Tag Archives: architecture

BJCC posts Marketplace renderings online via Facebook

Marketplace General OverviewThe BJCC posted architectural renderings of their long-planned entertainment district to their fan page on Facebook yesterday.

The proposal has gone before (and was approved by) Birmingham’s Design Review Committee in April and a drive by the construction site gives folks the impression that substantial work will begin soon. There were some concerns about a digital sign included in the design proposal though it appears as though they’ve been settled. Visitors to the fan page’s post have offered additional feedback on the design and the project.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new development, including a new hotel, restaurants and shops, was held back in late-January.

They also announced that there would be a link to a progress camera in the coming weeks and hinted that they’d be taking suggestions for the development’s name. Its working name is currently The Marketplace.

Plan to save Birmingham’s Powell School on the table today

Powell School post fire. acnatta/FlickrSince we’ve already mentioned The Birmingham News earlier, today a story was posted to their website talking about a possible plan in place to save the historic Powell School building in downtown Birmingham from the wrecking ball.

According to the piece, the proposal currently on the table for consideration by the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee this afternoon would give the city’s oldest school building to the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The city would give them up to six months to secure a developer and stabilize the structure or else the building would be demolished.

Sam Frazier is presenting the proposal on behalf of the Trust and he’s got personal experience in saving historic structures. He serves as chairman of Birmingham’s Design Review Committee, the National Trust for Historic Preservation advisor from Alabama and a member of the Alabama Trust’s board.

Needless to say that many people in the city are hopeful that the building can be saved, especially when you see how many blog posts and photos exist across the web sharing that sentiment. This list includes the front page of the Alabama Trust’s Spring 2011 newsletter. The school was named for the first president of the Elyton Land Company, the real estate company responsible for the city’s existence.

Photo: Powell School post fire. acnatta/Flickr

Proposed Five Points Chick-Fil-A now has no drive-thru

CIMG0005UPDATE: Joseph Baker, president of I Believe in Birmingham, has posted a statement on the organization’s Facebook page this evening.

Applause erupted this afternoon during a subcommittee meeting of Birmingham’s Design Review Committee as representatives from Chick-Fil-A informed committee members and others gathered that the proposed Five Points South location would not include a drive-through.

The fast-food chain plans to present a conceptual proposal to the full committee during next Wednesday morning’s regularly scheduled meeting. That proposal will incorporate points and suggestions made by the subcommittee today.

Chick-Fil-A also announced that they planned to use and modify the existing building on the site – a former Ruby Tuesday’s location – as well as incorporate a playground and outdoor seating. Reusing the existing structure would also allow them to move forward with the project quickly.

The number of parking spaces would be reduced from 90 to 74. There was also a question about if there would be a change in operating hours as a result of the prominent location; they said that none was planned.

Photo: Chick-Fil-A presents to Design Review Committee subcommittee. acnatta/Flickr

Council committee to consider Fire Station No. 22 sale

IMG_3168. JCMcdavid/FlickrToday’s Birmingham City Council Budget and Finance committee meeting is possibly going to be a little more crowded than usual.

The committee meeting takes place at 4 p.m. on the 3rd floor Birmingham City Hall in its administrative wing. Among the items on today’s agenda is a contract to sell the former Fire Station No. 22 to a developer who wants to replace the Spanish Revival structure with a Walgreens. The Birmingham News reports that the property is currently being offered by the city for $200,000.

The fact that the contract has not been approved as of yet by the City Council may partially explain why the presentation made to the city’s Design Review Committee was conceptual on April 29.

Citizens upset with the decision have turned to FacebookTwitter and blog posts in hopes that City Councilors would listen to “constructive alternatives” to the current proposal. The committee’s recommendation will be considered by the full council, which must still make a decision on the matter.

Photo: IMG_3168. JCMcdavid/Flickr

Travelogue: Not quite abandoned yet

A look up into the Lyric Theater. acnatta/FlickrJJ MacCrimmon is a photographer out of Huntsville, AL who recently posted these images of the historic Lyric Theater on his blog Orbits of a deluded mind. He’s promised to share additional photos from his trip this past July soon.

The upper floors of the building that housed the theater has been vacant for many years now, but as many of you may know (and as JJ points out in his first post of photos back in December) there are many people working to restore the property and have it see use again as a performance venue for Birmingham, AL. The Lyric is currently owned by Birmingham Landmarks, Inc., the organization that currently operates The Alabama Theatre. Folks looking for additional information about the theater can check out this entry on BhamWiki or this post from Cinema Treasures.

Folks looking to find out how they can help with the theater’s renovation efforts should check out the official Lyric Theater website.

Photo: A look up into the Lyric Theater. acnatta/Flickr

Dreaming about across the street from Railroad Park

TRO JB 1st ave pers There seems to be a growing  number of people interested in the suggested development proposals presented at last week’s Operation New Birmingham breakfast briefing.

For those of you who did not see yesterday’s piece in The Birmingham News or the reader’s poll on AL.com, the elevations created by Erdreich ArchitectureThe Garrison Barrett GroupCohen Carnaggio Reynolds, Sims Architectural StudioTRO Jung|Brannen and Williams-Blackstock Architects were presented for a vote – but the elevations only tell part of the story.

Each proposal envisioned the types of businesses that could be included and tried to work in the results of a compact agreed to by property owners and developers months earlier (including ensuring that parking was handled inside of the block. The proposals are just that – ways to visualize what is possible before going to the next step. We invite you to check out all of the proposals submitted and share your thoughts.

Quinlan Castle loses its top – temporarily

Removing turrets from Quinlan Castle (1 of 2), dystopos/Flickr

Photo: Removing turrets from Quinlan Castle (1 of 2). dystopos/Flickr

While many of us were infatuated with the relocation of the 1917 locomotive on Saturday morning (pictures later), work crews were handling another local historic icon on Birmingham’s Southside.

Folks were worried when they noticed cranes lifting the turret roofs from their resting places atop historic Quinlan Castle. You can breathe a sigh of relief though, as they were moved to the flat portion of the roof in order to make it easier for repairs to be made to them as part of a restoration project being conducted by the property’s owners, Southern Research Institute.