Pickwick Place

Rendering for Pickwick Place

The Pickwick Plaza (formerly Pickwick Place) is a retail center located at Five Points South circling behind the Hotel Indigo and the building housing Black Market Bar & Grill 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 development was designed by Kidd, Plosser, Sprague architects in an Art Deco style inspired by the former Pickwick Club, a dance club which operated nearby in the 1930s-1950s. The $9 million project was supported with funds from Birmingham's Historical Preservation Development Authority.

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 the 4-level 5 Points South Parking Deck, with several retail spaces and meeting rooms for the hotel.

In 2008 Kahn's daughter Gayle, president of Kahn Properties, began a remodeling of Pickwick Place. Changes included 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

• 1005 20th Street South: Sleek Sports Bar (2017-), former location of Jack Moore Optical (1964), The Outrigger, Rube Burrow's Food & Spirits (1980s-1996), Nirus, Surin on 20th, LaJaras (1999), Halfshells (2000-2006), World of Beer (2012-November 30, 2016), Magic City Brew (November 30-December 31, 2016)
• 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. (1989-1993), Caribbean CookHouse (1993-1995), The Sidewalk Cafe (1997), 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: Phone Clinic, former location of Birmingham Apothecary (1964), India Shoppe (-2013)
• 1023 20th Street South: Medical Arts Building (built 1931), Hotel Highland (formerly Pickwick Hotel), also home of Ecclesia (2000-2004)
  • 1023: Several departments in the UAB School of Public Health occupied this space in the late 1980s and early 1990s until the Ryals Public Health Building was completed in 1996.
  • 1023B: The Daily Cup (Fall 1996-1998), Pickwick Pub (Fall 1998-), Millie's & Billy's Pickwick Pub
• 1025 20th Street South: Pho Pho (2015-), former location of Frostbites (1992), 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)
• 2008 Magnolia Avenue: Southside Cellar Brewing Company, Good People Brewing Company (2008-2010)
• 2012 Magnolia Avenue: Underground Vegan (2021–), former location of Cosmo's Pizza (1986–2016), Libertine's Pizza Co. (2018), Iron City Pizza Co. (May 2019-)
  • suite R1: Hush Lounge (2019-), former location of Frankie's (1980s-1990s), India Palace (Summer 1995-) Southside Cellar / Cellar Beer Garden (-2000), Millie's & Billy's Lounge, Mind Games Lounge (2000-2004), Millie's & Billy's (2004-), D's Tamales (2018-2019)
  • suite R2: former location of Forstall Art Center (1990-2000)
  • suite R4: Stephen Gregory barber shop (2018-)
  • suite R7: former location of Battle Zone (Summer 1997-)
  • suite R8: Second Chance Outfitters (1991), Schaeffer Eye Center (2000)
  • suite R10: former location of The Computer Image (1987–2017)
  • suite R11: Kahn Properties (1987-)
  • suite R13: former location of Jazz Underground / Underground Jazz (1980s), Upside Down Plaza (1987-2017)
• Eighty Eights piano bar (1992–2000)
• Highland Audio Video (2000)
• Lion & Unicorn (1992-?)
• Investigations Inc. detective agency (2000)

References

• Levinson, Julie (November 12, 1985) "Pickwick Place at Five Points South hated, loved" Kaleidoscope. Vol. 24, No. 19, p. 1
• 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." The Birmingham News
• Swant, Martin (May 8, 2012) "World of Beer plans Birmingham locations." The Birmingham News

External links

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