Real Estate Transactions & Development

Miscellaneous

1. Office space is now available for lease via J.H. Berry at 2222 Arlington Ave. S. in a building that formerly served as the headquarters of Bayer Properties, according to spokesperson for the developers. The D&A Companies in New York are leading a renovation of the facility. An anchor tenant, Atlas Senior Living, has leased 30% of the space. The facility will measure about 55,000 square feet and will be available for occupancy by the first or second quarter of 2022.

2. UAB is planning to build a new Science and Engineering Complex costing $78.5 million. There will be 145,784 square feet of space for teaching, laboratories and offices, according to UAB Media Relations. The new complex will replace the current Education Building on 14th Street South between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South. A notice to proceed was issued Feb. 1. Asbestos abatement and demolition of the existing Education Building was in progress at press time, according to UAB Media Relations. The project should be complete by the summer of 2023.

3. Orchestra Partners recently broke ground on Urban Supply, a mixed-use redevelopment of several vintage warehouses at the west end of Birmingham’s Parkside district, according to a release from the developer. The first phase will feature a mix of pop-up tenants, including Cahaba Cycles and Garage Sale. Cahaba Cycles is an independently owned Birmingham bicycle shop. Garage Sale is a throwback retail concept inspired by vintage shopping. To activate The Aisle — a two-block outdoor space — Orchestra Partners will partner with local businesses to host a series of COVID-safe outdoor events this spring, such as Grub on the Lot (May 15).

4. Corporate Realty in Birmingham — under the name Northside Redevelopment L.L.C. — is  planning to redevelop the old Carraway Hospital site in Norwood. Robert Simon, CEO and president of Corporate Realty, said in a statement Dec. 29 that demolition will begin in the spring. This announcement followed a vote by the Birmingham City Council to grant the developer up to $13.2 million in incentives. Corporate Realty plans residential, hotel, retail, office and entertainment uses at the 41.5-acre site at an estimated cost of $340 million.

5. IN8bio, a biotech company at the Innovation Depot, will move its own space in the Martin Biscuit building in Pepper Place by the end of 2021, according to Birmingham Business Journal. Currently in the concept and design phase, IN8bio plans to build out lab space in addition to office, conference and investors space, the BBJ reports.

6. There are plans for a complete renovation of the historic Masonic Temple at 319 17th St. N. in the Historic 4th Avenue Business District downtown, according to Urban Impact. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, F. & A. M. of Alabama, and Historic District Developers recently launched a website at historicdistrictdevelopers.com.

7. Ironvest Partners, a Birmingham real estate firm, is turning the former Hibbett building at 1318 First Ave. N. into an office development called Ballast at The Switch, according to a news release from the company. The Switch is the name that was adopted in 2020 for the city’s innovation district. The office development is located across 14th Street North from Innovation Depot. Ballast’s floor plan includes spaces ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 square feet. Each private suite will be built to suit and will include access to four common areas, two indoor and two outdoor. The outdoor amenities include a roof and a private courtyard.

8. CRST Flatbed Solutions announced recently it will open a divisional headquarters at Daniel Payne Industrial Park in Birmingham. The facility — costing $5.14 million and measuring more than 23,000 square feet — will allow CRST to combine its corporate office in Birmingham and its maintenance operations in St. Clair County. It will house 42 employees with room for 10 more new hires. CRST has several divisions, and Birmingham will be home to the flatbed division.

Construction Update

9. Work is underway on a new build-to-suit warehouse for Ferguson Enterprises — a distributor of residential and commercial plumbing supplies — in Avondale Commerce Park at 101 39th St. N., said a spokesperson for Cushman & Wakefield/EGS Commercial Real Estate Inc. Cushman & Wakefield announced in November that it had entered into a long-term lease agreement with Ferguson and would develop the facility, which will measure about 67,000 square feet. Construction, which began in early 2021, is expected to take about 12 months.

10. Construction is underway on Phase 3 of the 20 Midtown mixed-use development that takes up an entire block between Second Avenue South and Third Avenue South and 20th Street South and Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. downtown. The project will include parking, more than 300 residential units and about 50,000 square feet of retail space, according to media reports. The first two phases of the development at the intersection of 20th Street and Third Avenue South include a Publix, a Starbucks and a Chipotle Mexican Grill. The developers are Dick Schmalz of RGS Properties and Scott Bryant of Scott M. Bryant & Co.

11. Orchestra Partners, a Birmingham development firm, is nearing completion of construction for Mercantile on Morris, its newest  mixed-use project downtown. Located at 2212 Morris Avenue, the project will feature access from both First Avenue North and Morris Avenue, and the pedestrian plaza with storefronts will connect the two streets. The retailers at the facility will include Cannella Gelato & Café; Bridge + Root, a men’s fashion shop; and Hide & Hunter, which offers handcrafted and upcycled leather goods.

12. Work is underway on a project in Avondale from The Dobbins Group, a Birmingham real estate investment firm. The firm is investing $16.5 million in a 96-unit multifamily residential project at 4211 and 4241 Third Ave. S. The project will consist of two buildings containing 48 units each and should be completed by fall 2021. Thornton Ratliff of the Dobbins Group called Avondale one of Birmingham’s “fastest growing, most desirable neighborhoods” when construction began in August. The influx of bars, eateries and other amenities the last decade have made the area “prime for multi-family development,” Ratliff said.

13. Construction continues on Lakeview Green, a large mixed-use project located at 2901 Fourth Ave. S. in the Lakeview area. The development is at the site of the former Davis School, about a block away from Pepper Place. The project will include residential units, retail, restaurants and a large public green space.

14. Work continues on an 18-month expansion and renovation project at Legacy Arena. The facility was closed for construction beginning April 2. Expected completion is set for late 2021, according to a BJCC spokesperson.

15. The new $19.2 million UAB Technology Innovation Center is nearing completion at 17th Street South and Ninth Avenue South. The center, measuring 40,000 square feet, will house campus internet connectivity and technology infrastructure. At press time, construction was 98% complete, with furniture installation complete, and final inspections and certifications and the programming of IT, mechanical and electrical systems underway.

16. Renovation work continues at the historic Carver Theatre, now known as the Carver Performing Arts Center, at 1631 Fourth Ave. N. downtown. The former movie house, built in 1935, is also home to the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, which manages the facility. Studio 2H Design is the architect and interior designer on the project, and Stone Building is the general contractor.

17. Construction of the new $60 million Residence Hall 2020 at UAB on 10th Avenue South between 16th and 17th Streets was about substantially complete at press time, according to UAB Media Relations. The dorm will accommodate 720 undergraduates.

18. Work is complete on a new $25 million arts campus for Red Mountain Theatre. The campus is located at 1600 Third Ave. S. adjacent to Regions Field. LIVE Design Group are the architects. Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor. The RMT began taking occupancy of portions of the facility, including the administrative offices, at the end of February, and plans to begin hosting some classes and other events in May, according to a theater spokesperson.

19. In the fall, UAB completed the interior renovation of the laboratories on the eighth and ninth floors in the McCallum Basic Science Building at 1918 University Blvd., as well as the installation of metal panels on the exterior of the eighth and ninth floors. Installation of metal panels on the exterior of floors two through seven is underway and is currently 80% complete, according to UAB Media Relations. Completion is scheduled for September.

Openings/Closures

20. North Italia, an Italian restaurant known for its handcrafted cuisine and cocktails, opened its first Alabama location in March at 225 Summit Boulevard, Suite 1100, in The Summit, according to a news release from the eatery. The 5,378 square-foot restaurant features an open kitchen that overlooks the dining room and bar and seats nearly 300 guests indoors and on the patio. The menu features such items as antipasti, salads, pastas and wood-fired pizzas.

21. AmperSandwich, 4124 Third Ave. S., is now open in Avondale and plans to begin alcohol sales in late April or early May. 205-202-2024, eatampersandwich.com

22. Woodlawn Street Market plans a full 2021 season of five events, according to a REV Birmingham news release. The markets, which began in April, are designed to allow for social distancing. The remaining dates are June 12, Aug. 14, Oct. 16 and Dec. 12. All events will be held Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., except for the December event, to be held on Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Vendor applications are being accepted at surveymonkey.com/r/WSM2021vendor.

Coming Soon

23. The Left Hand Soap Company — an Alabama skincare brand crafting all-natural soaps, scrubs, home cleaning products and other items – will open a new retail location this summer at Pepper Place, according to a news release from Sloss Real Estate. The shop will allow customers a glimpse into the facility’s open-air manufacturing space, allowing shoppers to see first-hand how simple ingredients are transformed into curated skincare products like lip balms, hair care oils and cleansers. This new retail location will also include soap-making workshops and events.

24. In late March, PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans announced its plans to expand into several Southern states, including Alabama, where it currently has two locations, according to media reports. The company plans 28 coffeehouses in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida in the next three years. Birmingham has been mentioned in the past as a possible expansion location.