Old Louie Louie/Bell Bottoms building haunted? (Birmingham, Homewood: leases, loft)

[JenniferBlack]

I keep hearing rumors that the reason no business can stay in business there very long is that the building is haunted. I can't find anything about anyone dying there.


I know the legal name of the building includes the name Sloss, so I was wondering if maybe there was a connection there, to the Sloss Furnace Hauntings.


I also heard from a different source that it may be someone who fell down the old metal stairs out back (that have now been removed as a safety hazard).


I live near there, and would love to find out more. I would love for there to be a good club there again. Thanks!

[Tourian]

I always felt dirty stumbling out of Bell Bottoms at 2 in the morning. I never came up on any ghosts but I was probably too preoccupied to notice.


There's a couple of ghost walks/tours around, maybe contact the people associated with them and see if they know.
The Birmingham Ghost Walk – Birmingham Historic Touring Company

[steveklein]

Do people actually think buildings can be haunted? Like... are these "rumors" even serious?

The reason nothing can stay in business there is because the businesses that have been operating there have not been profitable. Sorry, ghosts aren't real.

As for what has happened in the building in the past, I have no idea... but let's say someone did fall down the metal stairs and hurt themselves badly or died... that still doesn't make the building haunted. It probably means a building inspector should check it out and make sure it meets code, but that's about it.

[preguntas]

Simple the owner of the property is a very difficult landlord to deal with that always leads to short leases and broken leases seldom having anything to do with ghosts

[bosshawk]

Bellbottoms was there for 11 years, which is practically geriatric in the nightlife world, then the same ownership turned it into a completely ridiculous concept that was destined to fail - Uranus. Then it became Crush during a time when many of the people searching for nightlife moved to Lakeview or downtown. That is all that has been there for more than 15 years. Hardly a case of businesses failing because of the building. The other tenants to the left had various issues that I could go into explaining but it probably isn't worth it.

[MinivanDriver]

Might make for good leverage in negotiations with the lessor.

[Tourian]

Oh yeah. A stigmatized property should be worth a discount in rent.

Seems to be a lot of volatility lately in 5pts. As hot an area as it is I hate to see that. It should be a group of local type businesses IMO but I wonder if one or two well chosen chains would help shore it up.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Oh yeah. A stigmatized property should be worth a discount in rent.

Seems to be a lot of volatility lately in 5pts. As hot an area as it is I hate to see that. It should be a group of local type businesses IMO but I wonder if one or two well chosen chains would help shore it up.

I think the area will be fine, especially with the Homewood Suites and the renovation of the Highlands Hotel into something else. Add the new ultra-cool bowling alley/entertainment area, etc, and we should see a nice renaissance for the area, not that it ever really got bad in the first place.

[TimCity2000]

i do hope 5 points settles back into its role as a diverse nightlife area. definitely has been a victim of the success of lakeview, avondale, the loft district and even uptown. however, it is still the most urban and walkable district of any of those, so i think it will make a comeback.

[chilitiger]

It appears someone is working on that building now. Does anyone know what is going in there?