28 replies to this topic

[kayman]

Redevelopment in the 4th Avenue Business District
Revival of Famous Theater into offices & lofts


Article in The Birmingham News

This is even more good news for the CBD area with the continuing redevelopment.

[kayman]

Residents well aware of growth, poll shows

Quote

Among the results:

Ninety-one percent are aware of growth and development under way in the city center.

More than 93 percent believe a healthy, growing downtown is important to them personally.

Nearly 73 percent recognize that downtown is an important source of jobs for city residents.

Eighty-four percent said downtown is safe during the workday.

This great news for Downtown Birmingham.  However, much improve is to be made.  Downtown should be lively and safe at as well as during the day with a variety of entertainment options.  There should be the continue shrive to be the epicenter of jobs and major developments within the region.

[Blazer85]

Calvin Grigsby (of San Francisco) and Michael Roberts (of St. Louis) want to invest $40M in the area around the Civil Rights District.  Part of it would be spent on the construction of a new hotel, part on retail/lofts, part on a conference center, and part on rehabilitating and turning the A.G. Gaston Motel into an interactive museum.  The motel was one of the first available for African-Americans in downtown Birmingham and became a very important meeting place for civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.  For this, the motel was bombed in 1963.  

http://www.al.com/ne...e....xml&coll=2

I personally think this would be an outstanding development.  Currently there are no hotels in the immediate vicinity of the Civil Rights District, pretty much no retail, and no meeting space.  Also is an excellent idea to rehab and turn the AG Gaston Motel into an interactive museum.  If this development comes to fruition, in only adds to the appeal of the district to tourists and locals alike.  Let's hope the city can work with the developers on this one and make it happen.

[kayman]

So, Michael Roberts finally made a decision on his major development here in Da Ham.  Well, I hope this will turn out to be big.

[Southron]

This sounds like a great project.  It would really be great to see a major renaissance on the western side of downtown.  The area has good bones, if the money can be found for renovation and infill.

I hope the city can get this development done.

[kayman]

Luckily at the moment, all of this redevelopment of the A.G. Gaston Hotel and the Civil Rights District will be handled by private investors, i.e., Roberts.  I think Roberts is going to wait until after the mayoral election before anything major involving the District to start.

[Blazer85]

Leonard23, on Mar 22 2007, 12:21 PM, said:

Luckily at the moment, all of this redevelopment of the A.G. Gaston Hotel and the Civil Rights District will be handled by private investors, i.e., Roberts.  I think Roberts is going to wait until after the mayoral election before anything major involving the District to start.

Well, though I could understand him waiting, I kind of hope he doesn't.  Too many things in this city are progressing along far too slowly anyway.  That's been one of my bigger gripes about the leadership here.  It's not that we're not growing at all.  We're growing... just far too slowly.  We're not living up to our potential in terms of growth.  I mean some people propose things, only to turn around and take their development elsewhere because things don't progress rapidly enough.  I'm all for being cautious and doing your homework on development teams, but once that's done, projects should move quickly.  I don't too much care of Kincaid gets credit for this development or not... I think he's a lame duck anyway. Hopefully.  I'm hopeful that with all these residential units coming downtown, more and more intelligent people will begin to fill the City of Birmingham's population, and thereby maybe begin to have an impact on the city council and mayoral elections of this city.

[kayman]

You best believe I will better believe I will be voting against Kincaid in November.   I am beyond tired of him and some of those clowns on the Council.

[convulso]

off topic, but a quickie: has anyone heard anything further about valerie abbott's interest in running for mayor?

[kayman]

convulso, on Apr 4 2007, 03:30 AM, said:

off topic, but a quickie: has anyone heard anything further about valerie abbott's interest in running for mayor?

Well, there was an article in the Birmingham Weekly from last week discussing this very topic.  I'm not sure of The Weekly has an online archive, but you can go to their website and search and see.

[wade]

I have the exclusive story: Valerie Abbott will run for mayor of Birmingham.

[kayman]

wade, on Apr 23 2007, 11:55 PM, said:

I have the exclusive story: Valerie Abbott will run for mayor of Birmingham.

Welcome to the forum, Wade.  I like your website, and I hope you can post more often on the forum.

[Alabadrock]

Leonard23, on Apr 2 2007, 11:29 AM, said:

You best believe I will better believe I will be voting against Kincaid in November. I am beyond tired of him and some of those clowns on the Council.

Same here!  And I live an hour and a half away from the city.  I'm not even a citizen of Bham, and I'm getting sick and tired of this.  Cause, the decisions they make, have an effect on all of the state.  But, what I'm most POed about, is that they're letting one of the most beautiful cities in the whole country, a city that is stuffed full of history and culture just rot and wither away.  I'm tired of it.  If I lived closer to the area, you better believe I'd be in one of those city council meetings doin something, cause I don't like to just sit here and watch them destroy what millions have put their lives into.

[Blazer85]

The city has paid a crew to clean up the interior of the Gaston Motel in preparation for the site to be shown to prospective investors.  The city seems really confident that Roberts can and will get this project done.  I really hope so.  This project will really help with the overall tourism appeal of the Civil Rights District.

[kayman]

The Roberts Companies has announced that it will be refurbishing the A.G. Gaston Hotel.  The City has signed a letter of intent with the company to allow as much as $9 million in incentives for the project.  The project calls for the renovation of the hotel and may include related projects such as retail and meeting space and a nightclub.  Roberts also announced that the since the hotel was place of many of MLK, Jr. staged protests that the hotel will have a "Martin Luther King Room" as its top luxury suite.  The refurbished hotel will have 65 to 70 rooms, and likely will carry the national chain brand name.

[Blazer85]

Sounds great.  I'm really excited about this project and think it really is a very promising development.  The Civil Rights District is already a significant tourism spot in the city, but this could make it really special.

[bhamsly]

Quote

Developer moves forward on Famous Theater plan

The developer of the Famous Theater in downtown Birmingham's Fourth Avenue Historic Business District is one step closer to starting renovations with nearly $10,000 in incentives from the city.

Developer and architect Nolanda Bearden plans to create the first set of lofts in the historically black business district and renovate the 80-year-old theater's first floor into offices, with construction starting by the end of the summer, Bearden said.

Bearden declined to disclose a project total for the renovations, but earlier reports estimated it could reach $1 million, which includes the $250,000 purchase price.

The Famous Theater project joins a handful of other major redevelopment plans on the drawing boards in the area, which could help revitalize it into an entertainment district - once the city and developers agree on incentives to make the projects happen.

• A mixed-use development around the A.G. Gaston Hotel, to be developed by St. Louis businessman Michael V. Roberts.
  
• A $10 million renovation of the Grand Lodge Masonic Temple. Owners Prince Hall Masons are currently raising funds and Hicks said work could start in six months.
  
• A local architect is proposing more lofts and commercial space for two adjoining buildings on 18th Street North, near Fourth Avenue.

The existing businesses in the district are about 85 percent service-oriented, with very little retail, he said. But these additional projects, including the Famous Theater, will lend itself to attracting retail and additional restaurants with storefront opportunities.

http://www.bizjourna...1774400^1639474

Edited by Leonard23, 25 May 2008 - 02:49 AM.
Cannot post whole newspaper articles

[Blazer85]

That's encouraging news.  I think that area definitely has the potential to explode back to life.  The developments being discussed for that area would really make that area more pedestrian-friendly.

[bhamsly]

Here are 2 proposal for the Entrepreneurial/Civil Rights Districts. I guess I should have started an Entrepreneurial/Civil Rights District topic, but this will be fine.


Entrepreneurial District
http://www.al.com/bu.../....xml&coll=2


Civil Rights District
http://www.al.com/ne...e....xml&coll=2

[kayman]

bhamsly, on Aug 5 2008, 12:27 PM, said:

Here are 2 proposal for the Entrepreneurial/Civil Rights Districts. I guess I should have started an Entrepreneurial/Civil Rights District topic, but this will be fine.


Entrepreneurial District
http://www.al.com/bu.../....xml&coll=2


Civil Rights District
http://www.al.com/ne...e....xml&coll=2

I like the sounds of these proposals considering the area is still searching for an identity when comes to tourism.  GBCVB needs to steep up on their IN Birmingham campaign so that the city can get more of outside exposure and people will have a reason to patronize and visit the city while leaving with a good and warm impression of this place.