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Old 05-23-2019, 03:14 PM
 
74 posts, read 89,441 times
Reputation: 46

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ericsvibe View Post
As an outsider looking in, it appears that all the new housing is either apartments, or mega dollar luxury condo's. Does this concern you locals that all of these new projects are being designed as long term profit engines for the developers. If the only place the middle class can afford to own is the suburbs, how is Birmingham going to grow into livable city. This is the problem with places like New York, the middle class doesn't have any way to own a condo or home in Manhattan. So they are forced to commute from the outer Burroughs, which is what has caused their severe traffic problems.
I would love to live downtown but too expensive. Birmingham is trying to become another Atlanta. The time for that past in the 60's. not sure how to fix it though.
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Old 05-23-2019, 04:48 PM
_OT
 
Location: Miami
2,183 posts, read 2,421,876 times
Reputation: 2053
Quote:
Originally Posted by wetdawg View Post
I would love to live downtown but too expensive. Birmingham is trying to become another Atlanta. The time for that past in the 60's. not sure how to fix it though.
Birmingham is not trying to become another Atlanta, that would be Charlotte.

Birmingham is in its own lane.
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Old 05-23-2019, 08:33 PM
 
302 posts, read 336,278 times
Reputation: 171
Quote:
Originally Posted by _OT View Post
Birmingham is not trying to become another Atlanta, that would be Charlotte.

Birmingham is in its own lane.
This.
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Old 05-24-2019, 08:24 AM
 
666 posts, read 517,999 times
Reputation: 544
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericsvibe View Post
As an outsider looking in, it appears that all the new housing is either apartments, or mega dollar luxury condo's. Does this concern you locals that all of these new projects are being designed as long term profit engines for the developers. If the only place the middle class can afford to own is the suburbs, how is Birmingham going to grow into livable city. This is the problem with places like New York, the middle class doesn't have any way to own a condo or home in Manhattan. So they are forced to commute from the outer Burroughs, which is what has caused their severe traffic problems.
All developments are designed for the long-term profitability for developers. It's a function of supply and demand. Time will tell if Birmingham has a lack of middle class housing. If there's a vacuum in the market, it will be filled.

At ANY point in time in ANY city, there are vacuums of need here and there. They get filled leaving another vacuum somewhere else.

I think it's good to offer $1M+ condos to downtown Bham because it brings lots of money to the area, they generally demand nicer things (restaurants, grocery, shopping etc) and it offers young entrepreneurs a sweet pad to call home while maybe starting up a business in the city. This, in turn, makes middle class folks want to live there too.
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Old 05-24-2019, 09:41 AM
 
Location: Downtown B'Ham
157 posts, read 154,114 times
Reputation: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericsvibe View Post
As an outsider looking in, it appears that all the new housing is either apartments, or mega dollar luxury condo's. Does this concern you locals that all of these new projects are being designed as long term profit engines for the developers. If the only place the middle class can afford to own is the suburbs, how is Birmingham going to grow into livable city. This is the problem with places like New York, the middle class doesn't have any way to own a condo or home in Manhattan. So they are forced to commute from the outer Burroughs, which is what has caused their severe traffic problems.
If you expand the geographic footprint ever so slightly you'll find it is insanely affordable to live in the core of the city. Neighborhoods like Southside, Glen Iris, Forest Park, etc...all have housing prices the rest of the country dreams of.

I moved from Edgewood (Homewood) to a very large 1920's bungalow for literally half the cost of the "burbs". I now have all the things I wanted in a downtown-ish home.

Birmingham is a bargain at the moment.
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Old 05-24-2019, 11:21 AM
 
81 posts, read 71,276 times
Reputation: 42
I agree with JesseRohr that there is a lot of affordable options in the city, especially the street car suburbs.

A new development even coming downtown though is looking to fill the affordable apartment gap as well:

https://bhamnow.com/2018/03/13/affor...issing-middle/
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Old 05-25-2019, 06:54 AM
 
10,503 posts, read 7,048,799 times
Reputation: 32344
Quote:
Originally Posted by JesseRohr View Post
If you expand the geographic footprint ever so slightly you'll find it is insanely affordable to live in the core of the city. Neighborhoods like Southside, Glen Iris, Forest Park, etc...all have housing prices the rest of the country dreams of.

I moved from Edgewood (Homewood) to a very large 1920's bungalow for literally half the cost of the "burbs". I now have all the things I wanted in a downtown-ish home.

Birmingham is a bargain at the moment.

Yep. The other day while getting coffee, I talked to a couple that moved to town from the West Coast for Shipt. They were a bit skeptical before they got off the plane. Then they drove around, saw the house prices, and said, "Sold." Now their friends visit here and have the same reaction. I joked with them and said, "Don't let too many come."
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Old 05-25-2019, 08:38 AM
 
Location: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, and Raleigh
2,580 posts, read 2,487,902 times
Reputation: 1614
Quote:
Originally Posted by MinivanDriver View Post
Yep. The other day while getting coffee, I talked to a couple that moved to town from the West Coast for Shipt. They were a bit skeptical before they got off the plane. Then they drove around, saw the house prices, and said, "Sold." Now their friends visit here and have the same reaction. I joked with them and said, "Don't let too many come."
LOL, I would be encouraging them to tell more of their friends to come. Birmingham as a more regionally diverse city would be a good thing in my mind.
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Old 05-25-2019, 09:53 AM
 
Location: 35203
2,099 posts, read 2,173,505 times
Reputation: 771
Quote:
Originally Posted by jero23 View Post
LOL, I would be encouraging them to tell more of their friends to come. Birmingham as a more regionally diverse city would be a good thing in my mind.
That's whats birmingham has to do, recruit from outside the immediate area. People in the suburbs or really in alabama generally are not going to move to birmingham. Having that quite, slow pace subdivision atmosphere is what they want. Birmingham has to recruit similar jobs type that other big cities have and expand what they already have in order to get more people to relocate here.

Going after people in this state will be a loss cause. It's going to be even tougher with the stupidity in montgomery. But if the BBA, the city's economics department, and others can kick it into a higher level gear to recruit companies, the city can reap the benefits even more.
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Old 05-27-2019, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Birmingham, AL
2,449 posts, read 2,238,265 times
Reputation: 1059
miscellaneous project updates:

UAB COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES






UAB DORM (didn't realize this tower crane was up)




UAB PROTON THERAPY CENTER




DENHAM BUILDING






FAIRFIELD INN AND SUITES BY MARRIOTT






FOUNDRY YARDS (demolition starting)

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