Real Estate Update: September 2020

Miscellaneous

1. The Dobbins Group is investing $16.5 million in a 96-unit multifamily residential project at 4211 and 4241 Third Ave. S. in Avondale, just off the main commercial strip in the popular neighborhood, according to a news release from the Birmingham-based real estate investment firm. The project will consist of two buildings containing 48 units each and should be completed by fall 2021. “Avondale continues to be known as one of the fastest growing and most desirable neighborhoods in all of Birmingham,” Thornton Ratliff, Dobbins Group vice president, said in the news release. “The influx of breweries, restaurants, music venues, office space and community gathering areas over the last 10 years has made it prime for new multi-family development.” Arlington Construction Services will serve as general contractor.

2. Foundry Yards, a five-story luxury apartment community with 268 units, is under construction in the Parkside District, one block from Railroad Park and Regions Field. The project also features 20,000 square feet of commercial space in two 10,000-square-foot buildings, according to a news release from the listing agents at Shannon Waltchack. The commercial space features a wide-open shell with high ceilings and exposed bricks and beams. “So many exciting ventures are gravitating to Parkside, and we are thrilled at the chance to welcome more users to this lively district,” Jackson Parker, a broker at Shannon Waltchack, said in a news release.

3. The Birmingham City Council voted July 28 to authorize Mayor Randall Woodfin to execute an agreement with Sixth Avenue Center LLC under which the city will obtain a temporary construction easement on property on Sixth Avenue South near the intersection of First Street South for construction activities related to the Bus Rapid Transit project. The city will pay a fee of $10.

4. The Birmingham City Council also voted July 28 to authorize the use of the city’s power of eminent domain to acquire a temporary construction easement and fee simple title to a right of way consisting of about 0.037 acres of property at 940 Pike Road. The purpose is to allow for the completion of the Belview Heights Neighborhood Gateway Beautification Project on Avenue I from Pike Road to 40th Street. The project is to include pedestrian lighting, decorative sidewalks and landscaping.

New Construction

5. Work is underway on a $9.5 million flood mitigation project in the city of Tarrant. A groundbreaking was held in late June. The project will address the flooding that has occurred for years along Five Mile Creek, Tarrant Mayor Loxcil Tuck said in a news release. Findley Frazer of Frazer Environmental is the lead engineer for the project. The Freshwater Land Trust donated 522 acres of property to the city to assist with the mitigation.

6. Orchestra Partners, a downtown real estate redevelopment firm, recently announced that construction had begun on its latest project, Mercantile on Morris. The mixed-use project will feature 14,000 square feet of commercial space and 47 residential condo units. Located at 2212 Morris Avenue, the project will feature access from both First Avenue North and Morris Avenue, with a pedestrian plaza with storefronts connecting the two thoroughfares. The project is slated for completion in November. Retail Specialists is currently pre-leasing the development.

7. 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. Bids were to be opened in August, and a notice to proceed is expected by November 2020.

Construction Update

8. Work continues on an 18-month expansion and renovation project at Legacy Arena, according to a BJCC spokesperson. The facility was closed for construction beginning April 2. Interior renovations will include structural and non-structural work and, in some cases, the complete replacement of components. Exterior renovations will include modifications and alterations to the building envelope and loading docks as well as sitework, landscaping and hardscaping.

9. Construction of Phase 1 of the new $60 million Residence Hall 2020 at UAB on 10th Avenue South between 16th and 17th Streets should be completed by the fall, according to UAB Media Relations. The dorm will accommodate 720 undergraduates.

10. Construction is nearly complete on a 17-story apartment building Ascend Five Points at the corner of 20th Street and 10th Avenue South. The developer is The Opus Group, based in Minnesota. Construction was slated for completion by fall 2020, according to an Opus Group spokesperson. The apartment building, which will be marketed primarily to UAB students, will include 199 units accommodating 522 residents, according to the developer’s website. Myefski Architects and Auburn-based Rabren General Contractors are working on the project. Creative License International is the interior designer.

11. An extensive renovation is underway at the Dewberry Building, located at 3201 Fourth Ave. S. in Lakeview. The UAB 1917 Clinic, the state’s largest HIV health care unit, will occupy 50,664 square feet and expects to move in by late 2020 or early 2021. Birmingham AIDS Outreach will also move into the building. Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor, Farris Properties is the developer and KPS Group is the architect.

12. Work continues on the renovation of the historic former New Ideal department store downtown for use as The New Ideal Lofts, consisting of 44 micro, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units and 3,500 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. H2 Real Estate is the listing company for the project.

13. The new $19.2 million UAB Technology Innovation Center is under construction at 17th Street South and Ninth Avenue South. The center, measuring 40,000 square feet, will house campus internet connectivity and technology infrastructure and is set to open in early 2021, according to UAB Media Relations.

14. Work is underway on the new program services campus for United Way of Central Alabama, located at 3600 Eighth Ave. S. in Avondale. The nonprofit is renovating the former Overlook Building at 3620 Eighth Ave. S. adjacent to the UWCA headquarters. The UWCA purchased the 35,000-square-foot building, formerly the offices of Ram Tool, in 2018. Stewart/Perry is the general contractor. Studio 2H Design is the architect.

15. Construction continues for a new $25 million arts campus for Red Mountain Theatre Company. The campus is located at 1600 Third Ave. S., adjacent to Regions Field. LIVE Design Group is the architect. Brasfield & Gorrieis the general contractor. Harbert Realty Services will manage the project. Construction should be complete in summer 2021.

16. Renovation work is underway 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. Work continues on the renovation of the eighth and ninth floors of the 34-story Shipt Tower at 1901 Sixth Ave. N. for use by Shipt, the fast-growing online grocery-delivery service based in Birmingham. The company placed its new logo on the top of the building, formerly called the Wells Fargo Tower, in May. Shipt began leasing space in the building in 2019 and plans to move more personnel into the building when renovations are complete. The general contractor is Wiggins Building Corporation. Shipt will retain its current space in the John Hand Building.

18. Construction was finished this summer for Town House Park, a new park built by UAB at the corner of University Boulevard and 20th Street South, according to UAB Media Relations. Help phones are to be installed, and commissioned lighting artwork will be installed at a later date. The park is on the site of the old UAB Townhouse facility, which was demolished in 2019.

Openings/Closures

19. Local Source Market & Grocery, which offers meats, dairy and produce sourced from area farms, has opened at 2009 15th Ave. S. in Five Points South. Open seven days a week, it is located next to Zydeco and shares space with Near To Me CBD, according to a news release from the store. Produce and meat suppliers include Ireland Farms from Alpine, Marble Creek Farms from Sylacauga and Mountain Sun Farms from Mentone. The shop will also stock the work of local artisans, such as canvas and leather goods from Biscuit Leather, wooden utensils from Spoon Man and ceramic tableware from Balefire Studios.

20. Terrific New Theatre (TNT), which remains temporarily closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, announced in July it would vacate its space at Pepper Place effective Aug. 8. TNT, a nonprofit, moved to Pepper Place in 1991. “We came to the conclusion that TNT needed to go into a hibernation of sorts until it is feasible to re-open for business,” board President Thom Satterfield said in a news release. TNT temporarily ceased operations March 14 due to the pandemic and subsequently suspended the remainder of its 2019-20 season. TNT Executive Director Tam DeBolt said the theatre will reopen when the time is right. “Rest assured, TNT is not going anywhere — well,except to a new location,” she said in the release.

21. Woodlawn Cycle Cafe at 5530 First Ave.S. — one of the symbols of the gradual revitalization of Woodlawn — closed permanently Aug. 2. The cafe was a popular place for coffee, pastries, desserts, breakfast and pop-up dinners and drew loyal patrons from Woodlawn, Crestwood, East Lake and elsewhere. The dining room had remained closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, but the cafe had offered curbside pickup several days a week. “We have encountered amazing people come through these doors in the last five years — staff and customers alike — and we are beyond grateful for the support and the memories made here,” the owners said on the cafe website in announcing the closure.

22. Little Savannah Restaurant & Bar at 3811 Clairmont Ave. S. in Forest Park Village, is closing after 17 years. Co-owners Cliff Holt and Stephanie Rogers announced the closure “with a heavy heart and profound sadness” on Facebook on Aug. 2. “The spirit and essence of the dream that was Little Savannah Restaurant is no longer sustainable,” they said in the post. They also said they hope to re-open soon in a new location and will continue offering in-home cooking classes, private dinners and catering.

Coming Soon

23. Restaurant chain Wing It On! is looking for franchisees in Alabama, including Birmingham, as part of a broader expansion in the Southeast, according to AL.com. The chain is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and offers takeout wings with 24 flavors, dipping sauces and several different chicken sandwiches.