[Dystopos]

I thought it would be worthwhile to start a new thread for new news, since the other one is several pages already.

I'll start us off with something from the December 30, 2005 print edition of the Birmingham Business Journal:

"As national news stories continue to trumpet a Chicken Little scenario with respect to the 2006 residential real estate market, local real estate watchers concur that Birmingham will remain stable next year, thanks to a diversified economy, strong employment numbers and favorable demographic trends."

(link to full story) (http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/01/02/story1.html)

[Randy Sandford]

At first, I wasn't sure if a new thread would be a great idea because people may want to reread previously posted info in the old thread in the future and have trouble locating it once it drops off the first page of this section. But, I came up with a solution to that problem.

TO ACCESS THE ORIGINAL BIRMINGHAM DEVELOPMENT THREAD, FOLLOW THIS LINK:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=74180

[Dystopos]

Bold thinking. Bold results.

[Blazer85]

Thinking inside the box: Developers envision transformation of stark downtown structure
Friday, January 06, 2006

The transformation of downtown's Athens Building from a windowless brown box into stylish condominiums will begin in earnest next month as the building's exterior is removed as part of the $9 million Athens Flats project.

Interior demolition is nearly complete on the four-story building at the corner of 23rd Street and Second Avenue North, according to developer Adam Cohen, who is handling the conversion along with partner and construction manager Rio Valeriano of Knoxville.

New renderings show how plenty of glass, color, finishes and balconies will transform the look of the building's exterior. Interior finishes such as hardwood floors and granite countertops will do the same to the inside.

"You're taking a building that was built with the attitude of sealing everything in and not letting in too much natural light and turning it into living space where natural light and windows are important elements," said Rob Walker, whose Rob Walker Architects LLC is designing the project. "Other projects I've done had most of the emphasis on the interior, but here the exterior was a focal point."

Walker said he took elements of other buildings to come up with the proper scale when creating the exterior with large windows and balconies.

Cohen said the extra work on the building is worth it given its location on Second Avenue North.

"This is one of the most neighborhood-like streets in all of downtown," Cohen said. "This is the right place to do this kind of project."

About half of the building's 37 condos have been sold. Ingram & Associates is handling the pre-sale of the units.

Jones-Williams Construction Co. is general contractor.

Michael Tomberlin --

[paladin]

I was a little let down by the renderings it have been seeing on the site. It just doesn't look like it is in stride with downtown. But then again I guess I should be glad that it is happening. I just wish they would hurry up with Jefferson.

[Blazer85]

Slow news lately. Things typically seem to come in spurts. I hope there's something quietly in the works.

[Blazer85]

Local officials predict SSA spillover
Kaija Wilkinson
Staff

If it takes money to make money, the northwestern edge of downtown Birmingham boasts a much brighter future today than it did only a year ago. The difference is dollars -- about 100 million of them.

With a 20-year lease from the federal government in hand, a developer is investing that amount to build a new office building in an area where private investment has been essentially dormant. Local real estate agents, envisioning the 2,200 people who will work in the Social Security Administration's new payment-processing center, anticipate more dollars will follow them there.

Ground was broken on the 587,000-square-foot complex in January 2005, and a building on the 10-and-a-half-acre parcel has already been demolished in anticipation of a January 2008 move-in. Further development is likely to be announced before that, though.

"You're putting a lot of people in a new location where there are a lot of people now, so that will activate that whole western end of 8th Avenue North, that whole corridor," says Cathy Crenshaw, president of Sloss Real Estate. "It will be great for the civil rights district, a real opportunity for housing to start developing around the civil rights institute. And you're going to see restaurants, obviously, with that many people working nearby."

The new building is taking shape between 8th and 9th avenues north and 12th and 14th streets north. It will replace the current SSA building located on 19th and 20th streets just north of the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. It will have a 1,765-space parking deck.

Owned by Tennessee real estate magnate Franklin Haney, the current building is more than 30 years old, but still presents redevelopment opportunities, with its approximately 600,000 square feet, 2,000 parking spots and strategic location, notes Operation New Birmingham president Michael Calvert.

"We would hope that would be a major, job-producing opportunity," says Calvert.

Among the possible reuses Haney could be looking at: A call center or back office for an insurance company, bank or even another federal tenant. Calvert says particularly in the evenings, the ample parking could be used for events at the BJCC. Because of its large floors and few windows, the building will likely not house a business like a law office, where natural light is valued.

Speaking of natural light, the new facility will boast plenty, with no employee seated more than 40 feet from a window. Developer-contrator Opus South Corp. of Atlanta is aiming for Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification on the project, which requires that environmental standards be incorporated.

Designed by architecture firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc., based in Washington, D.C., the building will incorporate energy-efficient features such as a north-south orientation to take advantage of "daylight harvesting," says Duane Wood, vice president of Opus South Corp. in Atlanta. The building will have a "green roof" that uses rainwater to feed a rooftop garden.

Crenshaw calls the Leed-certified aspect of the project a harbinger of hope for downtown Birmingham. "It will raise the bar, citywide, for developers and builders to look at buildings that focus on green development," she says, noting that some developers already are, with projects like Homewood Middle School.

Recipient of the BBJ's 2004 Real Estate Deal of the Year award in the public sector category, the school was designed by Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. and developed by Robert Simon of Corporate Realty Associates Inc. and the Homewood School Board. Its eco-friendly design was a large factor in its being chosen.

"It's the cutting edge," Crenshaw says of environmentally friendly buildings. "That's where development is going."

Other Fed projects
While the current SSA building is owned by Haney and leased to the GSA, the new one will be owned by Opus South and leased to GSA. "GSA and the city of Birmingham are continuing our excellent working relationship with this new SSA facility," said Ed Fielder, GSA regional administrator, in a prepared statement. "We recently completed excellent results and high performance in the form of two beautiful new structures for the FBI and DEA/ATF not far from here."

In spring 2005, the FBI moved into its new, $34 million, 86,200-square-foot office at 9th and 10th avenues north and 17th and 18th streets. The GSA also plans new headquarters for the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the same parcel.

The GSA, in particular, is focused on revitalization of inner-city neighborhoods, says Wood, noting similar success stories in Washington, D.C. Wood praises local officials for working with SSA and GSA to land the site.

"We've been just overwhelmed with the can-do attitude of the people within and the city and the mayor's office," Wood says. "We will do the best job we can, not only for GSA and SSA but also for the city of Birmingham."

Because of an executive order signed into law 28 years ago by then-President Jimmy Carter, all new Federal buildings are required to be built within cities' central business districts.

Wood says he has no doubt the project will spur further development in the area, adding that Opus could be involved. "We would be interested in pursuing some other projects in the immediate area," he says.

As the building takes shape, Woods predicts that additional projects will be announced. Once "people are coming in and out every day," development will kick into high gear, he says.

kwilkinson@bizjournals.com - (205) 443-5637

[Blazer85]

I noticed that there were signs on I-65 saying that Exit 264 will be closed this Saturday (Jan 14th) for some sort of construction/road work. This is very near to where I-22 will be intersecting I-65. Anyone know if that's indeed what this is related to? Cant seem to find out on the AL DoT site.

[codyg1985]

I noticed that there were signs on I-65 saying that Exit 264 will be closed this Saturday (Jan 14th) for some sort of construction/road work. This is very near to where I-22 will be intersecting I-65. Anyone know if that's indeed what this is related to? Cant seem to find out on the AL DoT site.

Nothing at all to do with I-22. The ramp closure was done for "emergency repaving" in the area.

Construction has not yet begun on the connection of I-22 with I-65, but everyone will know when construction begins by the scale of the project that will be necessary to make the connection.

[stgeorge]

According to ALDOT, the I-65/22 interchange will be the most expensive to date in Alabama. They are also planning to widen I-65 from 'malfunction junction' (I-65/20/59 interchange) to I-22.

Given all that, we'll all know when to take cover (or alternate routes).

Construction is supposed to be complete (interchange with I-65 and Highway 31 included) by 2011.

We shall see.

[Blazer85]

Many nights, I've seen lights on in the Cabana. Anyone have any news on that? Has interior work begun or something?

[LSyd]

Many nights, I've seen lights on in the Cabana. Anyone have any news on that? Has interior work begun or something?

George Wallace and Bear Bryant's ghosts probably ;)

-

[paladin]

Many nights, I've seen lights on in the Cabana. Anyone have any news on that? Has interior work begun or something?

They seem to be on almost every night in the same rooms and floors. I want to have an unauthorized visit before construction begins however jail has never appealed to me... oh well. :(

[LSyd]

http://www.bhamweekly.com/archived/pages/20060119_news.php

How the other half fights
A Red Mountain neighborhood takes on one of its own
By Phillip Jordan

The Birmingham City Council voted 7-2 on Tuesday, Jan. 17, to deny George Barber’s request to re-zone property on Red Mountain in order to build a 15.5-acre residential development that would have included a six-story condominium. The vote follows months of acrimonious debate between Barber Companies officials who claimed the plan would increase Birmingham’s population and tax base, and opponents who worried the condo would destroy the integrity of Redmont Park’s low-density, single-family neighborhood.

Only two councilors – Joel Montgomery and Roderick Royal – voted for the rezoning after a heated public hearing. The neighborhood association’s vociferous opposition to the development may have ultimately trumped a proposal that many councilors indicated would have otherwise exceeded all the council’s requirements.

“This is an absolutely wonderful project, but it is in the absolutely wrong spot,” said Councilor Carol Reynolds.

Dead on arrival
Barber’s development – called The Crest – would have created a 68-unit condo and 21 single-family residencies inside a gated parcel of land already owned by Barber. It would have been situated between the Red Mountain Expressway on the east and Woodcrest Road on the west. In order to build The Crest, however, Barber needed the city to change the zoning on the land from its single-family R-1 designation to R-3 and R-6 to allow for multi-family units. Several nearby portions of Red Mountain have a variety of zoning designations, including R-6, and Barber hoped that fact would help persuade the council to provide him with an exception.

Don Erwin, Barber Companies’ vice president of corporate development, claimed some families in the neighborhood supported the project. From the very beginning, however, the plan was greeted with vocal hostility from many residents. The site’s $850,000 condos might have fit in with the demographics of the neighborhood, but the building’s six-story height dwarfed any positives that local residents might have perceived in the project.

At Tuesday’s city council hearing, Erwin displayed Barber Companies’ reasoning in asking for the rezoning. He cited the environmental impact and traffic studies that the city’s own departments agreed presented little cause for concern. Erwin also emphasized the need for a diversity of housing options in Birmingham and said The Crest would generate revenue for the city in the form of property taxes.

“Zoning is not an absolute guarantee that nothing will change,” Erwin said when addressing the question of land use. “If that was the case Linn Park would still be surrounded by single-family homes. In order to deny this request, you have to have more of a reason than just not wanting to change.”

Erwin concluded his 25-minute presentation by stating that it was his belief that the development would bring wealthier citizens to the city and that, with the view of downtown that The Crest would offer, the site’s residents would become civically active and invest their resources in Birmingham.

“The city would matter to them because this view of Birmingham becomes the Renoir on the wall for them at all times,” Erwin said.

Neighbor knows best?
Following the statements of those who supported Barber’s proposal, detractors of the development finally got their chance to respond halfway through the hearing. Several Redmont Park residents warned the council not to repeat the mistakes made in the ‘60s and ’70s when city officials allowed a wave of ill-conceived high-density developments on Birmingham’s Southside.

Other comments came much as were expected and included concerns over the mountain’s landslide perceptibility and the effect the gated development would have on the neighborhood’s historic character. Several speakers noted Barber’s vast real estate holdings and vacant lots, and suggested that Barber should build the condo on another more suitable site that he already owned.

Most important, however, was the unified message that the council should simply listen to the requests of its neighborhoods. Many residents of other city neighborhoods offered their solidarity with Redmont Park.

“I think the neighborhood should be able to decide what it wants to do,” said Southside resident Gene Edelman. “Please do not open this door to other developers who will use this case as a precedent. The neighborhoods have said ‘no’ and you have no choice but to support them.”

“You have to listen to the neighborhoods and it’s time we started helping each other out on issues like this,” said Titusville neighborhood president Edward Ramsey. “I hope these neighborhoods we support will come out and support us when the time comes.”

Redmont Park resident and former engineer Judd Webb offered his neighborhood’s official counter-presentation and challenged several of Erwin’s claims. He focused on the environmental concerns Barber Companies had glossed over and insisted that Erwin’s definition of “spot zoning” was incorrect. By Erwin’s reasoning – that because the proposed site bordered an R-6 development on one side, Barber’s site should receive R-6 designation – Webb contended that other developers could then use that rationale to change zoning designations in a continuous, piecemeal fashion.

“Changing the zoning in our neighborhood would completely undermine the city’s land-use plan and master plan,” Webb concluded.

Making it personal
If Erwin’s calm, compelling opening argument had an effect on any undecided councilors, he may have lost it with his rebuttal against Webb’s presentation. He first called Webb “an inactive engineer” who was not qualified to talk about the development, and then responded to Webb’s comment that Barber Companies was an “out-of-town developer” (Barber Companies’ headquarters is based in Inverness off Highway 280 but George Barber lives in Redmont Park on the land he wants rezoned).

“George Barber has lived on Red Mountain since he was born in 1940,” Erwin said. “And his company has invested more than half of its developments in the city of Birmingham. I don’t see that type of commitment to the city coming from our opponents.

“Don Long (a Redmont Park resident opposed to The Crest) was such big a fan of Birmingham that he was the one who built a condo 15 feet from a historic home in the neighborhood years ago and originally even asked us if he could be the engineer on The Crest development,” Barber sarcastically stated.

“Bill Mudd (another Redmont Park opponent) is such a fan of Birmingham that he has used a publication, the Black and White to bash our proposal. Nobody ever disclosed that he was married to the executive editor and that he is an investor in that paper when they were quoting him bashing our project. That paper has a column in it called the “Dead City Diaries” that constantly bashes the city of Birmingham.”

At that point, Councilor Valerie Abbott, whose district includes Redmont Park, interrupted Erwin and chided him for resorting to personal attacks – whether they were true or not. Abbott’s scolding elicited a standing ovation from the capacity crowd of primarily Redmont Park residents.

“I resent the character assassination that one man thought would get him the votes he needed for this project,” Councilor Reynolds added later.

The council’s 7-2 vote quickly followed.

Cresting the next wave
Afterwards, a more subdued Erwin faced reporters while George Barber – who never spoke at the hearing – exited the building. Erwin did not say if Barber would appeal the council’s decision to the Jefferson County courts and he would not say whether Barber would agree to put The Crest development in a different location.

“This was a very unique site,” Erwin said. “This site had the potential to draw all types of people to the city of Birmingham. It was a unique site and a unique project. We’ll have to see where we go next.

“Projects like this have a lot of issues of fact involved with them,” Erwin said. “A lot of time trying to get those facts across is very difficult in a public forum like this.”

For his part, Webb said he hoped Barber would find a more suitable site for the development.

“I hope he will,” Webb said. “Birmingham is growing leaps and bounds, and property has been neglected all over the city. Hopefully, the owners of derelict and neglected properties will either revitalize them or tear them down and rebuild them.

“I think the adjacent property below The Crest would be a suitable site where an old apartment complex is now and I still support the development of the R-1 part of the property because diversity doesn’t mean just the middle of the economic base. We were against this proposal, but we still want to attract the George Barbers of the area back to Birmingham.”

Contact Phillip Jordan at phillip@bhamweekly.com.

-

[LSyd]

http://www.bhamweekly.com/archived/pages/20060119_war%20on%20dumb.php

war on dumb
The worst laid plans
Newbie council breaks a Big Mule
By Kyle Whitmire

George Barber and his primary proxy, Don Erwin, have spent the last year trying to convince the Birmingham City Council that they had the perfect plan for Red Mountain. On 15 acres adjacent to the expressway “cut,” the real estate magnate wanted to build a small circle of single-family homes and a six-story complex of condominiums — all fenced off from those Redmont Park ruffians who were already mad enough to storm the gates. For his new Fortress of Solitude, Barber offered to sacrifice his own home, which currently sits on the site.

For the project to move forward, Barber needed the city to rezone the property from R-1 single-family housing to R-6 multi-family housing. However, the newly constituted council was much more resistant than he had anticipated. After nearly four hours of debate, the council nixed Barber’s plan with a 7-to-2 vote. The Redmont residents, who filled the chambers and spilled into the hall, burst into applause.

I wish I could feel as good about what the councilors did. I don’t disagree with the decision. However, I have to wonder whether they did the right thing for the wrong reasons.

During the debate, several councilors gave extemporaneous rationalizations for killing the project. Councilor Steve Hoyt questioned whether the project fit into the context of the neighborhood. He said the size of the project seemed out of character with the rest of the area. Councilor Carole Smitherman argued that the impact on traffic would be detrimental. To anyone who has driven up the narrow roads to the neighborhood, that much was apparent.

My sticking point, however, has to do with planning. Everyone at Tuesday’s meeting had strong opinions about George Barber’s plan, but I’m more concerned with the City of Birmingham’s plan.

There is a right way and a wrong way to guide development. The right way is to plan in advance, setting economic priorities and environmental protections. The wrong way is to adapt whatever “plan” is in place in order to satisfy the whims of private enterprise, especially when that agenda is contrary to the public’s interest. Unfortunately, many elected officials have yet to learn this seemingly simple concept.

Imagine for a moment that you wanted to redecorate your living room. And imagine, if you have to, that you have enough money to hire an interior designer to help.

A sensible person would let the designer draft a plan first. Sure, you would have some input. However, the tough work falls on the expert, who picks the wallpaper, the furniture, the flooring and whatever else, and then maps out where all this stuff is supposed to go.

That’s what a sensible person would do.

Never would you pick out all this stuff by yourself, arrange the furniture, hang the wallpaper, lay the carpet and then call the designer to sketch out what you had already done. That would be stupid.

But in some respect, that is exactly what our city and county leaders have been doing for quite some time.

For years, the Jefferson County Commission has approved and paid for new infrastructure, especially new sewer expansion, simply because developers wanted it. Nobody considered raising the impact fees on new developments until after the county had run up billions in debt. And no one seemed to consider that planning and infrastructure should lead development, not the other way around. Instead, residential developers petitioned the county to give them whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it — roads, sewers, tax abatements, you name it.

More recently, Commissioner Mary Buckelew all but trashed a county floodplain ordinance that had received input from business representatives, government leaders and county residents. Instead, Buckelew allowed a shady coalition of developers (including Barber) to draft a new ordinance from whole cloth. After a lengthy hearing Thursday, the Jefferson County Zoning Advisory Committee dumped the new ordinance, too. However, the committee’s recommendation to the county commission is not binding.

While Birmingham hasn’t hocked the homestead yet, the city’s habits haven’t fared much better than Jefferson County. Two years ago, when Grants Mill Estates (read: Drummond Coal) asked the city to rezone property near the Cahaba River, the council couldn’t move fast enough. The council gave no discernable consideration for fire protection, police protection or schools, all of which are miles away from the property.

Forget your grandchildren — your great-grandchildren will be paying for these kinds of mistakes.

But perhaps, our leaders (at least those officials not under indictment) are beginning to learn from those mistakes. It’s not every day that you see a public body such as the Birmingham City Council tell a Big Mule such as Barber to go shove it. Of course, this is a new council. They have a lot to learn and a long time for folks like Barber and Erwin to teach them.

As I said before, I’m not sure that the council is sure why it voted against rezoning Barber’s property. But as they lie in bed at night, wondering whether that decision will cost them in four years (or in some cases, two), I hope a new rationale will crystallize.

When Barber consolidated his property on Red Mountain, he did so with full knowledge that he was buying up and demolishing homes in an R-1 single-family district. Zoning exists for a reason. When you buy property in a single-family district, you do so with the understanding that your neighbor won’t build an eyesore next door. When you buy property in a single-family district, you do so with the understanding that you can’t build an eyesore for your neighbor.

While some (Councilor Joel Montgomery) may argue that Barber has a right to do with his property as he pleases, his neighbors have property rights, too. They have the right to peace of mind — that the city won’t let someone such as George Barber shit in their nests.

War on Dumb is a column on political culture. Contact Kyle Whitmire at kyle@bhamweekly.com.

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[LSyd]

i've got very mixed feelings about this;

1. i like the idea of keeping a historic neighborhood intact, that's good, and a gated community sounds bad, but it's what anti-urban rich hicks seem to like...
2. ...i hate the setback to progress/anti-progress/anti-urban attitude espoused by some rich hicks
2.5 i like how those people were knoced by Barber's guy
3. couldn't there have been a compromise? smaller condo (3 stories maybe?)
4. hopefully this will get built elsewhere...there was a pic in the printed Weekly, but not on their web site; anyway, the building looked great
5. ultimately i think i agree with the "war on dumb" piece; right result, wrong reasons
6. is this all just political somehow?

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[dfwtiger]

i've got very mixed feelings about this;

1. i like the idea of keeping a historic neighborhood intact, that's good, and a gated community sounds bad, but it's what anti-urban rich hicks seem to like...
2. ...i hate the setback to progress/anti-progress/anti-urban attitude espoused by some rich hicks
2.5 i like how those people were knoced by Barber's guy
3. couldn't there have been a compromise? smaller condo (3 stories maybe?)
4. hopefully this will get built elsewhere...there was a pic in the printed Weekly, but not on their web site; anyway, the building looked great
5. ultimately i think i agree with the "war on dumb" piece; right result, wrong reasons
6. is this all just political somehow?

-

If Barber and his guys had open the door to the community and provided a neighborhood charrette, they would have got what they wanted. People like to voice their opinions, speak out, and pass their knowledge about what a neighborhood means to them. The charrette would have saved them lots of time and money. Most likely, it would have given them the product they wanted with only slight modifications. Personally, if you look at the Olmstead vision for Birmingham, towers on the mountain were not part of the plan.

The "HAM" has many vacant locations from infill mid to high density developments. The top of the mountain is not my idea of a good location. More density around existing commercial villages....providing some services within walking distance would be my first choice.

Does anyone have an update on the infill residential project in Lakeview across from Bombay?

[dfwtiger]

The Birmingham News
Condo project offers `village look' to city intersection
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The developer of downtown Homewood's SoHo Square has begun work on his next project - a $25 million complex with condominiums and shops at the corner of Broadway and Green Springs Highway.

Scott Bryant, whose Cyprus Partners built the $55 million SoHo project, said Wednesday the project, called Broadway Park Condominiums, should be completed by spring 2007. His firm last year bought a 1.3-acre parcel from the city between Broadway and old Broadway that terminated in front of a group of vacant apartments.

Bryant said both apartment buildings, built in 1929, had reached "the end of their life cycle" and were torn down to make way for the development. Plans call for Broadway Place to have 64 condos and 10,000 to 12,000 square feet for shops.

The condos will range from nearly 900 square feet to 1,900 square feet and feature 10-foot ceilings, large windows and secured private parking for residents. All of the condos will have private balconies and patios.

"It will have more of a village look than SoHo," Bryant said.

The condos will be brick and stucco finish, with a choice between one and three bedrooms. Prices will range from $220,000 to $498,000.

"We started taking pre-orders 10 days ago and have already sold half of them," Bryant said.

Construction will start in the next 45 days. Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds is serving as architect on the project; McCrory Building Co. is handling construction.

Bryant said the condos appeal to empty nesters, young professionals and others who want to get closer to the heart of downtown. "It's a very good location, with perfect access to downtown Birmingham and the Southside," he said.

Last fall, Bryant's SoHo Square development, which mixes loft condos, ground-floor retail space and government offices, opened on 29th Street in downtown Homewood. Commercial tenants include Greyhouse Grille, SoHo Sweets and Zoe's Kitchen.

In February, SoHo Square will see the opening of several new stores, Bryant said. Among them: Fusion Spa, a specialty market called Tria Market, Jackson's Bistro, and two women's boutiques, Laney's Place and Dorie's.

Roy L. Williams --

[dfwtiger]

Commission OKs plan for new Colonial headquarters

Wednesday, February 08, 2006
PATRICK HICKERSON
Birmingham News staff writer

Colonial Properties Trust is planning to consolidate some of its Birmingham-area operations at a future corporate headquarters at Colonial Brookwood Village in Homewood.

The Homewood Planning Commission Tuesday night approved Colonial's plan to build a 9-story, 150,000-square-foot office building, including a four-story 897-space parking deck and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor specialty retail.

Colonial would fill a third of the building with about 150 employees. The building would rise at the mall next to Parisian, with its back to Shades Mountain. Construction is expected to start in May with completion in June 2007.

Kyle Collins, Colonial senior vice president, expected the construction work to take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. He told commissioners the company would seek permission from the city if it had to work after 8 p.m.

Collins said after the meeting that the initial plan is to make the building its corporate headquarters, and consolidate operation near U.S. 280 and Interstate 459.

Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley after the meeting arched his eyebrows and uttered one word at the prospect of the relocation.

"Nice," he said.

The commission in other actions:

Approved a resurvey for the Parkridge Cottage condominiums along Central Avenue. The approval is based on the developer getting the City Council to vacate an alley through the site.

Scheduled a work session for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 21 to discuss rezoning several downtown properties from C-3 and C-4 to C-4a

[dfwtiger]

A dream for Crestwood
Less retail, more housing suggested for struggling area
Sunday, February 05, 2006
HANNAH WOLFSON
Birmingham News staff writer

The area around Eastwood Mall should have less retail, a new hotel and a surge of condominium development in the next five to 20 years, according to a new master plan commissioned by the City of Birmingham.

The Crestwood/Oporto Redevelopment Plan created by KPS Group Inc. calls for new roads, landscaping and even a bridge over Oporto-Madrid Boulevard to create a pedestrian-friendly district with shops, civic buildings and housing.

It's a dream plan for an area that has been in decline for years, said Carol Clarke, director of economic development for the City of Birmingham.

The city is in negotiations with Wal-Mart for a store and a 160,000-square-foot shopping center on the site of the former Eastwood Mall, with as much as $11 million in incentives on the table. But although the city may decide in the future to fund some of the additional public improvements called for in the plan, most of the development ideas are just that - ideas.

The city will hold a public meeting Thursday to reveal the details of the study, which looked at the area's 476 acres, including more than 2 million square feet of retail space. It included a market study, traffic analysis, interviews with landowners and reviews by a steering committee that included city staff and neighborhood officers.

"Essentially it confirmed what we already knew - that this area can't sustain this much retail for the long-term," Clarke said. "It told us that if we did nothing, this area will continue to decline."

It also found that 66 percent of area homes are occupied by just one or two people, and 40 percent of respondents said they would be interested in attached housing. That led KPS to decide there's a market for condominiums and townhouses for young couples and empty nesters who could be attracted by the neighborhoods nearby, proximity to Interstate 20 and hilltop views. They also suggested new apartments to replace aging rentals in the area.

In turn, Clarke said, new residents would support a retail market that has become increasingly local in the years since Eastwood Mall - once a magnet for shoppers around the region - has fallen in popularity.

Streets

At the center of the plan are new or redesigned streets around the current intersection of Crestwood and Oporto-Madrid Boulevards. A new "Mainstreet" forms a horseshoe shape from Crestwood Boulevard at Century Plaza, across Oporto on an overpass, linking to what is now a closed Toys R Us. A sloping green lawn would become a "Town Square" and a greenway or bike path would run along the entire street.


The new lawn, landscaping and streets would help draw traffic off Interstate 20 to the shopping area and provide a center for the new homes, Clarke said.

"The neighborhood is underserved with parks, outdoor spaces and community facilities, suggesting a demand for community life," KPS vice president Amy Smith said in notes on the project.

The plan outlines six key development opportunities. Several imagine the relocation of businesses that have given no indication they plan to move, including K-Mart, Big Lots and Regal Cinemas' Festival Stadium 18 movie theater.

Five- and 20-year imaginings of Century Plaza call for the mall to morph into a Summit-style lifestyle center, with stores, restaurants and entertainment such as a movie theater or bowling alley. A new tower would be a beacon to draw shoppers from I-20. In the long-term version, a cluster of multi-family dwellings sit high on the hill overlooking the development.

Of course, there's still an operating mall at Century Plaza. Sean McIntosh, general manager at Century Plaza, said owner General Growth Properties of Chicago is still exploring redevelopment options.

"General Growth definitely has some concerns and issues with the plan and we plan to bring them up at the meeting next week," said Sean McIntosh, general manager at Century Plaza. "Overall, we're delighted the city has taken such an interest in developing the area."

The eastern corner of Oporto-Madrid and Crestwood Boulevard, the site of a defunct Toys R Us, could include a hotel, restaurants, shops and entertainment along a boardwalk above the new grassy plaza. KPS found hotels in the area are at high occupancy and determined more could thrive. The "Town Square" theme would be continued with space for a police substation, fire station and library. Clarke said the library, long a draw at Eastwood Mall and recently relocated to a rental storefront nearby, would be a natural for the spot. A police substation has been requested repeatedly by merchants in the area but is far from guaranteed, she said, and she said a fire station would depend on the condition of the nearest active station.

The current K-Mart site at the corner of Crestwood Boulevard and Montclair would remain a large store under the plan - possibly a home improvement or furniture store - with restaurants and other outparcels facing Crestwood Boulevard. K-Mart has given no indication of plans to move, however.

At Eastwood Mall, a new big-box store - the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter isn't mentioned by name - would switch the orientation to Montclair Road on the south side, with stores, restaurants and banks lining the perimeter. A new public street with a median would create a clearer cut-through from Montclair to Crestwood Boulevard. Visitors facing the new store would have their focus drawn upward to Century Plaza and other stores on the hill, Clarke said.

Village East would become mostly multi-family housing, with room for mixed-use buildings and even possibly some live/work opportunities. Outparcels such as restaurants, a video store or dry cleaner would line Crestwood Boulevard. A fitness center and medical or other office are also listed as possibilities.

Festival Center would also become mostly housing, with rows of townhouses or condos and a small cluster of garden homes surrounding a clubhouse with pool or playground. Medium-sized buildings - including a furniture or office supply store and a structure designated as ground floor retail or office with residential above - would face Crestwood Boulevard.

E-mail: hwolfson@bhamnews.com

[DallasTexan]

Lots of good news out of Birmingham today.

Condos planned for The Summit

Bayer sees $25 million high-rise with 159 units
Thursday, February 09, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer
Bayer Properties plans to invest more than $25 million in its planned 15-story condominium tower at The Summit, after having won support from the Overton community.

Bayer Properties Inc., which developed the U.S. 280 shopping mecca, is working with Atlanta-based Trammell Crow to develop 159 condos on the upper 11 floors of the project. Bayer will also add up to 19,700 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor.

Approvals from Birmingham city officials still will be required so the tower can rise to 195 feet from a current 75-foot height limit. The developers, however, said preliminary meetings with city officials have been promising.
The project was first unveiled to the public in a meeting Tuesday night with neighborhood officials.

"We're excited about integrating the residential component with the retail and restaurant component at The Summit," said David Silverstein, a principal with Bayer. "We have always viewed The Summit as a mixed-use project and we wanted to do something to add to that dynamic."

Silverstein said the retail component will complement what already exists at The Summit.

The property for the tower is one of the last sites to be developed in The Summit's fourth and final phase. Original plans called for a high-end hotel or possibly an office building at the site, but the demand for condos in Birmingham seems to outweigh those options today.

"We looked at everything and the best use with the condo-craze of the past couple of years seems to be condos," said Blaine House, head of development on the project for Bayer.

Condos will vary in size and the number of bedrooms but likely will average 1,100 square feet. Penthouse units will be quite large, House said. Included in the structure will be an enclosed parking deck.

It is too soon for pricing to be set, although House said the goal will be to aim toward the luxury end in terms of finishes and materials but try to appeal to a large segment of the population with the sale prices.

"We would like to be in line with average home prices for the area but the condos will be considered luxurious," House said.

Should the project gain necessary approvals, construction could start by this fall, House said.

[DruidCity]

Bayer Properties plans to invest more than $25 million in its planned 15-story condominium tower at The Summit

Is that the tallest current proposal in B'ham ?

[DallasTexan]

ONB touts success as renewal expands

Thursday, February 09, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

Operation New Birmingham went a long way toward meeting the goals of its five-year plan in its first year.

ONB hosted a reception for developers and government officials Monday to share the progress made in 2005, the first year of the five-year plan dubbed "Implementation Now."

That program sought to raise $2.25 million last year but ended up with pledges for $2.6 million from public and private sources.

Two areas of success for ONB have been in increasing the number of residences and the number of government buildings downtown.

ONB has a goal of having 2,500 new condos and apartments downtown by 2009. By the end of 2005, around 1,500 existed, were under construction or committed to by developers.

But 2005 was the biggest year for new government deals. The $25 million FBI headquarters was dedicated and the neighboring $15 million ATF/DEA building started construction.

The government chose downtown for the $145 million Social Security Administration regional service center.

Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid said downtown is an area where more growth is possible.

"The truth is the critical mass we need for other interests to come into Birmingham, that critical mass is starting to form in our city center and we're seeing the results," Kincaid said.

Among the other successes of the past year were activity in seven of the 12 largest downtown vacant buildings, growth of UAB and its surrounding medical facilities, revitalization efforts in the Five Points South area and work recruiting office tenants downtown.

But progress wasn't made in all areas. Plans to have up to four large office buildings built downtown over the next decade didn't move forward, with office occupancy being at 85 percent in the current Class A space.

"Overall, we are delighted with the gains that have been made in the city center in 2005," ONB Chairman Mac Moorer wrote in a letter outlining progress of Implementation Now. "Of course, a great deal of work remains to be done."

He said emphasis in 2006 will be on the downtown office market and the need for added parking.


---

Excellent news. But, how can downtown raise office occupancy rates? 85% occupancy is healthy, but it usually needs to be ~90% or more for new construction.

Some ideas of mine:

1. Encourage the owner of Two North Twentieth to go condo - the views are fantastic and the building's small floor plates are conducive to condo development. Since the building is only a little over 60% occupied, this would be a big cunk of space taken off the market.

2. Commerce Center - what's it being used for? Is it mostly empty? Heck, is it even class A space?

[Dystopos]

ONB touts success as renewal expands
2. Commerce Center - what's it being used for? Is it mostly empty? Heck, is it even class A space?

A Google search for 2027 First Ave N, "Birmingham, Alabama" indicates that it houses the Chamber of Commerce (did they move?), The Historical Society (which I thought was at Sloss Quarters), Some small professional offices, a towing company...

[DallasTexan]

I thought they moved, myself. I know the ground floor of the Commerce Center is empty too...

[Dystopos]

Yeah, the Chamber moved. (505 20th Street North). Google is finding old addresses.

I'll be interested to see what eventually shows up in the former Birmingham Magazine offices behind the Commerce Building (with the door on the viaduct). I think it would be a good re-location for Lucy's Coffee. Plenty of lunch traffic and a growing number of nearby residents. More parking than she's ever had and less need for it...

[Blazer85]

Condos planned for The Summit
Bayer sees $25 million high-rise with 159 units
Thursday, February 09, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

Bayer Properties plans to invest more than $25 million in its planned 15-story condominium tower at The Summit, after having won support from the Overton community.

Bayer Properties Inc., which developed the U.S. 280 shopping mecca, is working with Atlanta-based Trammell Crow to develop 159 condos on the upper 11 floors of the project. Bayer will also add up to 19,700 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor.

Approvals from Birmingham city officials still will be required so the tower can rise to 195 feet from a current 75-foot height limit. The developers, however, said preliminary meetings with city officials have been promising.

The project was first unveiled to the public in a meeting Tuesday night with neighborhood officials.

"We're excited about integrating the residential component with the retail and restaurant component at The Summit," said David Silverstein, a principal with Bayer. "We have always viewed The Summit as a mixed-use project and we wanted to do something to add to that dynamic."

Silverstein said the retail component will complement what already exists at The Summit.

The property for the tower is one of the last sites to be developed in The Summit's fourth and final phase. Original plans called for a high-end hotel or possibly an office building at the site, but the demand for condos in Birmingham seems to outweigh those options today.

"We looked at everything and the best use with the condo-craze of the past couple of years seems to be condos," said Blaine House, head of development on the project for Bayer.

Condos will vary in size and the number of bedrooms but likely will average 1,100 square feet. Penthouse units will be quite large, House said. Included in the structure will be an enclosed parking deck.

It is too soon for pricing to be set, although House said the goal will be to aim toward the luxury end in terms of finishes and materials but try to appeal to a large segment of the population with the sale prices.

"We would like to be in line with average home prices for the area but the condos will be considered luxurious," House said.

Should the project gain necessary approvals, construction could start by this fall, House said.

E-mail: mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

[DallasTexan]

I posted that already!

[Blazer85]

Is that the tallest current proposal in B'ham ?

Yes, it is the tallest building proposal with any pretty real motion behind it. There are a couple other 10-12 stories, but I dont think any other of 15 or more is out there right now that's anything more than just speculation.

[CrimsonARC]

2. Commerce Center - what's it being used for? Is it mostly empty? Heck, is it even class A space?

The building was sold by the chamber to Inman Park Properties (http://www.inmanpark.com/html/home/) in 2002. Inman Park is the same Atlanta developer that owns the Brown-Marx, Empire, former Alagasco, and Ideal buildings, all of which remain mostly empty. Their "plan" was to solidify the occupancy in the Commerce Center building, convert the Brown-Marx to apartments, and convert the Empire to condos - none of which have occurred. It appears that they are just another absentee landlord.

I believe the chamber building is Class B office space.

[CrimsonARC]

Does anyone have any information on what might be happening with the old Southtrust Bank building on 20th Street? There was a blurb in the paper on Sunday about it's closing and possible sale.

Here's the only picture of the building I could scrounge up:

http://home.bham.rr.com/bluemann/images/southtrust.jpg

Wachovia to close downtown branch:

Wachovia Bank will close the branch in its historic building at 112 N. 20th Street in Birmingham on April 6, according to notices sent last week to customers.

The Second Avenue North Financial Center branch is being consolidated with the branch in the Wachovia Tower at 420 20th Street North. The branch's seven employees will be moving to other branches in the area, most to the Wachovia Tower branch, said spokeswoman Evelyn Mitchell.

Meanwhile, a sale is pending on the building, which was constructed in 1922 and housed Birmingham Trust National Bank, which eventually became SouthTrust Corp. Wachovia acquired SouthTrust last year.

The bank also operates downtown branches at 2403 Sixth Avenue South and in the Medical Center Financial Center at 916 19th Street South. The bank's motor branch at 19th Street North and Fourth Avenue opened on Jan. 23.

[Blazer85]

Just realized that there have been a number of midrises recently constructed or proposed along or near the 280 corridor:

7-story Montelena (Proposed)
9-story Colonial Properties HQ (Proposed)
13-story HealthSouth Hospital (Under Construction)
15-story Summit Condominiums (Proposed)


Is this a growing trend?

[mayhem]

Someone from the HAM should make a list of the u/c propsed and approved projects w. story count, use, and height.

[LSyd]

Wachovia assimilated it, and now they're abandoning it

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/55897082.jpg

i see lights on in 2 or 3 floors of Commerce Center every night, so it looks partially occupied.

but that sucks the city sold it to absentee Inman, shouldn't they know better by now?

what's the status of Inman suing Leer over the Cabana? the "now taking reservations for Leer tower" banner is shredded in two and barely hanging on the building.

-

[Dystopos]

Wachovia to close downtown branch:Meanwhile, a sale is pending on the building, which was constructed in 1922 and housed Birmingham Trust National Bank, which eventually became SouthTrust Corp. Wachovia acquired SouthTrust last year.

The bank also operates downtown branches at 2403 Sixth Avenue South and in the Medical Center Financial Center at 916 19th Street South. The bank's motor branch at 19th Street North and Fourth Avenue opened on Jan. 23.

I used to love going into that branch on Fridays to deposit my paycheck. Great spacious marble banking lobby. Mies van der Rohe furnishings in the side lobby... (I wonder if they're selling the furniture...). Hopefully one of our other banks will take it over. It needs to be a bank.

[LSyd]

^ how about a restaurant? or a pub?

-

[DevinLee]

Yeah, Wachovia is a great member of the community and cares about Birmingham. Since they have bought Southtrust, they have fired some 829 (someone else help on the numbers), put in the a drive-through bank right in the middle of downtown for no reason but to cater to fatasses, and closed Southtrusts original historic home. Wow, great image boosting ideas.

[Dystopos]

Yeah, Wachovia is a great member of the community and cares about Birmingham. Since they have bought Southtrust, they have fired some 829 (someone else help on the numbers), put in the a drive-through bank right in the middle of downtown for no reason but to cater to fatasses, and closed Southtrusts original historic home. Wow, great image boosting ideas.

Well at least they continued their ASO title sponsorhip and made Wallace Malone rich enough to start a new charitable foundation with $60M in seed money. These aren't the times to pretend we can stop banks from consolidating to maintain growth and profitability.

[Blazer85]

There's a picture of the Summit Condo Tower in today's Birmingham News on the front page of the Money section. Looks pretty nice.

[CrimsonARC]

From today's Birmingham Weekly
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Home again, home again?
A plan for a new neighborhood downtown
By Phillip Jordan

A local real estate development company hopes to hear from the city of Birmingham within the next two weeks about creating a new residential neighborhood just northwest of Birmingham’s Civil Rights district.

Herschell Hamilton, principal and managing partner of Formation Methods, says his real estate company is prepared to construct 300 mixed-income apartments on two-and-a-half blocks of land situated between 15th and 17th Streets and Sixth and Eighth Avenues North. The plan also calls for retail space reserved for the ground floors of the apartments.

“This project could have great implications for the city,” Hamilton says. “Creating a residential presence there helps knit together the central business district and the new Social Security building that’s just a couple of blocks west of this new residential site.”

Hamilton, who also serves as the assistant secretary and treasurer on the Birmingham Water Works Board of Directors, estimates the project would cost a total of $48 million. The Housing Authority of the Birmingham District has already pledged $9 million, and Hamilton’s group can also draw upon Hope VI funds. The original 1999 Hope VI grant that helped fund Park Place also included a provision to set aside money for a complementary off-site project.

Birmingham’s Housing Authority recently awarded that provision to Formation Methods. Hamilton’s group is working in conjunction with Penrose Properties, a Philadelphia-based development group known for urban restoration projects. However, that federal Hope VI money is set to expire at the end of this year. Hamilton says in order to keep that money available for this new project, all the financing and property details must be settled by September.

“Right now we’re in discussions with the city about assistance with funding this project,” Hamilton says. “We hope to hear something from the city, ideally, in the next week or two. We need at least a formal indication that they will participate in this with us.”

Park Place Redux

The idea for a neighborhood northwest of the Civil Rights Institute first earned attention nearly eight years ago and came to the spotlight two years ago with its prominent inclusion in the City Center Master Plan.

Recently, however, the emphasis on downtown revitalization has focused on big-ticket loft developments and federal office buildings – including the new FBI and Social Security headquarters in the north side of downtown. Until the creation of Park Place, there were few other downtown housing initiatives underway that provided affordable alternatives to loft living.

Hamilton says he would like to emulate the successful elements of Park Place while adding more of an urban element to the design. The mix of affordable and high-end units would have brownstone facades and be available in one-, two- or three-bedroom varieties. The project would be completed in two phases, with 150 units built in each phase.

The expected presence of the Social Security building – and the economic impact Mayor Bernard Kincaid and city leaders expect it to have downtown – provides the nearby anchor that made the idea for a residential neighborhood nearby possible.

District 5 Councilor William Bell says he hopes the plan comes to fruition with the city’s help. “This is a good plan for the area,” Bell says. “It’s a good mix of housing options, and the retail element will help the neighborhood, too. Connecting the different seams of downtown together is very important for us to get done as activity grows in the city.”

Seam work

Hamilton’s Formation Methods has been busy recently with a pair of other residential projects in Birmingham that could transform the look of two of downtown’s surrounding neighborhoods. The company recently announced plans to construct 25 new homes in the Glen Iris neighborhood. The long-gone Knights of Columbus building previously occupied the park-side site. Hamilton says construction should get underway there in the next 60 days.

A more controversial development proposed by Formation Methods has emerged along Clairmont Avenue across from the Highland Golf Course. Hamilton’s group has proposed knocking down the five apartment buildings that currently stand along the 3400 and 3500 blocks of Clairmont in order to build new loft apartments in their place.

The current apartments there offer some of the most affordable housing in the largely upscale Forest Park area and are home to a large portion of Birmingham’s Hispanic population.

“We held a design contest for the development there and we’re going to show those designs to our clients and to the neighborhood associations around there,” Hamilton says. “Once we select a plan, hopefully we’ll be able to get started.”

Regardless of Hamilton’s other projects, the most important development for downtown Birmingham remains the proposed neighborhood near the Civil Rights district. Now it’s up to Hamilton’s group and the city of Birmingham to come up with an agreement that will ensure this idea finds daylight – and doesn’t end up a missed opportunity.

“My hope is that we can get this settled in the next 90 to 120 days,” Bell says. “But this is a private-public partnership so it all depends on the funding. It always comes down to the money.”

[B'ham Bound]

I'm glad to hear that this project will have a more "urban" feel/element. I laud Park Place's achievements but some of the units look out of place and out of scale with the area.

And also, does anyone have a pic of the Summit condo tower they can upload?

[DallasTexan]

According to the newest Synergy Newsletter, the Tutwiler changing flags from Wyndham and is reflagging to a Hampton Inn?!

That's questionable, at best.

[dfwtiger]

Smart City is a weekly hour-long public radio talk show that takes an in-depth look at urban life: the people, places, ideas and trends that affect us all. Host Carol Coletta talks with national and international public policy experts, economists, business leaders, artists, developers, planners and others for a penetrating discussion on urban issues.

The show's website (see www.smartcityradio.com (http://e2ma.net/go/199766670/164922/4589937/goto:https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignEdit/www.smartcityradio.com).) houses nearly 150 past programs listed by date, title and guests, and many of the past programs can be listened to on-line.

[dfwtiger]

Can someone provide an update on the conversion of the Cabana Hotel to condos?

[CrimsonARC]

^
Right now the project is held up in litigation. Inman Park Properties (the same group that owns Brown-Marx, Empire, Commerce Center, Alagasco, etc.) filed a lawsuit claiming they had a contract to purchase the building. Leer plans to have the lawsuit settled and close on the building by March and start construction by summer. Whether or not it works out that smoothly we will have to wait and see.

[LSyd]

^
Right now the project is held up in litigation. Inman Park Properties (the same group that owns Brown-Marx, Empire, Commerce Center, Alagasco, etc.) filed a lawsuit claiming they had a contract to purchase the building. Leer plans to have the lawsuit settled and close on the building by March and start construction by summer. Whether or not it works out that smoothly we will have to wait and see.

damned absentee Atlanta landlords.

-

[crash]

Railroad park gets on track
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
JOSEPH D. BRYANT
News staff writer

Mayor Bernard Kincaid and the leader of a nonprofit group said Monday they will work together to build the Railroad Reservation Park in downtown Birmingham.

Kincaid said he and Giles Perkins, president of Friends of the Railroad Reservation District, agreed that developing the first phase of the park would stimulate private fund raising and that the city needs to form a small advisory committee and search for a well-known business leader to head the park's fund-raising campaign.

"It was very positive, we're moving forward and we look forward to working with the mayor to get it done," Perkins said.

With the consensus from FoRRD, Kincaid told the City Council groundbreaking for the first phase of the park could begin in a month if the council approved $5 million. However, the council delayed its answer for a week to seek more information.

The requested financing for the park is part of a larger request by the mayor for up to $17 million, including $12 million to purchase the former Eastwood Mall site for a Wal-Mart development.

Kincaid said the money will be borrowed against a second bond issue he plans to introduce.

The Railroad Reservation Park plan includes a 14-acre site from 14th to 18th Street South and from First Avenue South to Morris Avenue. The railroad park is expected to be a draw for residential and commercial development with projects already planned along its route.

"We're on the same page and had a great meeting," Kincaid said of morning meeting. "He (Perkins) thought it was very important that we were able to break ground and it would be easier to raise funds once we were turning dirt."

Kincaid told the council's Budget, Finance and Administration Committee said that the FoRRD group would be a major fund raiser for the project. And, he said, his request for $5 million, along with $5 million already secured from the city and county, would be enough to start the project.

The committee, however, wanted more details "If we could have just a little more information about FoRRD's role and their responsibility," said council President Carole Smitherman. "Wal-Mart is a good project but let's make certain that everything is in order."

Smitherman said the budget and finance committee will meet next week to discuss details of the proposals before voting at next Tuesday's council meeting.

Kincaid was upbeat with the response. "I feel comfortable that when the questions are answered, the council will see it is a win-win for the city and the county."

While Kincaid said a short delay wouldn't kill the projects, he said quick action would send a message to developers that the Wal-Mart deal is good and the city remains committed the railroad park project.

Developers of the $40 million Standard Condominium project on 18th Street said earlier this month their plans were threatened by slow progress of the Railroad Reservation Park as tenants and investors waited for final plans and dates on its construction.

E-mail: jbryant@bhamnews.com

© 2006 The Birmingham News

Does anyone know what the details are on the purchase of the Easwood Mall site?

So the city will purchase it and then sell it or lease it to Wal-Mart?

Other than that, really good news on the RRRP

[Dystopos]

The council is reviewing the package this week. When Jim Wilson owned it, he wanted $47 million for the Eastwood Mall site. Lehman Brothers got it from them, and turned down an initial offer from Wal-Mart Corp. After negotiation, Wal-Mart and Lehman Bros. agreed to $21.4M. The proposal from the Mayor's Office of Economic Development is for Birmingham to contribute $11M of the purchase price and then sign it over to Wal-Mart. By comparison, the city gave Wal-Mart $10M in tax breaks in 2002 for their Roebuck store based on the expectation of 250 jobs and $2.2M in annual sales tax revenues after the breaks expire. In this case, because the local developer is planning an entire shopping center, the mayor expects 650 new jobs and $2.4M in annual sales tax revenue.

Overall, the U.S. public has provided Wal-Mart Corp. and its affiliated developers with just over $1 Billion in subsidies. The people of Alabama have contributed $38 Million of that.

[crash]

The council is reviewing the package this week. When Jim Wilson owned it, he wanted $47 million for the Eastwood Mall site. Lehman Brothers got it from them, and turned down an initial offer from Wal-Mart Corp. After negotiation, Wal-Mart and Lehman Bros. agreed to $21.4M. The proposal from the Mayor's Office of Economic Development is for Birmingham to contribute $11M of the purchase price and then sign it over to Wal-Mart. By comparison, the city gave Wal-Mart $10M in tax breaks in 2002 for their Roebuck store based on the expectation of 250 jobs and $2.2M in annual sales tax revenues after the breaks expire. In this case, because the local developer is planning an entire shopping center, the mayor expects 650 new jobs and $2.4M in annual sales tax revenue.

Overall, the U.S. public has provided Wal-Mart Corp. and its affiliated developers with just over $1 Billion in subsidies. The people of Alabama have contributed $38 Million of that.
As much as I DON'T like corportate welfare programs, a 6 year return on that $12million investment is not bad.

[Dystopos]

As much as I DON'T like corportate welfare programs, a 6 year return on that $12million investment is not bad.

This is assuming that tax revenue is the city government's sole interest. I could argue that Birmingham's long-term economic health, residents' quality of life, fair wages for local workers, competitiveness of locally-owned businesses, environmental quality, and sustainable physical and traffic designs are also in the city's interest, and that this deal represents significant waste of public resources when measured in those terms.

[LSyd]

crane is now up for Capri. pics to come when the weather improves.

-

[JVB]

Any news on the possible hotel built on the Board of Education property downtown? My assumption is that the marvelous city leadership caused this proposal to die.

Any news on the rumored 27 and 45 story mixed-use towers?

Has the RR park been solidified enough that The Standard condo building will move forward?

It's amazing to me how inept leadership is in the City of Birmingham. There is a great deal of development and progress going on in B'ham, but imagine what could happen there if we had leadership (mayor, council) with vision. Kincaid has probably done more single-handedly to hinder development than he has to promote development.

[First Draw]

This is assuming that tax revenue is the city government's sole interest. I could argue that Birmingham's long-term economic health, residents' quality of life, fair wages for local workers, competitiveness of locally-owned businesses, environmental quality, and sustainable physical and traffic designs are also in the city's interest, and that this deal represents significant waste of public resources when measured in those terms.

The city council approved the money for the Wal-Mart/Eastwood project this morning.

[crash]

The city council approved the money for the Wal-Mart/Eastwood project this morning.
Any word on the Railroad park?

[First Draw]

Any word on the Railroad park?

I haven't heard but I bet it gets approved.

[B'ham Bound]

The Park was approved too. Groundbreaking in March. Eastwood in May (I believe).

[DallasTexan]

w00t!

[DruidCity]

Though not "urban" and not Birmingham proper, Birmingham's poor western suburbs (like Bessemer) have been around as long as Birmingham itself, and have been "underinvested" for a long time. Colonial Properties Trust plans to put in a $60-million shopping center near McAdory:
http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1141381436204040.xml&coll=2

Colonial hopes to start construction in November and open the center by early 2008.

[Blazer85]

Though not "urban" and not Birmingham proper, Birmingham's poor western suburbs (like Bessemer) have been around as long as Birmingham itself, and have been "underinvested" for a long time. Colonial Properties Trust plans to put in a $60-million shopping center near McAdory:
http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1141381436204040.xml&coll=2

More multi-million $ retail centers are under construction in Gardendale and Fultondale (just to the north of the city limits) as well. The retail scene in Birmingham metro is definitely alive and well.

[LSyd]

Leer's web site says they're taking reservations on the Cabana

http://www.leercorp.com/leertower.htm

-

[DallasTexan]

Steve, did they use your picture with your permission?

[Lexy]

Can we get a few pics of the more "major" projects in the 'Ham? I would love to see what is going on besides The Cabana.

[DallasTexan]

I'll be in town next Thursday (IT BETTER NOT SNOW ANY MORE OR *$@&^*$#!!!) so I plan on taking some pictures.

[LSyd]

Steve, did they use your picture with your permission?

i had a similar thought, but on closer examination...i didn't think it's my pic. mine's a much better assembled pano, on mine it's a lot cleaner where the individual pics meet, and i think that's a window reflection where the Daniel building is on their pic; you can see the Daniel building clearly on mine...

...or else they photoshopped mine to look crappier to avoid asking permission. which on second thought, that's what it looks like has happened (why else would they use my night panos when they could take their own during the day?)

time to write an e-mail...:whatthefuck:

-

p.s. hopefully this'll turn out to be a very good thing...

[sabre0link]

^ If you look at their site, they've got some other pictures that appear to be taken from other people.. like one of the McWane Center.. looks like an artist's rendering... heh.

I love the buildings downtown... I used to usher at the Alabama (need to 'sign up' again... back in the area now), and when I'd park my car before the shows, I'd just look around at the buildings... the Cabana, Phoenix, etc... The streets.. how the steam coming from the manhole covers with the vehicles behind it was "New York" in style... how my photo of it turned out a little blurry... the streetlamps... etc..

I'm just glad there IS a "Master Plan" of what to do to make B'ham better, draw the people in, instead of running them out.. trying to give it a NEW identity instead of that horrid place during the 60s. I'm all for it, excited about it, and even MORESO now that I'm living here (just north of the Summit).

One day I plan on getting my cameras together and heading downtown to take photos.

I even had an idea a few months ago for a monorail/train system trying to ease the congestion of the interstates in and out of the county during rush hours. Having rode DC's Metro, I can appreciate the GOOD system, and having heard about NYC's... yeah. lol. It'd cost a TON, though.

Rambling.

I'm all for revitalization... and B'ham does need it. Good arts scene, good music scene, good education scene... but everything's so disjointed and spread out. Tie it together, make it more feasible, and we'll have a killer city :)

We'll still have the traffic congestion....

I'm just glad that the IDEA is there, the MOMENTUM is there... even if there are a few roadblocks, the city is still moving forward...

And somewhere up in this thread, someone mentioned the Olmstead plan... I might've seen it before, but is there a scan online of their plan? (and yes, I know who they are. :P )

Thanks.

[DallasTexan]

Okay, I just read that the Redmont is leaving the wings of the Intercontinental Hotel Group and will no longer be a Crowne Plaza. It will operate as an independent.

Along with the Wyndham-Tutwiler downgrading (IMO) to a Hampton Inn, I'm not very pleased at the state of the downtown hotel market. Big brands bring in big groups. The Tutwiler at the very least should be a Doubletree/Hilton (since it's moving to the Hilton Family) and the Redmont should stay affiliated with ICH.

[DallasTexan]

Of course, with the Redmont leaving ICH, this strengthens the rumours of the Redmont going residential...

[LSyd]

^ so if they both go residential, does that strengthen the chances of a new hotel being built (like on the board of education site? :) )

-

[B'ham Bound]

Seriously... Has there been ANY progress with that proposal?

[Dystopos]

It would be interesting if the Redmont did go residential if they kept the dining room as a restaurant. Unlikely, I guess. I hope it continues on as a nice hotel, even if they combine rooms to make larger suites.

Oh, and for what it's worth I e-mailed the Leer folks when they first put up their Cabana site with the stolen Emporis image (with the watermark still visible). They also had four or five photos of Birmingham which they found on the web. Two of them were Birmingham, England. The response to my e-mail was "Would you like a reservation package", but they did replace the photos - this time a postcard of Temple Emanu-el from eBay.

[sabre0link]

I wish I had enough $$$ to go into real estate development... :\

[JVB]

This from today's Birmingham News (3/14/06):

Architect's plans OK'd for airport; cost not set
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
CHARLES R. McCAULEY
News staff writer

Birmingham airport managers on Monday approved an architect's design that will add a concourse to the terminal, reshape an existing one and create a corridor so passengers can move among the concourses after they've passed through security checkpoints.

The redesign concept by KPS Group will be the foundation on which the Birmingham Airport Authority will restructure the two-story building to meet new security measures and passenger demands through 2020. There is no time frame for the project's completion.

Air travel has changed a lot since the authority finished remodeling the terminal 11 years ago and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said airport Executive Director Al Denson.

"We'd like to bring this terminal in line with the issues today," he said.

Airport officials now have a plan in hand when they meet with airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and vendors to gather input on the airport's future, Denson said. "The development will impact their operations," he said.

At the same time it confers with airport tenants, the authority will work on a plan to pay for the terminal modernization program. The airport's operators plan to use money from a bond sale and from passenger use fees. Chairman Willie Huff encouraged the board's finance committee to meet as soon as possible so the board can begin scheduling a date to issue bonds.

No cost figure for the project is available.

"I'd hate to quote a number now," Denson said about a price tag for the project. "A lot of issues must be worked through before we're in a position to do that."

The Birmingham Airport Authority, which began operating the facility in 1986, spent $50.4 million in the early 1990s to enhance the terminal to meet passenger demand for 15 years. The first renovation was completed in 1994.

From 19 gates to 25:

The second makeover, now being planned, will increase the number of gates for passengers to 25 from 19. The mixture will be created by gaining eight gates when Concourse A is built at the terminal's northeast end, replacing Terminal A and the air freight building. One of the concourse's gates will accommodate the Boeing 747, one of the largest passenger jets.

Concourse B will lose its rotunda and one gate when it is reconfigured to a curve where five planes can dock. Concourse C will have 12 gates, one fewer than the current layout.

The side of the terminal facing the airfield will be widened to about 120 feet from 80 feet to comply with federal standards for baggage and passenger security implemented since Sept. 11, 2001. The added footage will provide enough room for a corridor allowing passengers access to each concourse without leaving the secure areas.

It also will provide room for the large baggage-screening machines. They will be moved to the terminal's lower level from near the ticket counters on the upper level.

The number of security checkpoints will be increased up to 12 and will be centralized on the second level, possibly where Northwest and Continental airlines' ticket counters currently are. Current checkpoints are stationed at the entrances to Concourses B and C.

Counters for ticket purchases also will be relocated to a central point on the upper level.

E-mail: cmccauley@bhamnews.com

[dfwtiger]

Finally.....it's about time.

The path from the airport to downtown is terrible. I wish someone would focus on making it a more pleasant entrance to the city. I'm sure someone could find a FAA grant....combined with city, county, and state money...and maybe some federal transportation enhancement money....that could be used to address this long neglected issue.

[Ted Ball]

I think about the same thing whenever I visit Birmingham.

Back in the early 1990's, former Planning Director Mike Dobbins discussed the possibility of planting some fast-growing trees like poplars along that stretch of interstate. I believe he left shortly after that. Obviously, something is still needed.

[paladin]

GREETINGS! I have been out of pocket for WAY too long.

So I don't have to scan 40 forums and 100's of threads.. WHAT IS GOING ON?! What new developments are in the works? Why are many of the old one's not completely sold or started: Gallery, City Federal, Cabana, Jefferson Loft, etc.

I have heard rumblings of Brown-Marx? I hate being out of the loop.

[Dystopos]

McCrary criticizes city's lack of unity

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer
Alabama Power CEO Charles McCrary said Tuesday that Birmingham is losing its status as the state's economic leader because politicians and business leaders are not on the same page.

In a Harbert Center luncheon address that drew a standing ovation at the Birmingham Kiwanis Club, McCrary challenged leaders to unite to confront problems. "Without a strong business climate, a city cannot grow," he said.

McCrary said he is not trying to throw stones at anyone, but wants to prod others to "examine ourselves in the mirror" and commit to take steps to move the region forward.

"There will be a far smaller Birmingham to lead unless all of us take action," he said.

"I'm concerned when we can't build a four-star hotel in Birmingham. I'm concerned when a private citizen who spent $50 million on a motorcycle park can't get the city to come up with a plan to capitalize on it," he said.

McCrary also said Birmingham is failing to properly capitalize on its biggest employer, UAB. "We should be knocking on UAB's door asking how can we capitalize on what you have to offer."

Between 1990 and 2000, Nashville, Jacksonville, Charlotte and Memphis experienced growth in population and per capita income. Jacksonville led the way with 43 percent population growth. Birmingham's population decreased by 10 percent in the same period.

Between 2000 and 2004, Montgomery's sales tax revenues increased 47 percent. Huntsville's went up 21 percent. Birmingham's went down 3 percent.

Montgomery has built an amphitheater, riverwalk and a $26 million riverfront stadium that attracted a minor league baseball team. Downtown and riverfront investment in Montgomery now totals $800 million. The City of Montgomery has partnered with Retirement Systems of Alabama to build a $157 million, 347-room, four-star hotel and convention center, performing arts center and spa.

Biotech center, plus:

In Huntsville, there's the new $130 million Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, a public-private project that's expected to employ 1,600 people within 10 years. The city is also planning a $210 million mixed-use development on Bridge Street that will become the town center of Huntsville's Cummings Research Park and include a four-star hotel with 200-plus rooms. That's in addition to a $40 million, 300-suite hotel that will open later this year in downtown Huntsville.

In Mobile, total city revenues have risen 4 percent and sales tax revenues 3 percent. Mobile has attracted the Carnival Holiday cruise ship, is working with RSA to build what will be Alabama's tallest office building and has gained the nickname "the comeback kid," McCrary said.

McCrary said Alabama Power, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, moved its headquarters from the state capital in Montgomery to Birmingham in 1912 because it wanted to be in Alabama's economic center. But he is concerned that Montgomery's recent economic successes and population growth may soon cause it to surpass Birmingham as the state's largest city.

"When I travel the state and ask those cities, `How do you do it?' they attribute it to the fact that they aren't concerned with who gets the credit," McCrary said. "Huntsville tells me there are no turf battles there."

Needing a nudge:

McCrary's comments generated accolades from Jefferson County Commission President Larry Langford.

"Sometimes you need a nudge," Langford said. "His comments are giving me the nudge I need to continue to speak out and say what needs to be done to move this community forward."

Efforts to reach Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid, who was attending a League of Cities meeting in Washington, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Griffin Lassiter, the mayor's economic liaison, said McCrary made some good points but failed to recognize the city's accomplishments.

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com


(Is someone missing the point?)

[HSVTiger]

Does Birmingham live in a cocoon? Reading this forum has told about this for
years. Now all of a sudden there is a great big surprise :shrug:

[codyg1985]

ALDOT traffic cameras are now online for Birmingham...you can view them at http://www.dot.state.al.us/Bureau/Design/ITS/PublicITS/CameraList.aspx

[B'ham Bound]

Is someone missing the point?

Definitely. I am interested in hearing what Kincaid has to say regarding McCrary's comments. But something tells me he would just spew his usual rhetoric in an attempt to shed himself of any culpability -- which, in actuallity, would just help validate McCrary's comments even further.

[HSVTiger]

But he is concerned that Montgomery's recent economic successes and population growth may soon cause it to surpass Birmingham as the state's largest city.


won't happen, unless Montgomery can annex the entire county, plus Elmore.

[neilson]

But he is concerned that Montgomery's recent economic successes and population growth may soon cause it to surpass Birmingham as the state's largest city.


won't happen, unless Montgomery can annex the entire county, plus Elmore.
As inept as Kincaid is; even he can't be as bad as Bobby Bright/Clardy/Kennedy/Wallace.

Bring Emory back, and kill the control of the Dixie Mafia!

[thoraudio]

As inept as Kincaid is; even he can't be as bad as Bobby Bright/Clardy/Kennedy/Wallace.

Bring Emory back, and kill the control of the Dixie Mafia!

this is a Bham thread, so all I'll do is this

:rolleyes:

[neilson]

this is a Bham thread, so all I'll do is this

:rolleyes:
What; I'm just saying B'ham is not as bad off as ppl say it is, and Kincaid is no Arrlington either(thank god).

[B'ham Bound]

What; I'm just saying B'ham is not as bad off as ppl say it is, and Kincaid is no Arrlington either(thank god).

Honestly, I would rather have Arrington in office right about now. If anything, it would at least foster a better business climate.

[neilson]

^B'ham Bound, why don't you like the AL.com forums? They've been nothing but good to me, at the Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville forums.

[DallasTexan]

99.5% of the people who post there are redneck trash of the finest Alabama vintage. That's why ;)

[neilson]

Not all of them; and come on it's not like some of the proposals and ideas they have couldn't help rid Alabama of the corruption that has us by the throat.

[DallasTexan]

Yes, but I can't help hearing "Dueling Banjos" when listening to their diatribes.

[neilson]

As almost any Alabamian can tell you, Alabamians don’t run Alabama, PACs and Special Interest Groups do. Among the most powerful (if not the most powerful) is the Alabama Education Association (AEA), whose Executive Secretary is Paul Hubbert.

You get rid of Hubbert, and also reduce the power of AEA, and that's a step toward regaining control of our ppl in Montgomery.

2nd; REFORM ALDOT.

And that's the main points of what I want in Alabama.

No More King Hubbert.

[thoraudio]

the most reasonable mind on al.com can be heard in this rare audio transcript (http://thoraudio.net/josh/3.mp3)

[Evan]

The forums at al.com make my eyes bleed. I wish they would get real forum software. That's my only gripe with the place. Well that, and the people of Centerpoint flooding all the forums saying "Crime out here isn't that bad!"

[DallasTexan]

As almost any Alabamian can tell you, Alabamians don’t run Alabama, PACs and Special Interest Groups do. Among the most powerful (if not the most powerful) is the Alabama Education Association (AEA), whose Executive Secretary is Paul Hubbert.

You get rid of Hubbert, and also reduce the power of AEA, and that's a step toward regaining control of our ppl in Montgomery.

2nd; REFORM ALDOT.

And that's the main points of what I want in Alabama.

No More King Hubbert.


Bla, bla, bla... corruption in Alabama, corruption in New York, corruption in, well... everywhere. Alabama's no special case.

[B'ham Bound]

Yes, but I can't help hearing "Dueling Banjos" when listening to their diatribes.

:haha: Really, there's plenty of valuable and healthy dialogue that can be found on the Birmingham forum but most of it get's lost and diluted among the whimsical rhetoric that those cantankerous and paranoid members post. Corruption this... Crime that... Blacks suck... blah, blah, blah. It's nothing but a haven for those who need to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to spew their verbal garbage. :yuck: Post a thread about some of Birmingham's brighter sides, like the Railroad Reservation Park, and watch how quickly it's hijacked into a discussion about crime and corruption.

[Ryan Sanders]

I love how you relate "Dueling Banjos" to rednecks.. actually not. Just because someone likes bluegrass music doesn't make them a redneck....

And sorry if I came off all wrong.. just sort of got to me.

[DruidCity]

Just because someone likes bluegrass music doesn't make them a redneck....


Right. Rednecks are from the low lands, while hillbillies are from the hills.
Bluegrass is an Appalachian thing. Hillbillies, unite :tup:

I'm just joking around, of course. I have relatives who are bluegrass musicians, and my brother likes listening to that kind of music some.

My mother's first cousin made an independent film called "Music in Their Bones" about bluegrass music in the Sand Mountain area that has played on public television and at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham.

[LSyd]

As almost any Alabamian can tell you, Alabamians don’t run Alabama, PACs and Special Interest Groups do. Among the most powerful (if not the most powerful) is the Alabama Education Association (AEA), whose Executive Secretary is Paul Hubbert.

You get rid of Hubbert, and also reduce the power of AEA, and that's a step toward regaining control of our ppl in Montgomery.

2nd; REFORM ALDOT.

And that's the main points of what I want in Alabama.

No More King Hubbert.

yup; one of my professors who retired, and is from South Carolina->Michigan->Tennessee said, "Alabama needs to change. it's been run like a 3rd-world colony from the outside, by the big interests. steel, timber, medicine, and now banking. it needs to take control of its own destiny and stop being exploited."

i also recently heard a judge trash the bad-check crime statute, which was passed thanks to the merchants' association special interest(or something like that.)

clean house, get rid of the old guard, and start taking names. Birmingham can be the "un-Atlanta/Charlotte." good-ole big city keeping it real for all without the traffic and crap.

-

[paladin]

Bham bound is dead on. Those forums occassionally have a decent discussion but you really have to look for it between the other delusion diatribes.

Regarding King Hubbard. Unfortunately he will probably yield influence in the state of Alabama until he dies. What keeps him in power is the $$$ and votes. AEA has ~ 400K members, all of which contribute (some of them don't even know that they do). That's the largest special interest group in the state. Not only is it the largest, but to put that in perspective, second is AFSCME, or whatever the state affiliate is called, and that's 100K members. Third is about 50K.

They're also good at playing the (dis)information game. Keep in mind that most people don't know who they're state legislator is, or don't know what he/she does. They don't really know what the issues are. So, the fact that AEA sends out its propaganda tool - uh, I mean, newsletter - and gets its members fired up about issues means that they're likely the only constituents that know anything about any issues (or at least the largest group). AEA has a system in place that's well coordinated not just to report information to its members, but to activate them, and get them in contact with their legislators.

Add to that that he has an incredibly sympathetic media. Every newspaper in America is convinced that schools are underfunded, despite the lack of correlation between funding and success (and the fact that to the extent that any correlation exists, they've got it backwards). Every newspaper in Alabama is convinced that Alabama performs at the bottom of the education statistics, and refuses to let reality interfere with what they're directed to misinform people by the New York Times.

One of the ways AEA keeps so many teachers signed on is that they offer all members indemnity and legal support if they're sued. What most teachers don't realize is that they're already protected by the district for which they work.


So.. that being said. Let us run a test over at al.com.

[B'ham Bound]

So.. that being said. Let us run a test over at al.com.

I'm all for it. We need to coordinate with every SSP member from Birmingham, designate a time, and flood AL.com with positive, foward-thinking, cooperation-promoting threads (oh, and let's not forget the kicker... mass transit). Their servers would crash and I'm damn near convinced two members would resort to offing themselves.

[neilson]

I'm all for it. We need to coordinate with every SSP member from Birmingham, designate a time, and flood AL.com with positive, foward-thinking, cooperation-promoting threads (oh, and let's not forget the kicker... mass transit). Their servers would crash and I'm damn near convinced two members would resort to offing themselves.
Then I'll turn around and convince AL.com members to come over here and post, and save you the trouble of having to go over there.

[B'ham Bound]

Then I'll turn around and convince AL.com members to come over here and post, and save you the trouble of having to go over there.

:haha: Sounds like a plan to me. :tup: