7-story apartment complex to replace pool hall, retail sites

The Break Pool Hall in Five Points is the latest business in downtown Birmingham to be listed for redevelopment, following projects such as the $100 million Publix apartment development at 20 Midtown, the $16.5 million Waites mixed-use development and the $66 million Pizitz building renovation.

The spot where the current pool hall rests will be demolished and rebuilt as a $40 million apartment complex, with groundbreaking sometime in the upcoming year followed by 18 months of construction. 

The new building will be 17 stories tall and will feature 196 apartment units, varying from studio apartments to efficiency apartments to four bedroom apartments, accommodating a total of 518 beds, according to the Birmingham Design Review.

The apartments will feature a gym as well as an amenities deck, along with more than 3,800 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. 

The apartment complex will most likely attract students attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham and other young professionals who work in the downtown area.

The Break currently holds a total of 31 tables, including pool tables and air hockey tables, in addition to arcade games and a bar. 

The pool hall was originally built in Lakeview and moved to Five Points in the late 1990s.