will construct a hotel atop an office building on the site set to open in 2009, but final plans are not complete and an operator has not been named.

The new hotel projects give a boost to a number of major renovations of existing hotels.

The famed Tutwiler Hotel at 2021 Park Place is in the final stages of an $18.5 million purchase and renovation effort that will bring 149 refurbished rooms on line in March 2007. Integral Hospitality Services, which owns the Tutwiler, is handling the renovation.

Sheraton Birmingham at 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North is spending $17 million sprucing up its 770 rooms, lobbies and other areas. High-end finishes such as granite and marble are being added along with new furnishings and other enhancements.

Atlanta-based Cox & Long Inc. recently purchased the Pickwick Hotel and plans to put $6.2 million in improvements to the 63-room hotel at Five Points South. Completion is set for fall 2007.

Columbia Sussex recently put $11 million into improvements at the DoubleTree Hotel and its 298 rooms at 808 20th St. South.

Michael Calvert, president of Operation New Birmingham, said investments in hotels is a sign of downtown's growing appeal among business and leisure travelers.

"We believe the hotel activity speaks volumes about the city center," he said. "It is certainly an important component to the overall vitality."

Although the latest round of hotel developments seem poised to take place, other planned downtown hotel projects failed to materialize.

The former Parliament House Hotel on 20th Street South was set to become a Courtyard by Marriott four years ago but now may be razed by UAB, which purchased it for $3.7 million earlier this year and plans to use the site for future expansion.

In 2004, an Orlando company wanted to spend $50 million building a 14-story Westin Grand Bohemian luxury hotel downtown overlooking Linn Park. Attempts to obtain the Birmingham Board of Education building were unsuccessful and the project has not been discussed since.

E-mail: mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

DallasTexan

01-08-2007, 01:15 PM

Just for clarification, the hotels in Inverness and Hoover are already built. Last year, the Hyatt Corporation purchased the bankrupt Amerisuites chain. They are rebranding the Amerisuites properties into the midmarket "Hyatt Place" concept.

The 6 story hotel on the Tom Williams site will be a Hyatt Place. The full hotel Corporate Realty is considering on the 20th street site, IMO, will probably be a full service Hyatt Regency.

Read about Hyatt Place here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Place

sabre0link

01-09-2007, 12:50 AM

Just for clarification, the hotels in Inverness and Hoover are already built. Last year, the Hyatt Corporation purchased the bankrupt Amerisuites chain. They are rebranding the Amerisuites properties into the midmarket "Hyatt Place" concept.

That's one thing Hyatt failed to mention (though it's said on their site that many will be rebranded, and most will be new... they don't say WHAT will be rebranded, or go into further detail.)... I knew the hotel that's being built in Hoover looked more like a Hampton Inn than the Hyatt Place..

Though there appears to be no change with the AmeriSuites properties, either.

The 6 story hotel on the Tom Williams site will be a Hyatt Place. The full hotel Corporate Realty is considering on the 20th street site, IMO, will probably be a full service Hyatt Regency.

The Tom Williams site is on 20th.... unless the paper's wrong (like they're known to be).

DallasTexan

01-09-2007, 12:53 AM

Corporate Realty wants to build two hotels on 20th :D

The other is largely unknown at this point though, but I am going to go out on a limb and say it will be a full service Hyatt Regency, since CR s already working with the Global Hyatt Corporation to build the Hyatt Place on the Tom Williams site.

Blazer85

01-09-2007, 01:50 AM

Corporate Realty wants to build a 16-story hotel/office/condo mixed-use facility just a few blocks down from the 6-story hotel. I'm hopeful they'll upgrade to 20+ stories though. :D Is Hyatt often involved in many of these mixed use facilities?

I wonder what the large hotel that Haney was wanting to build over near the BJCC... especially since those plans may be coming back to the forefront.

DallasTexan

01-09-2007, 02:47 AM

Westin.

Yes, Hyatt is involved in projects such as these. Every hotel operator is these days - it's the trendy thing to do!

sabre0link

01-09-2007, 12:03 PM

dfwtiger

01-09-2007, 06:47 PM

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham has hired a new Executive Director. Mr. Charles E. Ball, AICP, accepted the position and began on December 11th. On January 31st at the RPC Annual meeting, he will give a presentation outlining his vision for the RPC of Greater Birmingham.

Is anyone planning on attending the meeting? It would be good to know his vision for the RPC.

Blazer85

01-10-2007, 04:23 PM

UAB breaks ground on cancer radiation center
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
ANNA VELASCO
News staff writer

UAB Hospital has started construction on a radiation oncology center where more than 30,000 cancer patients a year will get treatment.

The Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Facility should open in a year and replace the 30-year-old Lurleen B. Wallace Tumor Institute. The $22.5 million, 50,000-square-foot building will front Sixth Avenue South, between 17th and 18th streets, and sit across from UAB's Spain Rehabilitation Center.

The new center will have larger vaults for the massive radiation equipment used today and more space for the hospital's ever increasing number of cancer patients from Alabama and the Southeast.

"The program has simply outgrown the clinical and administrative space we have now," said David Hoidal, UAB Health System's chief executive officer, at Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony.

The radiation center ultimately will connect to the future Women and Infants' Facility. Construction of that center for obstetrics and women's services should begin this spring. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has spent the last several years relocating restaurants and a warehouse to clear the city block for the projects and had to use its power of eminent domain to force several property owners to move.

The Wallace Tumor Institute likely will be used for cancer research once the radiation center relocates.

The new radiation center not only will be able to house the latest technology but also will provide a better healing atmosphere, important for patients who sometimes get treatment five days a week for six to eight weeks, said Dr. James A. Bonner, UAB's radiation oncology chairman. Patient rooms will be more cheerful. Children and adults will have separate waiting rooms. An open space next to the center with trees, benches and a fountain will be a place of reflection and renewal for patients and their families.

"It will have at its heart a very holistic and human approach to medicine," Bonner said.

Retired businessman Jim Limbaugh has donated $1 million to create the James Limbaugh Family Park of Hope at Sixth Avenue South and 18th Street, UAB officials announced Tuesday. The former automobile dealership owner gave the gift in honor of his wife, Phyllis, who died of lymphoma cancer in 1981.

UAB has raised $11 million from more than 400 donors for the radiation oncology facility and hopes to raise $4 million more. The largest gift, and one of the largest in UAB history, came from Mountain Brook businessman W. Cobb "Chip" Hazelrig, who donated $5 million. Hazelrig is giving the money in honor of his parents, Virginia and the late J. William Hazelrig, and their longtime friends, Drs. Paul and Merle Salter.

The 600,000-square-foot, $140 million Women and Infants' Facility should be completed in early 2009, a year after the radiation center opens.

E-mail: avelasco@bhamnews.com

B'ham Bound

01-10-2007, 05:37 PM

B'ham Bound

01-10-2007, 05:55 PM

Relating to the SSA project... 14th Street will be receiving a makeover from 10th Avenue South around the UAB campus to 8th Avenue North where 14th terminates at the entrance of the new SSA Building. This news is over a month old but I don't recall seeing it posted earlier, so...

City's 14th St. corridor to get makeover
Birmingham Business Journal - November 24, 2006
by Lauren B. Cooper (Staff)

Birmingham's well-worn 14th Street, from 10th Avenue South to Eighth Avenue North, is scheduled for a facelift.

Chris Hatcher, vice president of planning for Operation New Birmingham, said improvements to the street will include general streetscape improvements like curbs, sidewalks, trees, lighting and other infrastructure, making the street more pedestrian and vehicle friendly.

Hatcher said $1.2 million has been allotted for the repairs - 80 percent coming from the Alabama Department of Transportation's Congestion Mitigation Air Quality fund and 20 percent matched by the City of Birmingham.

ONB hopes the improvements will serve to better connect the University of Alabama at Birmingham with downtown Birmingham and the Entrepreneurial District, which is roughly bordered by Morris Avenue and Third Avenue North, and 11th and 18th Streets, and includes the currently renovated Entrepreneurial Center's Innovation Depot.

Hatcher said ONB's plan to turn one-way streets into two-way streets will not be part of this project, but will be part of the city's master plan for some downtown Birmingham streets. A portion of 14th Street, from Second Avenue North to Eighth Avenue North, is one-way heading north.

Hatcher anticipates a nine- to 12-month planning process with construction beginning in mid 2008. He said local architectural firm KPS Group Inc. will serve as consultant on the project.

Susan Matlock, president of the Entrepreneurial Center, said the improvements will help UAB and the Entrepreneurial District feel like a part of each other.

"It will make the whole area - beginning with the railroad tracks and into the campus - more attractive for development," she said.

Matlock said since ONB's workshop in October, "Untapped Opportunities: The Entrepreneurial District," she has seen more interest in the Entrepreneurial District and in Innovation Depot, making improvements to the road running to the heart of the district and ending at the Social Security Administration's building more important.

Renewed interest by existing property owners in the district has picked up as well, Matlock said. "Those property owners have started thinking about what options and opportunities there could be."

Matlock said the Entrepreneurial Center is still on track to move into the 145,000-square-foot Innovation Depot by April.

Hatcher believes the Entrepreneurial District, the Railroad Reservation Park, which recently broke ground, and the $20 million University House Birmingham, located on 14th Street and Second Avenue North, will spur further development.

The city's Railroad Reservation Park is expected to begin construction in the next year and, once completed, will stretch from Titusville to Sloss Furnaces.

I'm disappointed that 14th's northern section won't be converted into a two-way street yet... Looks like that will happen a few years from now when the city starts to implement it's master plan -- and we all know how long that might take.

Randy Sandford

01-10-2007, 07:53 PM

Is it just me, or did the design of the SSA building change a little bit? I don't recall seeing the glass facade on the previous renderings.

UPDATE: After looking at some previous renderings (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=95485&page=26), it doesn't appear anything has changed except the color of the brick, which is now warmer and darker. For some reason, it changed the entire look of the building to me.

I was curious as to which of the two sets of renderings was the latest one, so I compared the photos I shot a couple of weeks ago (see page 35 of the Birmingham Development News 2006 thread (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=95485&page=35)), and it does appear that the ones you posted are indeed the final design. Some of the minor changes I noticed in addition to the change in brick color are:

the zigzag roof over the entryway ends pointing up instead down
the junction of the 2-story base and the tower on the left side is different
the notch in the 2-story base facing 8th Ave N has been altered
the suspended awning on that same side has been removed
the glass seems to be more reflective now
overall, the architectural details seem to have been toned down (I guess it was too avant-garde and not conservative enough for the person or persons who made the final decision)

Items 1 and 2 and the warmer brick can be seen in the aforementioned photos I posted in the other thread.

B'ham Bound

01-11-2007, 12:45 AM

Thanks for the breakdown, Randy. I was beginning to think I was going crazy. I knew something had changed, I just couldn't put my finger on it. Off Topic: The new Transportation Building (I believe that's what it will be called) next to Lowder is progressing nicely.

sabre0link

01-17-2007, 07:39 AM

Red Mountain Park Master Plan Unveiling....

What: Unveiling of the RMPMaster Plan
When: Tues Jan 23, 5:30-7:00 PM
Where: Birmingham Museum of Art, Steiner Auditorium (2000 8th Ave N, 35203)
Why: To see the final draft Master Plan and get involved with what's coming next!

The Red Mountain Park is a proposed 1,108 acre park (30% bigger than Central Park) stretching 4.5 miles along Red Mountain’s crest, just southwest of Downtown.

The park can be one of the greatest urban parks in the nation, a regional quality of life destination, and a catalyst for community development. Preliminary plans from 3 public design meetings called for a 64-mile network of connecting hiking, biking, and equestrian trails- 18+ miles within the park and 48+ miles of regional connector trails- plus dog park, picnic areas, meadows, ridge top overlooks, mining history and environmental preservation sites, a natural ampitheater, a 20 acre lake, and possibly sports fields. The Master Plan unveiled on Jan 23 will tie it all together.

The park is a huge anchor in Birmingham's green movement, one part in our ongoing positive transformation from industrial community to quality of life leader.

Along with Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve's planned expansion and the proposed Railroad Reservation Park, Red Mountain Park will make Birmingham the #1 city in the U.S. for shared, public green space per capita!

Blazer85

01-17-2007, 04:41 PM

^ Any of you planning to attend this that can post an update for us? I have class during that time.

Biscuit97

01-17-2007, 07:06 PM

Does anyone know anything about the Clairmont Ave development that was going to be across from Highland Golf Course? I think Foundation Methods, LLC was behind that project. I can't find any updates concerning this proposed development. Any help would be appreciated.

sabre0link

01-18-2007, 07:57 AM

^ Any of you planning to attend this that can post an update for us? I have class during that time.

I'll be at work.. :\

neilson

01-19-2007, 09:37 PM

Not really a Physical Development but a huge news story nonetheless(that I 1st dropped the rumors of late last year). It's really gonna suck to listen to Paul without Vickers at his side, like the breakup of a great duo. At least Dunnaway and Brown(2 of the biggest 'Bama clowns around) will have their show's hours reduced and Herb Winches is off JOX for good so there's that much to be smiling about. Good luck Paul and to Neal, I hope he lands on his feet somewhere solid be it at WJOX, working with Rick and Bubba again over at their new station, or even hosting his own radio show (How does "The Neal Vickers Power Hour" on 960 WERC sound?)

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/sports/116921267611600.xml&coll=2

Finebaum headed to WJOX
Friday, January 19, 2007
BOB CARLTON
News staff writer

Paul Finebaum is switching sides.

After more than 13 years at WERC-AM, the controversial radio talk-show host told station owner Clear Channel Communications on Thursday night that he plans to join all-sports station WJOX-FM.

Finebaum's decision ends weeks of speculation about what he would do when his three-year, six-figure contract with Clear Channel expired. That agreement ends today, and Fine-baum could go on the air at WJOX as soon as Monday.

"It has been an excruciating decision for a lot of reasons, and for one in particular - the fact that I've been at ERC for 13 years," Finebaum said. "While there are always ups and downs in any situation, it has been, for the most part, a great run."

Finebaum and Citadel Broadcasting, which owns WJOX, have agreed in principle on a three-year contract, he said.

His previous deal with Clear Channel paid him about $350,000 a year, plus bonuses, but he would not say how much more he will make at his new station. He did say "the potential is much higher."

One of the main reasons for joining WJOX, Finebaum said, is the chance to broadcast his show on an all-sports FM station.

"They (FM sports-talk stations) have been successful in big markets and I think it has a tremendous chance of being successful here," Finebaum said.

WJOX, which had been on the air as an AM station since 1992, began broadcasting on the 100.5 FM frequency in November. Its previous AM 690 signal is now home to WSPZ-AM, a second all-sports station that Citadel started less than two weeks ago.

"I think they've done a really good job of branding themselves as the premier sports station," Finebaum said of WJOX. "We may have had what some people consider to be the premier sports show, but we weren't on a premier sports station."

In 2004, Sports Illustrated named Finebaum's afternoon show one of the 12 best sports-talk shows in the country. Except for his show, though, WERC is primarily a news-oriented station.

In an effort to keep Finebaum, Clear Channel offered him the option of also airing his show on FM rock station 105.5 The Vulcan (WENN).

As late as Thursday evening, Clear Channel increased its financial offer to try to get Finebaum to stay at WERC, but he said at that point he already had made up his mind to leave.

"We made a great effort at him," Doug Hamand, Clear Channel's regional vice president of programming, said Thursday night. "He is not only a co-worker of mine but he is one of my personal friends.

"Is my heart broken tonight? Yeah. It's a big loss for us at Clear Channel. Paul is a great guy and we are going to miss him immensely."

Efforts to reach Dale Daniels, general manager of Citadel's Birmingham stations, were unsuccessful Thursday.

Many changes at WJOX:

Finebaum's hiring is the latest in a flurry of changes at WJOX.

After nearly 15 years as an AM-only station, WJOX began simulcasting on the 100.5 FM frequency in late November.

Less than a month later, longtime WJOX personality Herb Winches, who had been with the station since its inception, left because he said he did not want to get demoted to what he called the "B" team on the AM side while Citadel negotiated with Finebaum to take Winches' place on the FM dial.

Then, earlier this month, Citadel launched WSPZ on the AM-690 frequency to pair with WJOX on the FM-100.5 signal.

In doing so, Citadel also made several lineup changes, including reuniting the former morning team of Scott Griffin and Matt Coulter on the AM station.

At WJOX, Finebaum's show will continue to air weekday afternoons, likely from 2 to 6 p.m. The "Dunaway and Brown" show, hosted by Jim Dunaway and Ryan Brown, currently airs in that time slot and will have to move to a different time or to the AM station.

Finebaum, who has taken verbal shots at WJOX and some of its personalities over the years, said he looks forward to the new partnership. He realizes some WJOX listeners won't be thrilled that he's on board.

"I understand the loyalty that people had to Herb," Finebaum said. "Herb is a legend in sports broadcasting, and I can easily understand people being concerned and bothered by first, him leaving and by second, of all people, me taking that time slot.

"It doesn't appear that strange today," he added. "It may the first day on the job, when I mention the name of the call letters."

Finebaum has built a reputation as the talk-show host listeners love to hate but listen to anyway. His show has billed itself as the place "where legends are made and most football coaches fired."

In 1998, WJOX's Coulter filed a defamation lawsuit over a remark Finebaum made about Coulter on the air. The Alabama Supreme Court later ruled in Finebaum's favor.

Two years ago, a lawyer for HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy claimed Finebaum had "taken to blasting Scrushy over the radio airwaves," and asked a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge to force Finebaum to turn over two years of tapes of his syndicated show. A judge dismissed the request.

This past fall, Finebaum and his callers were urging the firing of Alabama football coach Mike Shula.

Under the banner of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network, his show is carried on about 20 other stations, most of those in Alabama. Those affiliates likely will stay with him, Finebaum said.

"There may be a change here or a change there, but I think we've developed a strong enough following that those affiliates will continue to be affiliates," Finebaum said.

Pat Smith, the producer of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network, also will go to WJOX, Finebaum said. It is uncertain if Neal Vickers, who also appears on the show, will join them, Finebaum added.

E-mail: bcarlton@bhamnews.com

© 2007 The Birmingham News
© 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.

thoraudio

01-19-2007, 10:17 PM

he got his nose out of Saban's butt long enough to sign a new contract?

neilson

01-19-2007, 10:36 PM

he got his nose out of Saban's butt long enough to sign a new contract?
The Finebaum to JOX rumor has been making the rounds since mid-December(when Herb Winches made the smart move and left JOX). I told everyone on here that Finebaum was gonna leave and turns out I was right. Paul's gonna do well on AM and I really really hope that Citidel(sic) will bring Vickers on board too. He's a devil's advocate but the man brings counterpoint to the show. Just sounds like all in all Paul made the move in a very classy manner.

Almost the anti-Saban job change approach.

Blazer85

01-20-2007, 02:08 AM

Looks like the Montelena project is being scrapped...

Developer puts Montelena condo project on hold
A developer says it has frozen plans for the $50 million Montelena condominum project off U.S. 280 between Mountain Brook and Homewood.

Signs have been removed from the site for the planned seven-story building, and the sales office has been relocated. Construction was supposed to have started in October.

"Montelena, as it existed as just a luxury condominum offering 57 units, is on hold right now," said David Fowler, a partner with Inkana Development. "The sales were not as successful as we had hoped and needed."

Fowler said sales contracts for the project's condos have been canceled.

He said the area's condo market has slowed and "we didn't see the market getting any better soon." The landowners, he said, want to research other options for the site that would generate income.

Inkana had been working with the property's owners, the Mazer family, to develop the 120,000-square-foot project where the former PT's Sports Grill, Mexico Lindo and Coffee Shoppe restaurants stood. Developers planned to use 7,000 square feet of space on the ground floor for boutique retailers.

Charles R. McCauley

DallasTexan

01-20-2007, 02:11 AM

Oh, that sucks.

I really liked the design.

DruidCity

01-20-2007, 03:33 AM

Edit

Randy Sandford

01-20-2007, 04:48 AM

Don't forget that we have a "Birmingham Discussion Thread" for non-development topics. ;)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=78311

sabre0link

01-20-2007, 07:40 AM

Oh, that sucks.

I really liked the design.

Ditto...

I think the only thing I didn't like was how far removed from Mountain Brook proper it was... if it was closer, it'd fit in better. Methinks...

B'ham Bound

01-21-2007, 09:14 PM

Bristol Southside has recently redesigned their website and have included some nice photos of the development. The images are in Flash, otherwise I would've posted them, but here is the link: http://www.bristolsouthside.com/homepage.htm

Blazer85

01-26-2007, 03:19 AM

Looks like in addition to the multimillion $ upgrades, The Pickwick Hotel will get a new name too.

The Hotel Highland at Five Points South

Probably best... gives more of a sense of its location. Having that "5 Points" as part of the name will probably attract a few more visitors knowing that its in the heart of Birmingham's nightlife district.

| BRAVO |

01-29-2007, 11:14 PM

I understand the City of Birmingham has given the go ahead for demolition for the Mixed-Use development in Lakeview. Should be interesting to see if it moves ahead.

Blazer85

01-30-2007, 05:52 PM

The 7 story project that was mentioned some time back? I think it's been listed as the 2826 project or something. Is this the same one?

BennyArgo

01-31-2007, 01:02 AM

Hey sabre, I have a question about one of your pictures. Do you mind if I send you an email?

| BRAVO |

01-31-2007, 02:42 AM

I think so... I don't know how many stories but I believe it is at the intersection of 7th Ave S and 28th Street. Possibly the same thing.

Check this out:
http://www.leercondos.com/gallery

neilson

01-31-2007, 03:20 AM

I think so... I don't know how many stories but I believe it is at the intersection of 7th Ave S and 28th Street. Possibly the same thing.

Check this out:
http://www.leercondos.com/gallery
Hallman, are you Gene Hallman?

Blazer85

01-31-2007, 03:30 AM

I may be alone on this, but I really like the fleur de lie symbol that they now have for Leer Tower. Hope they stick with that.

Here is a link to the Emporis description of the 2826 project. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=28267avenuenuesouth-birmingham-al-usaIt sounds to be one in the same with the project you describe. It may have to be scaled back or may have been changed if it's a new developer. Originally, however, it was to be 7-floors and 90ft tall. Would look pretty neat over in Lakeview. Not much height-wise in that part of town outside of St. Vincents Hospital which is somewhat nearby. Definitely could help the growth of the Lakeview District as well.

| BRAVO |

01-31-2007, 01:23 PM

Hallman, are you Gene Hallman?

No Neilson, I am not Gene Hallman... and I am not building condos in Homewood.

sabre0link

02-01-2007, 10:53 AM

Hey sabre, I have a question about one of your pictures. Do you mind if I send you an email?

Send me a PM on here... less likely to delete it >_<

sabre0link

02-01-2007, 10:56 AM

I may be alone on this, but I really like the fleur de lie symbol that they now have for Leer Tower. Hope they stick with that.

You're not alone.. I like it too.. nicely abstract :)

http://www.leercondos.com/home

And it's french.. hah.. I like French stuff.. >_<

| BRAVO |

02-01-2007, 02:23 PM

Blazer85

02-01-2007, 05:11 PM

Brasfield & Gorrie says it is low bidder on UAB project

Brasfield & Gorrie said it is the low bidder for UAB's planned Women and Infants' Facility, which will provide general women's services, labor and delivery, a neonatal intensive care unit and a radiation and oncology department.

The general contractor did not specify the amount of its bid, but the project has previously been estimated at $140 million. Planned for a site at 17th Street and Fifth Avenue South, the facility will have 10 floors and cover 630,000 square feet.

Brasfield & Gorrie expects a letter of intent and notice to proceed by March 1. The design/build project is expected to be complete by the end of 2009.

The project team includes Gresham Smith and Partners, Walter Schoel Engineering, I.C. Thomasson, LBYD Inc., Hardy Mechanical, Wayne J. Griffin Electrical and Joiner Sprinkler.

Dawn Kent

Filed at 5:35 p.m.

Interesting... originally an 11-story proposal... then I thought they took it down to maybe 7 or 8-stories... and now back up again to 10-stories. The thing I will say about UAB, however, is that they get things done pretty quickly. From the time they announce a project, to when construction begins, to when it's actually complete. The whole process seems to go a world of a lot faster than alot of these other proposals downtown.

I'm hoping they hurry up and start on the Residence Inn near 5 Points as well as that Hyatt Place hotel. There actually were alot of folks here last year in local hotels for the Papa John's Bowl. And this next year, looks like the BJCC might be host not only as a 1st/2nd Round site for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, but also for some new SEC-Big East showdown that they're trying to startup. Going to need lots of hotel space downtown for all of these events. Be nice to see some more retail/bars between now and then as well. Seems a bit unlikely maybe, but I hope those hotels are complete anyway.

Blazer85

02-03-2007, 12:13 AM

A story tonight on ABC33/40 here in Birmingham did a story on Leer Tower. Included interviews with the developers. Looks like all of the legal troubles have been resolved and that work should begin "soon." Not wild about these ambiguous start dates. They did say, however, that they anticipate having some residents move in by Summer of 2008. Seems like a pretty ambitious timetable for all the work they've got to do. More power to them. Just anxious to see something happen with it.

skycaptain

02-03-2007, 12:51 AM

I agree Blazer. Also, I think they are going to have to make a lot more info available on their website (i.e., interior renderings, pricing, etc.).

Blazer85

02-04-2007, 08:59 PM

Developer pushes Edgewood plan amid holdouts, concerns
Sunday, February 04, 2007
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

Frank Keasler, the Florida developer who wants to remake the Edgewood business district in Homewood, says he will spend $100 million on the project that critics have complained is too sweeping.

Keasler, who had previously described the cost as between $70 million and $90 million, is pushing a plan to bring a three-story mix of shops, restaurants, offices and condos to Edgewood in a project he says incorporates both new technologies and environment-friendly practices.

Despite an outcry against his Restoration Edgewood development, the chief executive of Jacksonville-based Iron Group said he now has agreements to purchase all but four of the properties in his plan and is in talks with three of the holdouts.

Keasler believes he can pursue the project without purchasing all of the remaining sites.

"Once people learn what I'm trying to do, most have been receptive," Keasler said.

Some in Homewood would disagree. At a public meeting at Samford University in December, Keasler's plans met with audible groans and outbursts of disdain by an audience of more than 150 people. Renderings of the revitalization project brought shouts of "No, no" and "Too big" from spectators when displayed.

Keasler has not been deterred. He said he plans to spend $100,000 to hire a national urban planning firm to hold a six-day charrette Feb. 22 at the former furniture store space in Edgewood. Charrettes are intensive design and planning sessions intended to gain input from the residents and businesses there to help shape what, if anything, is ultimately done with the 400,000-square-foot redevelopment.

Brian Wright, a principal with Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative, the Nashville firm that will be conducting the charrette, said plans calling for Edgewood to have large sidewalks that encourage a pedestrian environment and mixed-use elements are concepts his firm promotes.

Wright, a former Birmingham resident who said he has always liked the Edgewood area and is a fan of New York Pizza there, said the charrettes will help shape the project planning. (The owners of New York Pizza have circulated a petition against the project.)

"Rather than pitch our own ideas that might be somewhat generic, we want to work in what makes Edgewood Edgewood," Wright said. "From that point, we are starting with a clean slate."

Keasler anticipates the site plan and renderings for the project will change as a result of those meetings, but he had the original plans drawn to suggest the 1920s look and feel he intends for the development.

Should all go as scheduled, Keasler expects to take his plan to the Homewood planning commission March 6. The first of the three phases of demolition and construction could begin by this time next year, with the entire project completed in 2011.

Keasler said if he can gain community support for the project, he believes the city will be supportive. In addition to the boost that would come to the city from the more than $100 million in construction, Keasler estimated sales tax receipts to the city could double or triple in the first year because the many now-vacant store fronts in Edgewood would be replaced by new businesses.

His plan also calls for working with Alabama Power Co., Alagasco, the Birmingham Water Works Board and other companies to update utility systems, some of which are more than 100 years old.

`Smart technology':

He said the so-called "smart technology" aspects of the project - where homes, businesses and offices are wired and interactive based on new technologies - will require such upgrading. Talks are taking place with a telecommunications company about outfitting the community with the fastest Internet service available "on the planet," Keasler said.

Part of the master plan calls for a cistern to catch rain water for use in a system that filters and recycles all non-drinking water for use in the development. Energy-efficient measures and other environmental improvements are part of the sustainable development plan Keasler said is incorporated into the project.

Keasler is still holding talks with property owners. Edgewood Presbyterian Church, for instance, has formed a task force for discussions on the project. Keasler's plans call for developing a parking deck and community center for the church on what is now the church's parking lot.

The developer said he understands objections from long-time Edgewood residents and business owners who do not want to see the character of the area change. Some complaints of those have centered on the three-story design of the area. But Keasler views his projects as improving on the traits that the area already possesses.

To do something on a smaller scale, he said, would not be feasible.

"If this town center is any leaner, there is not enough residential density to drive the retail," he said.

A joint venture development partner is in talks to join the Iron Group on the project, and Keasler said banks and investment firms are prepared to finance the entire development.

E-mail: mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

| BRAVO |

02-06-2007, 01:39 PM

?????? Are we talking complete demolition of Edgewood's Retail and construction of a $100 million dollar development in its place. Or are we talking an additional structure?

Dystopos

02-06-2007, 06:45 PM

My understanding is that the existing commercial structures at Oxmoor and Broadway would be demolished in order to construct the 400,000 square foot mixed-use development.

BhamWiki:Restoration Edgewood (http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Restoration_Edgewood)

Blazer85

02-07-2007, 07:54 PM

Some pictures I snapped of the SSA Building under construction...

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h123/Blazer85_photos/DSC02410.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h123/Blazer85_photos/DSC02411.jpg

Blazer85

02-08-2007, 12:06 AM

Not in the Birmingham MSA, but it is relevant I guess since it's in the CSA...

Honda supplier to build plant in Cullman

CULLMAN — An Ohio-based auto parts supplier for Honda will build a plant in Cullman that will create 200 new jobs, officials announced today.

Cardington Yutaka Technologies will operate in a 168,000-square-foot plant that will be built on a 75-acre site in Cullman’s industrial park. The operation will be called Alabama Cullman Yutaka Technologies and will manufacture torque converters and exhaust system parts for the Honda plant in Lincoln.

Gov. Bob Riley was in Cullman this afternoon for the announcement.

DallasTexan

02-10-2007, 05:25 PM

lol...

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/poll/index.html

Better political leadership indeed.

Blazer85

02-10-2007, 05:47 PM

Look for the Leer Tower sign to be lit up in the coming days.

Dc35064

02-13-2007, 09:03 PM

How do you guys think a Tiffany Co. would do in Birmingham at the Summit next to Saks.

Dc35064

02-13-2007, 09:10 PM

How do you guys think a Tiffany Co. would do in Birmingham at the Summit next to Saks.

Biscuit97

02-13-2007, 09:51 PM

I drove by Highland Golf Course today and it looks like the apartments across the street are being vacated. There was an article a while back talking about a mixed use development (mid rise) being built on that site (apartment row on clairmont ave.). The article also said that the developers would work with existing residents and honor the leases. Well, it appears that many of those leases are up and no new residents are moving in. Hopefully that is a sign that demolition and construction will begin this year. A nice development right there would really clean up both Highland Park and Forest Park. Anyone know anything else about this?

Blazer85

02-19-2007, 08:40 PM

Seems as though the BJCC Expansion might finally have some wheels to it. The mayor of Birmingham and the president of the Jeff. Co. Comm. have tenatively agreed on an expansion plan that would not include the 65,000 seat dome. It would, however, include a 40,000-seat arena which could be used for large events and even UAB football games. Also, added convention space, hotels, and an entertainment district would be included in the current plan.

The City of Birmingham already has about $8M a year pledged. The county comm. had been pledging about $10M a year, but that was set to expire this year I believe. Gov. Riley also suggested that if the city and county could agree, the state would assist in some financial capacity as well. Even ardent dome-supporter Sen. John Rogers is willing to put aside his ambitions for the current time if an agreement between the city and county can be finalized. Cautiously optimistic, but it would appear we might FINALLY see something come of this whole BJCC Expansion debate which has lasted for decades it would seem.

shades valley

02-19-2007, 09:21 PM

In Regards To The Tiffany's At The Summit....i Think It Would Add A Nice Touch But Dont Think It Would Survive There. I Do Think Birmingham Could House An Armani Exchange And/or Kenneth Cole.

neilson

02-20-2007, 01:32 AM

In Regards To The Tiffany's At The Summit....i Think It Would Add A Nice Touch But Dont Think It Would Survive There. I Do Think Birmingham Could House An Armani Exchange And/or Kenneth Cole.
Come on, you have Bromburg's already. Brother Bill Oliver endorses them. And while we're on the topic of former coaches, Pat Dye supports Craneworks(another great Birmingham business).

So, how about that soon-to-be-built 40,000 seat dome/arena?

Dystopos

02-20-2007, 02:46 AM

Trivia: Bromberg's downtown store was designed by J. Gordon Carr, who also designed Tiffany's 5th Avenue flagship.

- from BhamWiki:Bromberg's (http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bromberg%27s)

shades valley

02-20-2007, 12:42 PM

ok can somebody tell me how to put a message on here to where i can directly reply to it.

anyway, neilson, maybe you're right. maybe a tiffany's would do ok. it just scares me b/c they try to bring things to bham and it ends up not doing as well as it should or as well as they thought it would. as far as the convention center; i love the idea and im hoping it happens b/c i think it would be great for birmingham. i believe it would spruce up the area downtown which it desperatly needs.

Blazer85

02-21-2007, 04:36 PM

Wonder what he's got in mind...

Birmingham woos St. Louis developer
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer

Birmingham city leaders are wooing a St. Louis developer who says he is interested in building a hotel, lofts or another kind of commercial development in the city.

Michael V. Roberts, chairman and chief executive of the Roberts Cos., is scheduled to hold a special breakfast meeting this morning with city officials at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

Roberts, who owns the Roberts Crowne-Plaza Atlanta and in 2003 transformed an old St. Louis school board building into 47 loft apartments, said he has long had an interest in Birmingham. He said he tried unsuccessfully a few years ago to do a project here, though he declined to divulge details.

"I would love to do a project here in Birmingham, but the key will be what kind of incentives the city has in place," said Roberts, who added he specializes in converting old warehouses and offices into lofts or retail developments and in upgrading distressed hotels.

Roberts said other cities he has done deals in, such as Atlanta, Tampa and Houston, have provided tax breaks and reasonable land costs that make projects feasible. He said he hopes to get the same response in Birmingham.

"We have the capacity to get things done," Roberts said. "All we are looking for are deals that make sense. We are focusing on the Southeast and Midwest."

A lawyer, Roberts owns a business empire that includes eight hotels, television stations, office buildings, loft apartments, a shopping center and a wireless company, Roberts Wireless Communications. He chairs the National Association of Black Hotel Owners and serves on the board of the International Association of Shopping Centers.

BusinessWeek said Roberts, who started his business in 1989 with a $7,000 loan from his father, was "blazing a telecom trail for black Americans" in a 1999 profile. The article talked of how Roberts, after buying seven phone licenses serving St. Louis in 1989, partnered with Sprint and expanded the business.

"He's one of just a handful of black entrepreneurs who have broken into the telecom business. He's proactive and energized," Thomas Mateer, a vice president for Sprint PCS, told the magazine.

Roberts' wireless network provides Sprint service to 2.5 million residents of Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

He is in Birmingham to present a 10:30 a.m. workshop, "Eliminating the Fear of Failure," as part of the A.G. Gaston Economic Empowerment Conference at the BJCC. He will sign copies at the conference of his book, "Action Has No Season: Secrets and Strategies to Gaining Wealth and Authority" (Authorhouse, 2005).

Conference organizer Bob Dickerson set up the breakfast meeting and invited Carol Clarke, director of economic development for the City of Birmingham; Russell Cunningham, president of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce; David Fleming, executive director of Main Street Birmingham Inc., Jack Fields, executive director of the BJCC; and Michael Calvert, head of Operation New Birmingham.

Dickerson said persuading Roberts to do a project in Birmingham would be a big plus for the city. "With Birmingham's history, getting a black man of his caliber to invest in the city is more profound than if he did it in another city," Dickerson said. "He recently bought a Crowne Plaza in Atlanta and it barely made headlines."

Clarke said Birmingham would love to strike a deal with Roberts. She said the city can assist developers with land purchases, give historic tax credits, help with infrastructure improvements and in some case can extend low-cost loans.

"We are always willing to work with people wanting to invest in the city, especially African-Americans with his kind of track record," she said.

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

Blazer85

02-21-2007, 04:38 PM

Lakeview area gets set for condo, retail development
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
VICTORIA L. COMAN
News staff writer

The 2800 block of Seventh Avenue has an evolving skyline.

The Southside Cafe, 729 Club and Club Chaos buildings have been leveled and the Norton's Florist building was expected to be razed by press time to make way for 29 Seven, a condominium and retail development that is to be built at 2830 Seventh Ave. South.

Seventh Avenue LLC plans a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building that will include 71 condominiums, as many as nine retail spaces and a surface parking lot with 88 spaces, said W. Mead Silsbee III, one of the partners in the company.

Some of the residential units will be on the ground floor, he said. Early price estimates for the one- and two-bedroom condominiums range from less than $200,000 to less than $300,000.

"Really, we feel like that area is in need of residences," Silsbee said, pointing out the area's restaurants, bars, warehouses and offices.

Bret Connor, another Seventh Avenue LLC partner, said the group is trying to entice people to spend more time in Lakeview.

"We're trying to add more residential and more retail to make it a more happening area in the daytime, where you've got more lunch options and more shops," Connor said.

"With everything that's going on at the Pepper Place, we think Lakeview can get the same atmosphere," he said. "At Pepper Place you've got your farmer's market on the weekends and you've got your restaurants and your shops and your galleries. We felt those two areas could feed off of each other and create a great, unique neighborhood."

Silsbee said Lakeview was an attractive area because of its proximity to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, St. Vincent's and UAB hospitals, and other businesses in Birmingham's city center.

The building will have a 1950s-style marquee sign at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 29th Street.

"We feel like if people drive past that sign, they'll remember it," Connor said. "We feel like it'll become a new landmark for the Lakeview district."

Silsbee said construction is expected to begin in April and be completed by summer 2008.

E-mail: vcoman@bhamnews.com

dfwtiger

02-22-2007, 11:37 PM

Blazer85

02-23-2007, 04:04 AM

I suspect that if the developers of this project in Lakeview are successful in selling these condo units, other developers will take an interest. Birmingham as a whole seems to function on this type of pattern. Many are wary to put themselves out there, but once one with courage steps out and is successful, it becomes contagious. I agree with you that it's an underserved area and probably will see activity pick up in the next couple years.

The whole Southside, in reality, is booming with residential activity from Lakeview to Greensprings. From Lakeview up to Highlands, down to 5 Points, along and through UAB, up a little to midtown, and all the way down to Glen Iris. There are also several big projects on the drawing board for Greensprings Hwy... apparently trying to turn it into Birmingham's Asian District. Probably several hundred condos/residential units going up on the Southside in the next year or two.

Blazer85

02-24-2007, 04:01 AM

Is it finally happening? :banana: :worship:

I know, I know... I won't be all that excited until names are signed on the dotted line, but this VERY encouraging. Far more action than I recall having seen in the past.

BJCC directors pick Memphis firm to create entertainment district

Posted by Birmingham News staff February 23, 2007 20:21PM

SALT LAKE CITY -- The firm that turned Beale Street in Memphis into an international tourist destination was selected Friday by BJCC directors to develop an entertainment district for Birmingham's convention center.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex board directed its lawyer and executive director to negotiate a contract with Memphis-based Performa Entertainment Group, aiming toward being able to court prospective tenants for the BJCC entertainment district as soon as May.

In a related development, the Sheraton Birmingham told BJCC board members that it intends to add a 300-room hotel that would be adjacent to the entertainment district.

Blazer85

02-24-2007, 04:24 PM

:banana: :banana: :banana:

BJCC has Memphis makeover in mind
Beale Street developer may work magic here
Saturday, February 24, 2007
ROY L. WILLIAMSNews staff writer

SALT LAKE CITY - The firm that turned Beale Street in Memphis into an international tourist destination was selected Friday by BJCC directors to develop an entertainment district for Birmingham's convention center.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex board directed its lawyer and executive director to negotiate a contract with Memphis-based Performa Entertainment Group, aiming toward being able to court prospective tenants for the BJCC entertainment district as soon as May.

In a related development, the Sheraton Birmingham told BJCC board members that it intends to add a 300-room hotel that would be adjacent to the entertainment district.

In a presentation Friday at the BJCC board's retreat in Salt Lake City, Performa CEO John Elkington told board members that the venue - tentatively named District at the BJCC - would cost $55 million to build and would include a mix of restaurant, entertainment and retailers new to Birmingham.

He said the project would not need government incentives, that he had already lined up private financing and that he was in preliminary discussions with several well-known businesses as possible tenants. He would not disclose their names.

"These wouldn't be just a Chili's or Applebee's - people can drive to the suburbs to eat there," Elkington said. "The key to success is to attract entertainment and restaurants unique and special to draw people downtown. What makes Beale Street a draw are things like the B.B. King blues club and the Pat O'Brien's bar that is one of only two in the U.S."

Elkington estimated the BJCC entertainment district would generate $55 million in sales after its first full year of occupancy and create 800 full- and part-time jobs.

The selection of Performa was the biggest development Friday as the BJCC kicked off its Utah retreat, where the panel today is expected to learn how much it would cost to expand the civic center with a 40,000-seat arena that both Birmingham and Jefferson County's top government leaders support.

Under the entertainment district deal, Performa would lease space on BJCC land adjacent to the Southeastern Conference headquarters and develop a two- to three-block entertainment district. The BJCC would get a percentage of sales generated by the district.

Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid and Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins jointly seconded a motion by fellow board member Dennis Lathem to give Jack Fields, the BJCC executive director, and lawyer Tom Stewarts permission to draft a contract with Performa.

Once the contract is written, the full board will vote on it.

Kincaid and Collins said the project would be a "win-win" for both the city and county because Elkington said that Performa doesn't need any government incentives and has enough private financing to complete the project.

"I'm here spinning cartwheels because it's rare you have a developer offer to build something with this magnitude and not need anything from the city," Kincaid said.

Boogie down Beale:

Collins, who said she has seen firsthand how Performa's Beale Street project has revitalized downtown Memphis, said: "We'd be foolish to not go with this group."

Fields said development of an entertainment district will be a crucial part of the BJCC's expansion plans. He said it would be a tremendous draw for tourists and conventioneers, especially when coupled with the 40,000-seat arena that would be built adjacent to the district.

Elkington said Performa plans to include a 100-room hotel in the district as well as apartments above retail shops. In addition, the Sheraton Birmingham plans a 300-room addition to its hotel that will be connected to the district, General Manager Mark Noyes said. That hotel will have services provided by the current 757-room Sheraton Birmingham.

Fields also said that Chattanooga developer Franklin Haney is still interested in building another 300-room hotel near the BJCC. Getting more hotel rooms within walking distance is crucial for the city to attract more conventions, said Jim Smither, president of the Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Two major religious conventions that attracted nearly 6,000 people last year - the Freewill and Presbyterian groups - have both said they wouldn't come back to Birmingham because their members had to stay in hotels as far away as Hoover, Smither said.

"It's not just the lack of hotel rooms," Fields said. "Some of them said there was simply nothing to do at night outside the conventions.

"This is not the first time we've heard this."

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

B'ham Bound

02-24-2007, 08:09 PM

While I'm happy something is being done, this certainly has to qualify as the most idiot chain of events in recent civic history. Paying double for half as much. Man, only in Birmingham!

Blazer85

02-24-2007, 09:10 PM

Well... we all know the primary reason the cost is what it is because of delaying the decision. Now, the 40,000-seat arena will cost $380M. The 60,000-seat version (just 20,000 seats more) would cost $505M now.

BJCC board unanimously votes to build arena
Posted by Birmingham News staff
February 24, 2007 12:02PM

SALT LAKE CITY -- The BJCC board today unanimously voted to support a $505.5 million expansion of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, including a 40,000-seat arena.

Board members approved a plan that includes:
-- $380 million for the arena, with 175,000 square feet of exhibit space and enough space to host football games.
-- $17 million to buy land for the expansion.
-- $10.5 million to expand parking.
-- $10 million for infrastructure improvements.
-- $6 million to upgrade the existing BJCC facade.
-- $5 million to build a skywalk to the existing basketball arena.
-- $2 million to refurbish the existing arena.
-- $75 million to pay off existing debt.

Board members rejected a $625 million plan which would have included a 65,000-seat domed stadium. BJCC officials said the larger stadium would have resulted in only about four more events per year at the facility. The board also rejected another expansion option, which would have added 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, but no seating for events; that option would have cost $291 million.

The BJCC board, including Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid and Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins, is meeting on retreat in Salt Lake City, where the Salt Palace convention center was recently expanded.

The plans still face votes before the Birmingham City Council and the Jefferson County Commission.

--Roy Williams

Biscuit97

02-28-2007, 02:36 PM

Blazer85

02-28-2007, 04:52 PM

Can someone explain the benefit of a 40,000 seat arena? I love the idea of the hotels and the entertainment district, but just don't see the point of a 40,000 seat arena. I think they should either do the big dome like was previouly planned or not do an arena at all. Some may argue we are after an NBA team, but that isn't at all likely to happen. There simply isn't enough interest in the NBA to support a team.

Their thinking is mostly that of a compromise. The city and BJCC want a 65,000-seat dome. But the county sees that as wasteful spending seeing as how there's really only 1 event that draws over 40,000 people in a given year-- the Magic City Classic. The others draw 40,000 or less (UAB football- 22,000 per game, SWAC Championship- 25,000 per game, PapaJohn's.com Bowl- 30,000, etc etc.) So they're thinking "hmm... let's drop the capacity such that we save about $100M thereby making it more popular to the fiscally conservative county commission whose assistance in funding is GREATLY needed." While I understand the thinking, it does seem a bit short-sighted, but how does one deal then with a commission that is unwilling to compromise or even entertain the idea of a 65,000-seat dome.

Legion Field is, for the most part, crumbling. Not just the stadium itself, but the surrounding area. People don't feel safe going there anymore... and that, in part, has hurt those attendance numbers of the events I've listed above. Some of those fears are well-founded and some are just perpetuated by stereotypes and negative publicity in the media. Either way, it's a struggle to host any decent event at Legion Field outside of the Magic City Classic.

Then of course, there's the problem that our current 17,000-capacity arena is too small for alot of events anymore. Many bigger events (basketball and such) require a minimum of 19,000. So that leaves us with an overly-large outdoor stadium in a bad part of town with ZERO entertainment, hotels, etc. nearby and an ever-growingly obsolete arena attached to the BJCC.

It's abundantly clear to me that the hotels, entertainment, expansion of convention space, and upgrades to current facilities MUST happen. The dome/arena thing can continue to be debated if they like. But these other things are necessary if the downtown area expects to continue to progress at an even respectable rate. Man oh man do I wish we could just have the FBI come in and rip every politician out of this city and region and bring in some outsiders that aren't so corrupt and ultraconservative just for the sake of being ultraconservative.

Biscuit97

02-28-2007, 05:42 PM

Thanks for the response.

I whole-heartedly agree with your last paragraph. Birmingham has got to move forward and bring in some entertainment to the downtown area. I love the fact that the Beale Street developers will be working with the City of Birmingham on this development. However, it seems like this compromise is going to turn out to be one in which no one is really happy. Those wanting fiscal conservatism are still going to dump a lot money in to a new arena and those wanting the dome to attract other events and such are going to a get an arena that is not really large enough to attract events that aren't already held in Birmingham. Oh well, at least the entertainment district looks like it is going to get done.

Blazer85

03-05-2007, 04:39 PM

At least SOMETHING might finally be about to come through...

Park funds back on track
Jeffco expected to give $2.5 million for Railroad Reservation project Monday, March 05, 2007
BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

Jefferson County commissioners plan to provide $2.5 million for the Railroad Reservation Park, allowing construction to begin by fall, supporters of the project say.

The county's money will go with $6 million raised so far by the private sector.

The commission's finance committee will consider a resolution today to provide the funding, and all three members of the panel said they were likely to vote in favor.

Commissioners Bettye Fine Collins, Jim Carns and Bobby Humphryes, who make up the committee, have said previous funding commitments are being reconsidered, including an agreement with the City of Birmingham to provide money for the park.

With the county's funding in place, the city will contribute $7.5 million, city officials have said.

Collins, the commission president, said she will vote for the park because questions about private funding were answered last week. Commissioners Larry Langford and Shelia Smoot said they also will vote for the park.

Van Richey, president and CEO of ACIPCO and chairman of the Community Foundation, told the commission that he has contacted nine foundations and "every one of those has committed money toward the project."

"The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has committed $1 million toward the project," he said. "Our goal is to raise $6 million from these nine foundations. We are confident we can do that."

Claude Nielsen, chief executive of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United, said volunteers from the business community were raising money for the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, Red Mountain Park and the Railroad Park, which he called the community's "three anchor parks."

"We are in an early, quiet phase of raising capital with a goal of $12 million from the private sector," he said. "To this point we have communicated with eight prospective donors, six of whom have committed $4.3 million, two have indicated an interest of another $900,000. That will get us to about $5.2 million out of a goal of $12 million from the private sector."

Giles Perkins, president of Friends of the Railroad District, a nonprofit group, said he was pleased that "all the pieces are coming together. This is a great day for the park. The only way we're going to get this done is to have the city, county and private sector working together."

HB Brantley of Brantley Visioneering, the project manager hired last July on the project, said it was imperative that the two local governments put their money in place to spur private-sector donations.

"It's honorable that the county is contributing public dollars for this project that will affect the quality of life for residents in the region," he said. "It shows the public sector's commitment to the greening of Birmingham."

The park will be built downtown from 14th Street South to 18th Street South and from First Avenue South to Morris Avenue. It is expected to be a recreational attraction as well as an economic incubator, with residential and commercial projects planned.

Brantley told the commission that the project will cost $21.7 million - $16.7 million for construction, $3 million for property acquisition and $2 million for fees.

He said a fully functioning park with lakes, trails, gardens, kiosks and a public art and adventure playground should be complete by December 2008.

E-mail: bwright@bhamnews.com

Blazer85

03-13-2007, 03:06 AM

High end in Five Pts.
Hotel Highland to target upscale market
Birmingham Business Journal - March 9, 2007 by Lauren B. Cooper Staff

Renovations continue on the old Pickwick Hotel in Five Points South. Its new name will be the Highland Hotel and will feature a martini bar, developers say.
View Larger Developers of the renovated Pickwick Hotel in Birmingham's Southside will call their new boutique offering The Hotel Highland @ Five Points South.

Currently undergoing a $7 million renovation, the historic property is being transformed into a high-end boutique hotel by Atlanta-based Long and Cox Properties Inc., Denver-based Richfield Hospitality Inc. and Birmingham's Peggy Dye & Associates.

Long and Cox announced in November the hotel had been purchased and was to be renovated, but at the time its name and many of the details were not disclosed.

Slated to open early May, the 63-room property is being transformed into a high-end destination hotel, with modern guestrooms, a martini bar and a state-of-the-art fitness room.

"The new ownership of the hotel is making a significant capital commitment to the property," said Tom Conran, Richfield's vice president of development, in a prepared statement. "We are very excited to be a part of such an ambitious project and our team is confident that the emergence of The Hotel Highland @ Five Points South will quickly become a destination of choice as the only upscale boutique hotel in the Five Points South area of downtown Birmingham."

Mark Hucek, corporate director of sales and marketing for Richfield, said although the hotel will be geared towards an upper-middle-class traveler, prices for rooms will be competitive for the area, ranging from $159 for a regular room to $179 for a suite.

This is the third life for the building, which was originally built as a medical office building in 1919 and later renovated into a hotel in 1984. When the building became a hotel, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Touting a chic and luxurious atmosphere, all 63 guestrooms will be renovated to include marble and granite bathrooms, new modern furniture and LCD TVs. Twenty-eight rooms are suites, which additionally will receive small appliances.

The hotel's martini bar will front 20th Street with a street entrance and will be located where the Pickwick had its breakfast room. The breakfast room will move to the hotel's courtyard area, company officials said.

Garnering recent culinary attention from national newspapers, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, the Five Points South area is home to numerous white-tablecloth restaurants, those known for attracting both local and national upscale clientele.

All of renowned chef Frank Stitt's restaurants - Highland's Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon and Bottega Restaurant and Café - are located in Southside. Other celebrated eateries include Hot and Hot Fish Club, Ocean and its sister restaurant 26.

"If you look at the Five Points area, individuals drive in from Atlanta to have dinner and then they go home," Hucek said. "We believe this area is having a second resurgence with these restaurants. Hopefully, (the hotel) will help that area rebound even further."

David Parker, general manager of Highland's Bar and Grill, said he is excited about having a boutique hotel nearby that he can recommend to out-of-town customers, not to mention the possibilities it will bring for the area.

"Anytime you have existing restaurants and businesses renovating, it encourages everyone else," he said. "It's one of those things, if you clean one window you want to clean another. We're all in historic buildings down here and they need a lot of love and tenderness."

Interior designer for the new hotel, Peggy Dye & Associates, has been based in Birmingham since its founding in 1981. Since then, Dye has designed for numerous hotel brands, including Holiday Inn, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites and Marriott Renaissance, and currently is working on 20 different hotel projects across the country, she said.

Richfield Development said Dye, as an equity partner in the hotel, will consider The Hotel Highland her "showplace."

Developer Long and Cox specializes in development of properties in the hotel and lodging industry.

According to Richfield Hospitality's Web site, the Hotel Highland's management company oversees more than 5,000 rooms across the country for brands such as Hilton, Starwood, Intercontinental and Choice, in addition to several boutique and independent hotels.

lbcooper@bizjournals.com (205) 443-5635

Biscuit97

03-13-2007, 05:15 PM

Big News on NBC13 regarding the BJCC Dome. NBC13 is reporting that a group of private investors, including someone out of Salt Lake City, showed up to City Hall and laid out a plan where said investors would pledge 1.5 billion dollars towards the dome/convention center development. The development would include a 75,000 seat dome, retail, restaurants, luxury hotel, and even a residential area. The City Council has requested a meeting this week to further discuss the proposal. The reporter stated that this group of investors has the 1.5 billion ready to spend, whether it be Birmingham or some other city.

DallasTexan

03-13-2007, 05:35 PM

What?! Link?!

Biscuit97

03-13-2007, 06:17 PM

It was breaking news on the 11:30 news break, so I doubt there is a link yet. I think they are doing a full story on one of tonight's broadcast.

neilson

03-13-2007, 06:26 PM

It was breaking news on the 11:30 news break, so I doubt there is a link yet. I think they are doing a full story on one of tonight's broadcast.
DOME IT UP! DOME IT UP! YEAH!!!! YEAH!!!! YEAH!!!!

http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2657948&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

HSVTiger

03-13-2007, 06:54 PM

From BHM News

The Birmingham City Council wants the BJCC to meet later this week with a consultant who said today that she has $1.5 billion pledged by investors who want to build a 70,000-seat dome and an entertainment district at the BJCC.
Carol Forge Hatcher made a presentation at the City Council meeting, and said she had not been given a full audience with the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Board. The council passed a resolution urging the BJCC board to meeting with Hatcher.
Board chairman Clyde Echols said the BJCC welcomes any proposals from developers interested in helping build the proposed expansion and has given Hatcher plenty of opportunities to share her plans.
Last year, the full BJCC board heard a presentation from Hatcher about a proposed $500 million hotel she wanted to build adjacent to the complex. She said that her project was not being taken seriously because she was black. The board requested more information on who her financial backers were and didn't hear from her again until a few months ago when the BJCC began serious discussions about an entertainment district with Performa Entertainment Group, the Memphis developer of Beale Street, Echols said.
Hatcher then called and said she was working with The Nexus Group, a Utah developer interested in building the BJCC entertainment district. While at its Salt Lake City retreat last month, BJCC Executive Director Jack Fields and board attorney Tom Stewart met with Hatcher and The Nexus Group and toured some of their developments there, Echols said.
"The BJCC has been fair in dealing with Ms. Hatcher," Echols said.
Fields said he told Hatcher before meeting with her group partners in Utah that the BJCC had already signed a letter of intent with Performa to develop the entertainment district. He said Hatcher is welcome to build a hotel at the BJCC because the complex needs lots of extra hotel rooms to meet demand.

Joseph Bryant and Roy Williams

Blazer85

03-13-2007, 11:23 PM

This a very interesting development and definitely worth pursuing. I think if this were totally funded by the private sector, most of the conservatives would be on board. I think most of the more liberal leaders would be for it as well. If this person and group of investors are legitimate, I say let's look very hard at this situation. You can't just push away a $1.5B investment opportunity without even investigating it.

| BRAVO |

03-14-2007, 03:16 AM

I say, Who is this masked lady with $1.5 billion in her hip pocket?

Can I hear $1.75 billion?

Blazer85

03-14-2007, 03:41 PM

It may be in the suburbs (actually Hoover to be exact), but I read in an article today that in April, developers plan to break ground on a 10-story Embassy Suites that would be located on John Hawkins Parkway (ie, Highway 150) and right near the Riverchase Galleria.

Blazer85

03-14-2007, 10:17 PM

BTW... has anyone heard anything recently about the Fed. Reserve development?

I was doing some digging around looking at some of the other Lexington Collection Hotels and found this one in Orlando.

http://www.lexingtonhotels.com/Images/Uploads/PropertyHeros/Lexington_Property1_hero.jpg

Certainly no guarantee the Birmingham version would look like this, but it looks pretty neat to me.

Blazer85

03-19-2007, 04:09 PM

I think this is a terrific idea. The area around the Civil Rights District has long been neglected by investors and redevelopment teams. Besides the money they're looking to put into the project, I really like the idea. Something like this could also spur on some restaurants or other retail to spring up nearby. Hopefully no one messes this up or tries to stand in its way... I can't imagine any reason why they would, but you never know in this city.

Developer may restore Gaston Motel
$40 million project would bring hotel, retail to Civil Rights district
Monday, March 19, 2007JOSEPH D. BRYANTNews staff writer

Birmingham's Civil Rights District would get an upscale hotel, retail, meeting space and lofts as part of a $40 million project to renovate the A.G. Gaston Motel.

San Francisco investment banker Calvin Grigsby, CEO of Grigsby & Associates, met Friday with Mayor Bernard Kincaid's staff where he presented a plan to overhaul the district, with the shuttered historic Gaston Motel as the centerpiece.

"It will generate around it an entire revitalization of that area," Grigsby said.

Grigsby represents St. Louis developer Michael V. Roberts, chairman and chief executive of the Roberts Companies. Roberts, a lawyer, has a business empire that includes eight hotels, television stations, office buildings, loft apartments, a shopping center and a wireless company, Roberts Wireless Communications. He chairs the National Association of Black Hotel Owners and serves on the board of the International Association of Shopping Centers. Roberts visited Birmingham last month and expressed interest in the city following his appearance at the A.G. Gaston Economic Empowerment Conference.

"Mike agreed to find the finance team and build it," Grigsby said. Grigsby last week opened an office downtown to establish a local presence.

"Mike's got me down here to do the feasibility performance," Grigsby said. "This project is worthwhile."

In his proposal, Grigsby is asking the city for about $9 million in incentives that include $3 million cash and $6 million in rebates from property tax. Work could begin on the project this summer, Grigsby said

Kincaid said his staff will meet with Grigsby again next week.

"They're doing number-crunching at this time," Kincaid said. "We'll do whatever is reasonable to make this happen. What it would mean for that side of downtown would be just wonderful."

Kincaid called Michael Roberts and his company an American success story that he hopes will find additional prosperity in Birmingham.

"The fact that we have a minority firm makes me very excited, and this is a firm that presents credentials," he said.

The city currently owns the Gaston Motel and has allocated more than $300,000 in recent years to maintain and secure the building.

The proposal calls for a new hotel on the west side of the old motel, along with a commercial building to be used as a conference center. The property abuts the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which receives about 140,000 visitors a year from 40 countries.

Grigsby said the new buildings would be connected to the motel, which will be redeveloped into an interactive museum.

Built in 1954 by the famed entrepreneur, the Gaston Motel was one of few motels for black customers and became a meeting place for civil rights leaders including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.

"Once he saw the A.G. Gaston project, he was simply giddy," said Councilman William Bell, who gave his friend Roberts a tour of the city. "I've known Mr. Grigsby and Mr. Roberts for some time now, and they're very creative in finding ways for projects to work in the inner city."

Councilman Steven Hoyt, chairman of the council's economic development committee, has also met with Roberts and his team.

"We have longed to have African-Americans to really have interest in investing in Birmingham," he said. "This is a great opportunity not only for the historical downtown, but also to set a new precedent."

Kincaid said he was especially pleased the developers want to highlight the historic significance of the original motel, which was bombed in 1963.

Grigsby said his office identified $3 million in savings for the city with the refinancing of bonds. The city is expected to go back to the bond market within a few weeks, and Grigsby said his financial model would yield the extra unanticipated cash.

"I discovered this as a way to find money to do the project," he said.

E-mail: jbryant@bhamnews.com

B'ham Bound

03-19-2007, 08:29 PM

It is interesting that there were no serious plans to developed the Civil Rights area until recently. There were plans to place phase II of the Metropolitan Gardens HOPE VI development adjacent to the area but they are now slated for construction near Lakeshore Parkway. It's good considering they will still be within the city limits but I'm still disappointed the city couldn't address the developer's concerns about the property - and yes, I partially blame Kincaid's poor leadership.

Both projects could have complimented each other nicely and would have done nothing but boost the image of the Civil Rights Institute and 4th Avenue Historic District -- something that I believe should have happened a long time ago, especially since Atlanta seems to be moving forward with plans to build their own Civil Rights museum. But I digress. In any case, I'm glad to see this plan coming together. It will be a welcome addition to the downtown landscape.

Blazer85

03-20-2007, 05:11 AM

This is a Metro Birmingham project, but it sounds pretty cool anyway...

Hoover Council approves federal computer institute
Posted by Birmingham News staff March 19, 2007 22:03PM

The Hoover City Council tonight authorized Mayor Tony Petelos to sign contracts to allow the U.S. Secret Service a rent-free six-year lease in the Hoover Public Safety Center. The Secret Service will operate the National Computer Forensic Institute, which is expected to bring about 1,000 trainees to the city each year.

The state will spend $5 million to build the center's facilities, which will occupy 33,000 square feet in the Public Safety Center. The Shelby County Commission will spend up to $250,000 on architect fees. Should the center leave within the first three years, Hoover would have to reimburse the state and county 40 percent of their costs.

Mike Cason

Blazer85

03-21-2007, 01:25 AM

Brasfield & Gorrie gets UAB hospital contract
Posted by Birmingham News business staff March 20, 2007 17:16PM

The executive committee of the University of Alabama System board of trustees awarded an $87.7 million contract Tuesday to Brasfield & Gorrie for the outside construction work of UAB Hospital's Women and Infants' Facility and radiation oncology center.

The cost also includes a design-build management fee and architectural design of the interior. Site work already has started and construction is expected to begin later this spring.

Brasfield & Gorrie submitted the low bid in January. The executive committee will vote again when the hospital gets bids for the interior construction.

The women's facility and radiation center will be on the city block between 5th and 6th Avenues South and 17th and 18th streets.

Anna Velasco
Filed at 5:20 p.m.

Mayfd24

03-21-2007, 04:36 AM

Found a good one from The Birminghamster (http://www.birminghamster.com/) from a few days ago :hmmm:

http://www.birminghamster.com/images/halfdome_lg.jpg

Board Opts For Half-Dome
Salt Lake City, UT (JM) - The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Authority, while on their annual retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah, formally adopted a resolution calling for plans to be developed for a reduced vision of their former proposal for an 80,000-seat multi-purpose covered event facility as part of an expansion of the BJCC.

The current proposal, dubbed a 'Half Dome', would have 40,000 seats, all on one side of the field. This would make it easier to use the facility for major conventions, concerts and other events while also providing room for future expansion should the board ever be able to purchase the necessary adjoining property.

Critics were quick to compare this half-dome proposal with one that was publicized seven years ago for Vulcan Park, but organizers say that the current proposal is so disimilar as to render comparisons fruitless. "It's half-apples and half-oranges," said BJCC director Jack Fields.

Jefferson County Commission president Bettye Fine Collins, who is a member of the BJCC board, insisted that, even though the half-dome is not primarily a sports arena, it would be designed to allow for a football configuration. It is expected that UAB would become one of the tenants for the new facility. Recently-appointed athletic director Brian Mackin said he had not seen the specifics and that UAB was still pursuing an on-campus field for home games. "But for the big games when Mississippi State or one of the big boys comes to town, it would be very handy to have a venue with 40,000 seats on the visitor's side."

There is every indication that the city of Birmingham will half-honor its commitment, as well as Jefferson County. With each of those entities contributing half of the cost (which is expected to be about half of the previously-projected cost of an 80,000 seat stadium), all that remains is for the State of Alabama to contribute its half so that Brantley Visioneering can be contracted to develop a project schedule.