Anyone Remember "The Vulcan Motor Lodge" On Highway 31? (Birmingham: apartments, hotel)

[ulver]

Just curious if the building is still standing? Or, if anyone remembers it in general. Postcard says it was just a mile from "Vulcan" statue, on highway 31.

Hope someone recalls it!

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k178/ulver_2006/al248.jpg (broken link)

[jakabedy]

I'm not sure where exactly it would have been, but I can tell you it's not there anymore. The location would be in Homewood, and there's just nothing like that still in the area. I'm thinking perhaps it was where the Mayfair apartments are now, as that is a large enough area and those apartments probably went up in the late '60s - early '70s.

[ulver]

Originally Posted by jakabedy

I'm not sure where exactly it would have been, but I can tell you it's not there anymore. The location would be in Homewood, and there's just nothing like that still in the area. I'm thinking perhaps it was where the Mayfair apartments are now, as that is a large enough area and those apartments probably went up in the late '60s - early '70s.

Thanks for your reply!

I have family in Homewood. I still get lost, visiting however. It seems to entertain more growth every year. My last visit, Homewood still had a quaint downtown square. Nice for walking...

I usually stay at the LaQuinta Inn. There's a Books-A-Million I enjoy, close to it. Plus a very nice grocery store right next to it. I just can't recall the name?

Any help?

Lastly, when I spent time time at "Vulcan", I was told to not stick around (as I wanted) to watch the sun set Is THAT part of Homewood kind of "dicey"? Just curious...

Again: Thanks for the information!

[jakabedy]

I think the hotel and BAM are in the Wildwood shopping center on the west side of I-65 at the Lakeshore exit. That shopping center is going through some changes, having lost some of the big box occupants (Bruno's was the grocery store you liked -- gone now, too) and some demolition of a part of it on the south side of Lakeshore (where the movie theaters were). But it is still very convenient.

As for Vulcan, I don't know that it is inherently unsafe up there. It is at the end of Valley Avenue, which is the dividing line for Birmingham and Homewood, and does contain a lot of somewhat dicey apartments. I don't think the Vulcan property itself is too bad, but I wouldn't go for a walk down Valley Avenue.

[ulver]

Originally Posted by jakabedy

I think the hotel and BAM are in the Wildwood shopping center on the west side of I-65 at the Lakeshore exit. That shopping center is going through some changes, having lost some of the big box occupants (Bruno's was the grocery store you liked -- gone now, too) and some demolition of a part of it on the south side of Lakeshore (where the movie theaters were). But it is still very convenient.

As for Vulcan, I don't know that it is inherently unsafe up there. It is at the end of Valley Avenue, which is the dividing line for Birmingham and Homewood, and does contain a lot of somewhat dicey apartments. I don't think the Vulcan property itself is too bad, but I wouldn't go for a walk down Valley Avenue.

That BRUNO'S is gone>? It looked to be thriving, just a couple years ago! The BAM, as well. Jeez...

Back closer to Homewood, I ventured into a Piggly-Wiggly (I think), when I attended my cousin's wedding. Kinda sat on a corner by itself. IIRC, it ventured down toward a mall, then the road took it toward a hospital, and eventually started going into some serious hills. It was very pretty.

[ShipOfFools42]

^ Yes, that's Highway 31, and the hilly part you're referring to is Vestavia Hills. It's a really nice part of town to live in. If I ever move back to Birmingham, I would definitely strongly consider Vestavia.

[jakabedy]

I found the Vulcan Motor Lodge! There was an ad in the 1950 B'ham news for the then-new Motel. The address in that ad, 1930 South 29th avenue, puts it at the corner of US31 and 29th Ave. South, which is where the big Regions Bank building is now. Just north of the Piggly Wiggly mentioned in the OP's post.

Scroll down in the link for the ad.

BIRMINGHAM REWOUND remembers September 1950

[weisenheist]

Originally Posted by jakabedy

I found the Vulcan Motor Lodge! There was an ad in the 1950 B'ham news for the then-new Motel. The address in that ad, 1930 South 29th avenue, puts it at the corner of US31 and 29th Ave. South, which is where the big Regions Bank building is now. Just north of the Piggly Wiggly mentioned in the OP's post.

Scroll down in the link for the ad.

BIRMINGHAM REWOUND remembers September 1950

I see Howard Yeilding was involved in gthe motel...I think it was the same Yeilding that developed the Yielding's Department Stores !

Nice advertisments..geez I forgot about Vaughan Weil DT,, and Dick Pizitz stores....

Remember Burger-Phillips ??....and that crazy store named Tillman-Levenson ?? LOL

How about the Mafia owned store, Liberty SuperMarkets ?? LOL



Brocatto's ?? lol

The Ice Cream shop in the middle of DT Homewood ?? Higland Market ??


but we can flash forward to the "Crazy Horse" if you like LOL LOL

[ulver]

Originally Posted by jakabedy

I think the hotel and BAM are in the Wildwood shopping center on the west side of I-65 at the Lakeshore exit. That shopping center is going through some changes, having lost some of the big box occupants (Bruno's was the grocery store you liked -- gone now, too) and some demolition of a part of it on the south side of Lakeshore (where the movie theaters were). But it is still very convenient.

As for Vulcan, I don't know that it is inherently unsafe up there. It is at the end of Valley Avenue, which is the dividing line for Birmingham and Homewood, and does contain a lot of somewhat dicey apartments. I don't think the Vulcan property itself is too bad, but I wouldn't go for a walk down Valley Avenue.

Thanks again for finding the info on the Vulcan Motor Lodge! I explore "Birmingham Rewound" a decent bit. Wonderful site. I just missed that tidbit you found. Thanks again.

I am STILL perplexed on what could have doomed that Wildwood Shopping Center. Both the Bruno's & the BAM seemed to be doing just fine.

Was it a lot older of a shopping center than I imagined>? It looked newer than older to me.

[jakabedy]

Originally Posted by ulver

Thanks again for finding the info on the Vulcan Motor Lodge! I explore "Birmingham Rewound" a decent bit. Wonderful site. I just missed that tidbit you found. Thanks again.

I am STILL perplexed on what could have doomed that Wildwood Shopping Center. Both the Bruno's & the BAM seemed to be doing just fine.

Was it a lot older of a shopping center than I imagined>? It looked newer than older to me.

Well, Bruno's went bankrupt and closed almost all of its stores. So that was a separate issue. Otherwise, I think shopping centers go through a natural life cycle, unless they are in a particularly hot area. I think Wildwood was built in the late '80s, about the same time as Festival Center in the Crestwood area. The development at the Summit and then Trussville killed Eastwood Mall, then Century Plaza, and has almost finished off Festival Center (Home Depot, a giant Chinese Buffet and a grocery store live on, along with a few close-out-type stores -- and someone is reopening the moive theater).

As for Wildwood, the Summit affected it, as well. Wildwood was never a "high line" shopping center, so the stores that typically occupy such a project (Office supplies, movie theaters, etc.) go to shinier shopping centers when they open, because most of the customers would rather go to the shinier new shopping centers. And then it goes downhill from there.

That's why I'm always perplexed by the city governments that provide these huge kickbacks and tax abatements for hew shopping developments. The abatements typically last for 10 years or so . . . which is the prime of life for the shopping center. Once the tax money all starts reverting to the city, the nice stores are gone and you're left with Big Lots and a Chinese buffet.