Birmingham Development News - Page 154

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3061** Posted **Feb 2, 2018, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

Hopefully we can get Amtrak's Gulf Breeze to run through here again. I had read that Birmingham was in talks with Amtrak to do this.

If I'm not mistaken, the state is still waiting on a review of the viability of a passenger rail line running North/South through Birmingham from North Alabama to South Alabama.

huntsvillefan · #**3062** Posted **Feb 2, 2018, 3:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tascalisa

If I'm not mistaken, the state is still waiting on a review of the viability of a passenger rail line running North/South through Birmingham from North Alabama to South Alabama.

What a boon that would be for the state should it come to reality.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3063** Posted **Feb 2, 2018, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntsvillefan

What a boon that would be for the state should it come to reality.

It really makes perfect sense. There are plenty of people that commute between the Big 4 every day. Frankly, I think a strong case could be made for commuter rail lines running Tuscaloosa-Birmingham-Gadsden and Tuscaloosa-Birmingham-Anniston. With stops in peripheral places like Mercedes, Bessemer, Pell City, Leeds, etc... you really hit a lot of suburbs and employments centers.

TimCity2000 · #**3064** Posted **Feb 13, 2018, 3:10 AM**

96-room luxury hotel planned for downtown Birmingham high-rise

Bamablazer · #**3065** Posted **Feb 13, 2018, 1:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

96-room luxury hotel planned for downtown Birmingham high-rise

I would do a staycation there. I have always admired that building.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3066** Posted **Feb 13, 2018, 3:23 PM**

With these hotels pouring into that one area of downtown, I'm waiting for some increased restaurant and bar development. Hotel stayers are going to want some options (more than we already have) they can visit without having to summon their car from the parking deck.

TimCity2000 · #**3067** Posted **Feb 13, 2018, 5:10 PM**

I'm hoping 2nd Ave North becomes a Restaurant Row. The seeds are there. Just needs more... especially towards the 20th Street end (and beyond)

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3068** Posted **Feb 13, 2018, 7:11 PM**

It's a good thing The Pizitz is within walking distance.

That area, from 17th St N to 23rd St N from the tracks to 4th Ave N is really gonna have some good synergy in the future with the increased foot traffic provided by hotels. A visitor to town could walk from their hotel at the former Commerce Center for a lunch at The Pizitz, look over and see the McWane Center (maybe they have a kid or want to see an IMAX showing) go there, walk out and notice an event at one of the theaters they'd like to attend that night, and get back to their hotel and find a restaurant or bar on 2nd.

All of those hotels are surrounded by multiple districts with diverse drawing within them. 2nd Ave District, Innovation District, Civil Rights District, Financial District, Parkside (Rotary Trail), etc... It's got a lot going for it.

MagicCityMick · #**3069** Posted **Feb 14, 2018, 3:44 AM**

Whitaker Lofts (24 St & 1st Ave. N) sold, to be redeveloped into condos

"A prominent building on First Avenue North will be converted into condominium units.

In a recent transaction, Engel Lofts Co. sold the property at 2329 First Ave. N. to an entity called 2329 First Avenue North LLC, which includes local residential developers Margi Ingram and John Chapman. According to public records, the price was $2.6 million.

Michael Johnson of Engel Realty represented the seller in the deal.

Engel and a group of investors purchased the property in 2016 with plans to make upgrades in each of the units. The building is from the 1920s era and has previously been known as Whitaker Lofts and also Wooten Lofts.

The building consists of 14 loft units which will be converted from rentals into for-sale product. The deal happens at a time when there is growing demand for downtown condos but very little supply.

Many in Birmingham's real estate industry have said they expect to begin to see more condos coming on line downtown as more residents look to move into the city center."

Tourian · #**3070** Posted **Feb 15, 2018, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

I would do a staycation there. I have always admired that building.

It does have its charm. It doesn't get the fanfare of the Heaviest Corner, but being so close, it would really help to have it up and going and creating more foot traffic.

Bamablazer · #**3071** Posted **Feb 16, 2018, 12:07 AM**

I am starting to get a little concern about 20 MidTown phase III.

TimCity2000 · #**3072** Posted **Feb 16, 2018, 4:00 PM**

Vesta is finally starting to be visible from 280/Red Mountain Expressway. Bet in a few weeks it will start rising above.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3073** Posted **Feb 16, 2018, 8:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamablazer

I am starting to get a little concern about 20 MidTown phase III.

I wouldn't be overly distraught if the developers sold it to a developer for the construction of a highrise. Too bad there's already plenty of space in the city center to lease...

Maybe we can all chip in and convince Regions to build a 700'+ signature tower for a new headquarters!

Bamablazer · #**3074** Posted **Feb 17, 2018, 4:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tascalisa

I wouldn't be overly distraught if the developers sold it to a developer for the construction of a highrise. Too bad there's already plenty of space in the city center to lease...

Maybe we can all chip in and convince Regions to build a 700'+ signature tower for a new headquarters!

That wouldn't bother me at all!!!!

Tourian · #**3075** Posted **Feb 17, 2018, 4:01 PM**

That would be awesome, but in the short term, having a major player move in to replace AT&T in their tower would be nice.

MagicCityMick · #**3076** Posted **Feb 18, 2018, 1:32 AM**

I think it's all but certain that we've reached maximum skyline height, at least for the foreseeable future. There simply is no demand for a new 400 - 500 ft+ tower, nor will there be in our lifetimes -- and very likely won't exist for several generations.

But in no sense is that a dire prospect. We should be thankful for the height that we do have (400-500 ft), which is completely respectable for a mid-size city like Bham. We're taller than anything in Memphis, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, on par with Phoenix, and are marginally outside of the realms of Baltimore and (to a lesser extent) Portland. What we can expect and should be excited about are various high-rise (150-250 ft) infill projects. If we're not going taller, then the aesthetics of our cityscape will be best served going forward by increasing density, and doing so with modern, glass-intensive architecture.

Vesta and the apartment high-rise slated for The Break lot will dramatically change the look and feel of 5 Points. You'd have to guess that Midtown's best bet in landing a new high-rise will be a UAB project. Imagine what that could look like for Parkside / Medical District. Should a developer ever finger downtown for a high-rise project, the ideal location would be one which fills the gap between City Federal and the CBD cluster, giving the skyline almost complete continuity from AL Power to BBVA.

Beyond the feasibility argument, I believe that high-rise infill will do more to complement the cityscape than a new tower would anyway. With 5 Points taken care of, I can narrow the wish list down to Parkside, UAB / Med Dist., or downtown. I think it's probable that by 2028, one of those areas gets the next Vesta-esque project, and it'll look incredible. Icing on the cake would be a new high-rise in Highland Park, but I digress.

Really hate that none of the original designs for the Fed. Reserve redevelopment materialized. We were so very close. That would've already moved the needle nicely:

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3077** Posted **Feb 19, 2018, 1:42 AM**

We all know that a new downtown high-rise is totally unlikely considering the amount of office/vacant space currently available for lease. I was simply tossing out a pure dream.

Anyway,

Something that needs to be discussed is that citizen support for the City supporting the BJCC's overhaul is low outside of downtown. I can't say that I blame any of those who have spoken out... Mayors have promised grandiose ideas for the BJCC for DECADES. I think that the difference with those ideas in the past compared to the current proposal for the BJCC is the difference between night and day, wet and dry, gas and solid.

The BJCC has finally done its due diligence and come up with a SOLID plan that includes a professional overhaul of Legacy Arena, renovation of existing meeting facilities, (btw, a renovation of the Sheraton is part of this), and the construction of a reasonably sized stadium that, per the BJCC, can be expanded (past 55,000) if demand warrants it.

We have some VERY new members of the city council, and if I were them I would bite the bullet and commit the city money (which is contingent on the state rental car tax passing) to the project.

This is the moment the city has been waiting for, and it is reasonable and cost-effective! A great deal of effort and thought has been put into this proposal, and I think our City's government would be foolish not to support what has been worked out by some very fiscally, and value, conscious people.

Tourian · #**3078** Posted **Feb 19, 2018, 9:57 PM**

Anything ever happen with Box Row?

The new BJCC plan may bring another hotel with it. Probably wouldn't be that tall as that is in direct conflict with the airport, but something else along the lines of the Sheraton or Westin would be nice.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**3079** Posted **Feb 20, 2018, 12:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourian

Anything ever happen with Box Row?

The new BJCC plan may bring another hotel with it. Probably wouldn't be that tall as that is in direct conflict with the airport, but something else along the lines of the Sheraton or Westin would be nice.

Biz Journal has said that it's still in the works.

As for the hotel, it could be plenty tall... I don't think FAA concerns would keep it from being shorter than the Viva Health tower or Financial Center. Looking at satellite imagery, the centerline of the runway runs roughly half a mile north of the potential location of a new hotel and the the location is about 2.75 miles away from the runway.

Also, the poles supporting the nets at TopGolf are over 150'-160', about the height of a 12 story building, and those poles are near the top of the ridge.
A new hotel next to the interstate downhill from TopGolf could be 10-20 floors no problem; though, I doubt any hotel would build so high as 20 floors, but I wouldn't complain...

EDIT: Also, Carraway Hospital sits at the top of that ridge like a foot long dildo to planes, I'm sure a 20 floor hotel at the base of the valley next to the interstate would be more than feasible.

Bamablazer · #**3080** Posted **Feb 20, 2018, 1:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourian

Anything ever happen with Box Row?

The new BJCC plan may bring another hotel with it. Probably wouldn't be that tall as that is in direct conflict with the airport, but something else along the lines of the Sheraton or Westin would be nice.

I would prefer number of rooms over height. Perhaps 500 rooms minimum, a 30 or 40 thousand square foot ballroom and perhaps a 1000 car garage. That's just me thinking out loud.