UPDATED: New and Upcoming Projects. (Avon: landlords, skyline, places)

[MPC]

Who ever had the idea to put it there should get a reward. I can only imagine how hot it will be around August and being able to watch the game by or in the pool, and watching it free basically from a stadium extension.

[preguntas]

No, the pool decks are actually about three stories above the playing field and farther from the field promenade than these photos imply. But definitely a great view of the action, and about as close as you can get without a ticket.

[steveklein]

More or less correct information here. Although I wouldn't say it is impossible for a homerun ball to reach the Venue, it would take a titanic shot... over 450 feet... which is certainly not unprecedented, but not very common either. We might see one a year that goes that far, and then it would have to be towards center/left center field to get to the Venue. Perhaps once every 5 years it will happen but it will be quite rare, if it ever happens at all.

However, the place is nowhere near fully leased. Only 2 of the 14 floorplans are fully leased out. You can still get a studio, or 1,2,3, or 4 bedroom apartment there. In fact, there are still openings at all of the new apartment places that have recently been completed... 20Midtown, Liv Parkside, Venue at the Ballpark, and Iron City Lofts.

It really does make me wonder if the market can really handle all the new ones expected to come on in the next 12 months without depressing rents (which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing anyway...) Time will tell.

[bhamoutlook]

Originally Posted by 280Tony

That rendering does make it look more appealing. I hate that a few local favorites were sacrificed for it, but price of progress I suppose. Going forward, I hope developers are sensitive to the aesthetic impact these types of designs have in a city like ours. We have such a good stock of old buildings and, for better or worse, I think most Hamians have some sentimental attachment thereto, regardless of the condition of the building. Put another way, there are definitely some derelict or vacant properties I think we'd rather see refurbished than have ten Central City-esque boxes put up in their place.

Unless we want all of Southside to be a gridiron sea of buildings that look like 20 Midtown.

I don't really put the blame on developers... they are all about the bottom line. What I don't see is how Iron City ever got past the Design Review Committee. Unless that's not a controlled area???? Either way, they aren't even lofts and they're just plain hideous.

[steveklein]

What is so hideous about Iron City Lofts? What makes it so different than Cityville, Bristol Southside, LIV Parkside, the first phase of Midtown20, or so many of the other 4-6 story buildings that have and are going up in the area?

[TimCity2000]

If any of you guys follow the I Believe In Birmingham group on Facebook, it sounds like TopGolf is practically a done deal here. BJCC / Uptown seems to be the area discussed, although the Parkside area got a mention, too. Definitely hope it's not way out in Hoover or 280... I took a look at their site and a lot of their locations are way out in the suburbs. Uptown makes the most sense to me due to the amount of land / parking required.


In other news - looks like a crane is on site for The Metropolitan. Also, the new hotel and Flats on Fourth are moving along quickly in the Parkside area.

[Tourian]

While I realize 280 has practically 2 of everything close together in a densely packed area, do you think they would want to put it near the PGA Tour Superstore that opened out there not too long ago? But then again, it is the area where a lot of money is and a lot of golf enthusiasts are so it wouldn't surprise me either way. What surprises me though is how they were considering Huntsville first and Birmingham didn't even appear to be on their radar...but now you are saying they are coming here too?

[steveklein]

I would be surprised if Top Golf ended up anywhere other than Hoover or the 280 corridor. While it would be cool to be downtown, it is an establishment that traditionally needs a lot of square footage and a lot of parking.

[TimCity2000]

^ right, that's why the uptown location sort of made sense to me. not terribly dense, and seems to be several parcels of land available. although as I mentioned, it looks like most of their other locations are fairly suburban.

[steveklein]

Still just seems like the BJCC is probably saving those contiguous parcels of land for a future multipurpose stadium/arena. But we shall see.