Pickwick Place

The Pickwick Plaza (formerly Pickwick Place) is a retail center located at Five Points South circling behind the Hotel Highland and the building housing The Mill restaurant. A pedestrian plaza connects 20th Street South to Magnolia Avenue and houses 33,792 square feet of tenant space.

Pickwick Place was developed in 1987 by Dr Donald Kahn, who wanted to construct a European-style shopping center at the site. The name came from the former Pickwick Club, a dance club which operated nearby until the late 1950s.

Development of the center included the conversion of the Medical Arts Building into a hotel, originally called the Pickwick Hotel. A tiled plaza was built connecting the hotel to a 4-level parking deck with several retail spaces and meeting rooms for the hotel.

In 2008 Kahn's daughter Gayle, president of Kahn Properties which manages the center, began a remodeling of Pickwick Place. Changes are set to include replacing tile on the walkways with stained concrete, removal of awnings, planters and decorative archways to open up the space, and the addition of new signage, lighting and security cameras. The name was changed at that time to reflect general usage.

Retail tenants

• Battle Zone (Summer 1997-)
• Caribbean Cookhouse (Summer 1993-)
• Mind Games Lounge (2000-), Cellar Beer Garden (-2000),
• The Computer Image (1987–present)
• Cosmo's Pizza (1986–present)
• The Daily Cup (Fall 1996-1998)
• Ecclesia (2000-)
• Forstall Art Supplies
• Frankie's Deli Diner
• India Palace (Summer 1995-)
• The India Shoppe (current)
• Lion & Unicorn (1990-?)
• Pickwick Pub (Fall 1998-), Millie & Billy's Pickwick Pub
• Halfshells (2000-2006)
• Schaeffer Eye Center
• Second Chance Outfitters
• Southside Cellar Brewing Company, Good People Brewing Company (2008-2010)
• Upside Down Plaza (current)
• 1005 20th Street South: World of Beer (2012-), former location of Jack Moore Optical (1964), Rube Burrows (1980s-1996), Nirus, Surin on 20th, LaJaras (1999), Halfshells
• 1007 20th Street South: former location of Scott's Apothecary (1964)
• 1009-1011 20th Street South: former location of Allright Auto Park parking lot (1964)
  • 1011 20th Street South: Exclusive Apparel (2015-), former location of Five Points Radio Service (1949), Texas Taco & Chili Co., Buffalo Cafe, Sabor Tropical (2001-2014)
• 1015 20th Street South: former location of Marie's Coffee Shop (1964)
• 1017 20th Street South: T-Bones (2014-), former location of Hall's Men's Shop (1964), Subway, Purple Onion, and Camp Taco (2009-2011)
• 1019 20th Street South: former location of Medical Arts Optical (1964)
• 1021 20th Street South: former location of Birmingham Apothecary (1964)
• 1023 20th Street South: Medical Arts Building, Hotel Highland (formerly Pickwick Hotel)
• 1025 20th Street South: Pho Pho (2015-), former location of Sakura, Sekisui,
• 1031 20th Street South: former location of Mayberger's Variety Shop (1964)
• 1033 20th Street South: former location of Almost Famous (1980s)
• 1035 20th Street South: Black Market Bar & Grill (2015-), former location of Five Points Drug Co. (1949), The Grill/The Mill (1990-2000s, 2010), Five Points Grill (2000s), No Way José Café (2000s-2010), Metroprime Steakhouse (2011-2015)

References

• Nicholson, Gilbert (August 23, 2002) "'Pickwick Club' provided name for hotel, retail plaza." Birmingham Business Journal
• Cooper, Lauren B. (February 1, 2008) "Five Points South's Pickwick Place to get overhaul." Birmingham Business Journal
• Coman, Victoria L. (March 5, 2008) "Pickwick Place in Five Points South getting new name, new look." Birmingham News
• Swant, Martin (May 8, 2012) "World of Beer plans Birmingham locations." Birmingham News

External links

• Pickwick Place Mall at kahnproperties.com
• 3-D model of Pickwick Plaza and surrounding shops by Jordan Herring