Developer who bought parcels in Avondale sees bright future for area

The developer whose company recently purchased a big chunk of Avondale’s bustling commercial core believes the neighborhood has a bright future.

“Avondale is at the interface between the Birmingham [central business district]... and some great neighborhoods that support young, growing families,” said Hunter Renfroe, principal at Orchestra Partners. “We also see it as a hub of activity on the way to Woodlawn, which we think positions it well for the future of Birmingham as young professionals choose to be closer to the City Center.”

Orchestra Partners – through its Avondale Holdings subsidiary – announced Friday, Oct. 13, that it had purchased several properties on Avondale's 41st Street South.

The company now owns the land where popular establishments Avondale Brewery, Post Office Pies, Saw's Soul Kitchen, Avondale Common House, Wasabi Juan's and the Sour Room are located, according to media reports.

The sellers were brewery co-founder Coby Lake and his partners. Lake and his brother, Hunter, started the brewery in 2011.

Orchestra also purchased Avondale Brewing Co. from Lake and partners and then announced, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, that it had sold the operation to Birmingham’s Good People Brewing Co.

Renfroe declined to reveal the dollar value of his company’s purchases.

All of the commercial establishments affected by the sale will continue to operate as normal, according to Renfroe.

“We love the restaurants on the brewery block and will be investing in ways to increase their capacity and improve their profitability,” he said.

Avondale Brewery’s operation will continue as normal, as well, according to Taylor Lander, director of marketing and events. "All of our concerts, all of our events, will continue,” she said. “It’s business as usual.”

The brewery has about 30 employees, all of whom will remain in place for now, according to Lander.

Avondale Brewing and Good People “will continue to operate as two separate brands but will operate as one team under the same ownership,” Lander said.

Lander expressed optimism about the future of the new operation.

“I think we have a lot of good opportunities moving forward as one big team, combining forces and utilizing everybody's talents and learning from each other,” she said. “I think it will be a lot of fun.”

Orchestra Partners has made some purchases recently in other growing areas in the City Center, including Five Points South, Parkside and Morris Avenue, according to Birmingham Business Journal.

These acquisitions seem to reflect the company’s mission and philosophy.

Orchestra seeks to create “positive change” in the city’s communities with real estate as the “medium,” Renfroe said.

“We believe any city needs a strong urban core in order to thrive, so we focus on filling voids and creating ‘critical mass’ in key areas within the city center to spur additional development that will eventually create a more dense city center,” he said. “This, in turn, will attract young professionals and new businesses who want to be in a walkable, urban environment. That growth will continue to radiate through the metro area over time.”

Avondale fits right into Orchestra’s plans, according to Renfroe. “We see Avondale as a prime example of exactly the type of ‘place’ that we strive to create with our various projects,” he said.

Renfroe said his company is excited about what they can bring to Avondale. “We think there is still a lot of opportunity to improve upon what the Lake brothers have done, including creating more walkable connectivity with the Birmingham [central business district],” he said.

Renfroe was not ready to give specifics on the company’s plans for increasing walkability, but gave some hint of their approach.

“I can say that we will be pursuing creative ways to encourage Birminghamians to park, get out of their car and explore, without regard to where they might end up,” he said. “We applaud Rev for the Zyp Bikeshare initiative, and we love the Birmingham Pedal Tours.”

Iron City Ink was unable to immediately reach Coby Lake for comment.

“In Orchestra Partners, we found an organization with a great vision for Avondale,” Lake told Trussville Tribune. “I enjoyed working with Hunter Renfroe and the whole group at Orchestra. I wish him and his new operators all the best. They’ll do a great job.”