"Places people love": Bayer Properties announces another downtown redo

The Birmingham development company that successfully renovated the old Pizitz department store is taking on another project in a historic building downtown.

Bayer Properties announced in mid-May that it has contracted to buy a 110-year-old steel plant located at the eastern end of Birmingham’s Rotary Trail.

The company, which is calling the building The Hardwick, plans to turn the industrial structure into what it describes as a “mixed-use community hub” with office and restaurant space.

Once occupied by The Hardwick Company, the building historically served primarily as a fabricated and prefabricated steel processing plant.

The structure has a unique feel and still contains some of the former owner’s over-head cranes and machinery, developers say.

After its success in bringing the much-loved Pizitz department store on 19th Street North downtown back to life as The Pizitz mixed-use redevelopment, Bayer Properties carefully explored and considered additional adaptive reuse projects in the City Center, said Libby Lassiter, co-president of Bayer Properties, in a news release.

The redevelopment of the Hardwick Building will bring a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use project to the area, complementing the fabric of the surrounding neighborhood,” she said.

Bayer is “consistently seeking meaningful opportunities where we believe we can create places people love,” Lassiter said.

Bayer will use Williams Blackstock Architects and Schoel Engineering, both based in Birmingham, as part of their initial design team for The Hardwick.

Planning for the redevelopment has already begun, and construction is expected to begin in 2021.

Bayer spent about $70 million to transform The Pizitz, a 1920s-vintage store, into a mixed-use destination that reopened in the spring of 2017.

The Pizitz is home to Alabama’s first food hall, the Forge coworking space, the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema and more than 140 residential units.

The developers believe that the Hardwick building, which will offer great views of the downtown skyline to the north and easy access to lots of amenities, will be a very attractive destination for prospective office and restaurant tenants.

Upon completion, The Hardwick will deliver unbeatable connectivity to the surrounding vibrant neighborhood, with walkable and convenient office opportunities,” Jami Wadkins, Bayer co-president and CFO, told Iron City Ink. “Now, more than ever, companies and professionals are seeking flexible office spaces that fit the needs of their employees in a post-pandemic world.”

The area is also ready for some food and beverage options, and Bayer seeks to create “a revitalized food and beverage district that celebrates local restaurateurs,” she said.

The Hardwick, which is located on the growing Red Rock Trail System that will also connect to Pepper Place, will offer a walkable link to the trails, parks, bike lanes and sidewalks throughout Jefferson County, according to the Bayer news release.

“Properties with connection to The Rotary Trail are in extremely high demand and this trail-oriented development also gives us an opportunity to step into a development category that is becoming even more important today as people seek highly connected outdoor gathering spaces,” Wadkins said.

The Hardwick redevelopment is proceeding despite the negative economic effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re always seeking meaningful opportunities that make sense and resonate with the community, and we believe this is a major addition for not only the neighborhood, but also Birmingham as a whole,” Wadkins said.

“We are committed to helping Birmingham continue its role as a leading destination for businesses and travelers alike and are confident that the redeveloped Hardwick will play a role in this vision,” said Lassiter.

The Pizitz has received numerous awards since its completion from such organizations as the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

In October 2019, Bayer was given the ULI Alabama Development of Excellence Award by ULI Atlanta for its work on The Pizitz.

The Pizitz was also selected as the 2019 Finest Realization of Historic Building Potential by Real Estate Forum and Globe Stand received an ICSC Design & Development Gold Award in late 2018.

Founded in 1983, Bayer Properties owns or operates 10 million square feet of retail and office space in the U.S.