UPDATED: New and Upcoming Projects. (Birmingham, Avon: square footage, place to live, transport)

[Tourian]

This was the last thing I read about it.

Operation New Birmingham handed keys and cash to save historic Ensley tower | AL.com

Hopefully there will be renewed interest and a developer willing to move forward.

[280Tony]

Originally Posted by bhamguy

I can't wait to see what is to become of the renewed Morris Ave! I would love to have a space for something, on that street.

With (i) Peanut Depot vacating and some other Morris Ave property up for sale, and (iii) Intermodal facility + Empire Hotel + Brown-Marx (should it become the proposed multifamily project) + the new tenant replacing Gray Construction on the bottom of 2 20th St N, I think it's safe to predict we'll see entertainment development find its way back to Morris Ave in the next three years.

[bhamoutlook]

Originally Posted by 280Tony

With (i) Peanut Depot vacating and some other Morris Ave property up for sale, and (iii) Intermodal facility + Empire Hotel + Brown-Marx (should it become the proposed multifamily project) + the new tenant replacing Gray Construction on the bottom of 2 20th St N, I think it's safe to predict we'll see entertainment development find its way back to Morris Ave in the next three years.

From reading the article, I get that the renovation of Morris is on the other side. Not on the side that Peanut Depot was on. Am I wrong? I think that renovation is more for the Intermodal facility. Either way, it's still good news.

I tell you what though... 20 Midtown is really bringing some life to that Midtown section of 20th Street with just Chipotle and Starbucks. I can't wait to see the rest of that retail fill in. And all of the retail at Station 121 is filled!!! Crazy. That was like 90% vacant a year ago. It also looks like 29 Seven in Lakeview is 100% or about to be. I think I saw them working on the last vacant spot. The retail in the city is the big conversation right now.

[280Tony]

Originally Posted by bhamoutlook

From reading the article, I get that the renovation of Morris is on the other side. Not on the side that Peanut Depot was on. Am I wrong? I think that renovation is more for the Intermodal facility. Either way, it's still good news.

I tell you what though... 20 Midtown is really bringing some life to that Midtown section of 20th Street with just Chipotle and Starbucks. I can't wait to see the rest of that retail fill in. And all of the retail at Station 121 is filled!!! Crazy. That was like 90% vacant a year ago. It also looks like 29 Seven in Lakeview is 100% or about to be. I think I saw them working on the last vacant spot. The retail in the city is the big conversation right now.

It is on the side of 20th you're thinking about. I said that with "redeveloping that side (19th->16th Sts) is a necessary step" in turning Morris into a place to hang out again. Then I looked at a map and saw that there's not that much usable -- seemingly, because I really don't know -- property available on that side of the street. There is an older warehouse at 1617 1st. Ave N that backs up to Morris that perhaps has potential, but again idk.

I think it'll have a role in bringing some development to Morris though, because there is good vacant space on the street, and the article is right that it will connect Morris with RR Park at 16th St. Is that not close to where the funky bridge is supposedly going? You've got that, the TJ thing is a block away, other u/c stuff, and some key vacancies . . . a bump in foot traffic is coming to or near Morris soon. Somebody will step up and do something cool with it.

Good to hear about Midtown.

[Tourian]

After taking the fam for a swine pie at Post Office Pies and walk around Sloss we went over to Midtown and yes having Cityville's bottom level filled makes the area that much more alive and intimate. Lots of people our and about walking around all over. Exciting to see it grow on a weekly basis it seems.

[TimCity2000]

i realize that they are important for the city's tax base, but i HATE the car dealer lots downtown, especially the one on 20th... such an impediment to the otherwise amazing growth happening on that street.


the ones on the west side of downtown near 65 are an eyesore, too... but not much is happening on that side at the moment anyways.

[Tourian]

Do you mean Adamson Ford? They got paid a bunch of money and got tax credits to stay.

I get what you are saying though. I wish they would build a more urban style dealer that doesn't use lots like that but rather a deck and keep the cars up snd out of sight rather than spread over whole blocks like Jim Burke is.

[preguntas]

Eventually UAB will make them an offer they can't refuse. For now though, at least they did a good job of renovating the vintage buildings on the property.


I do agree that it is the car inventory that feels offensive now.


It reminds me of when Capital Cadillac was on Peachtree in A. Ga., very near the museum. Of course they moved to Marrietta; so I m sure it will be a loss to the city tax base when it goes.

[Tourian]

Speaking of cars, that new Aston Martin plant that was supposed to be a lock and decided on a while back is still hanging out there...but now, Macedonia is a.hot contender. Maybe it is all smoke and mirrors to lean on Bentley to open up the purse strings a little more.

Alabama or Europe likely will get new Aston Martin auto plant | TuscaloosaNews.com

The automaker began with a list of 19 possible locations several months ago then narrowed the list down to two British sites, a site somewhere in Alabama and a Middle Eastern location, Reuters and Automotive News previously reported.

The unclear situation in the Middle Eastern apparently has made that site less desirable, and Reuters quoted the source this week as saying a site in central England "was a leading contender but has dropped a few balls of late."

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told British media last year that the company was looking at a site in Alabama because it wanted to be near the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County.

[280Tony]

Interesting . . .

Avondale Works