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The '''Blach's building''' on the northwest corner of [[3rd Avenue North]] and [[20th Street North|20th Street]] was originally called the '''Hood Building'''. It was built in [[1890]] to house the [[Hood-Yielding General Merchandise Store]] and featured a deeply-profiled cornice and window trim, fancy brickwork and arched windows.
[[File:Hood Building.jpg|right|thumb|375px|The Hood Building in an 1888 engraving]]
The '''Blach's building''' (originally the '''Hood Building''', now known as '''Blach's Lofts''') is a four-story commercial building on the northwest corner of [[3rd Avenue North]] and [[20th Street North|20th Street]]. It was built in [[1888]] by merchant [[William Hood]] and featured a deeply-profiled cornice and window trim, fancy brickwork and arched windows.


In [[1910]] it was converted into the 100-room '''Bencor Hotel'''.
The building originally housed Hood's [[Hood-Yeilding General Merchandise Store]] and the [[W.K.T.B.]] grocery store.  


In [[1935]] the building was completely remodeled in a modernist style by [[Warren Knight and Davis]] for [[Blach's]] department store. The arched windows were squared off, the cornice and window trim were stripped away and the brickwork was stuccoed over and painted off-white. The store moved into its new location in [[1936]] and remained until the mid-1980s. Since that time the building has been vacant.
In [[1908]] it was reported that Hood had sold the building to a newly-formed [[Saks Investment Company]], led by [[Louis Saks|Louis]] and [[Herman Saks]] for $260,000. In [[1910]] the building was converted into the 100-room '''Bencor Hotel'''. [[Hardin's Coneys]] operated a crowded, sawdust-strewn [[List of hot dog stands|hot dog stand]] on the corner. [[Ben Fell]] operated a newsstand on ground level and resided upstairs.


In [[2007]] a $5 million renovation of the Blach's building was completed by the [[Carroll & Green Group]] on behalf of architects and owners [[Kenneth Owens]] and [[Franklin Woods]] of the [[Owens and Woods Partnership]]. 5,000 square feet of ground floor office space is being leased by [[MBA Structural Engineers]]. 18 one- and two-bredroom residential lofts on the upper floors were also included in the renovation.
In [[1935]] the building was completely remodeled in a modernist style by [[Warren Knight and Davis]] for [[Blach's]] department store. The arched windows were squared off, the cornice and window trim were stripped away and the brickwork was stuccoed over and painted off-white. The store moved into its new location in [[1936]] and remained until the mid-1980s.
 
In [[2004]] [[Operation New Birmingham]] put the then-vacant building on their [[12 Most Wanted]] list of downtown properties in need of renovation.
 
[[Image:Blachs_2010.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Blach's building, July 2010]]
In [[2007]] a $5 million renovation of the Blach's building was completed by the [[Carroll & Green Group]] on behalf of architects and owners [[Kenneth Owens]] and [[Franklin Woods]] of the [[Owens and Woods Partnership]]. 5,000 square feet of ground floor office space was leased by [[MBA Structural Engineers]]. 18 one- and two-bedroom residential lofts on the upper floors were also included in the renovation. That number was increased to 24 units by [[2013]].


In July [[2007]] Birmingham [[2007 Birmingham mayoral election|mayoral candidate]] [[Larry Langford]] signed a month-to-month lease for an apartment at the Blach's lofts in order to establish residency in the city. After the election, opponent [[Patrick Cooper]] filed a lawsuit claiming that Langford did not meet the requirement and his claimed use of the apartment was "a sham."
In July [[2007]] Birmingham [[2007 Birmingham mayoral election|mayoral candidate]] [[Larry Langford]] signed a month-to-month lease for an apartment at the Blach's lofts in order to establish residency in the city. After the election, opponent [[Patrick Cooper]] filed a lawsuit claiming that Langford did not meet the requirement and his claimed use of the apartment was "a sham."
In February [[2009]] [[Regions Bank]] foreclosed on the building and sold it for $2 million. They have sued the Owens and Woods Partnership for non-payment on a $700,000 loan. In September [[2013]] the [[LIV Development]] group sold the building to an undisclosed buyer for $3.2 million.
==Tenants==
* 300-302: [[Fowlkes & Myatt Co.]] grocers (1899)
** 300: [[A. Schulte]] cigar store (1926-1931)
*** 300A : [[Ben Fell News Stand]] (1926-1931)
** 302: [[White Palace Hat Shop]] (1926)
*** 302A : [[Lollar's]] camera shop (1926)
* 304: [[Noble Cleaners & Dyers]] (1926)
** 304A: [[Birmingham Sandwich Shop]] (1926)
* 306: [[Hotel Bencor]] (1926)
* Rooms
** 2nd floor (Rooms 6-14 in 1899)
*** 5: [[Roger Waugh]] rooms (1899)
*** 6-7: [[E. R. Rivers]] attorney (1899)
*** 9-10: [[George Evans]] attorney (1899)
*** 11: [[J. G. Crews]] attorney (1899)
*** 12: [[G. P. Zimmerman]] attorney (1899)
*** 14: [[H. E. Carr]] attorney (1899)
*** 201: [[The Martin & Hoyt Co.]] (1905)
*** 208: [[Black & Laird]] (1905)
*** 209-210: [[Princeton Land Co.]] / [[Equitable Trading Co.]] (1905)
*** 211: [[J. D. Strange]] (1905)
*** 212: [[J. D. Head]], real estate (1905-1909)
*** 213: [[George Evans]] attorney (1905)
*** 214: [[W. S. Burrow]] / [[M. J. Negg]] / [[Alabama High Grade Brick Co.]] (1905)
*** 216: [[J. M. Lewis]] (1905), [[Davidson & McCarty]], stenographers (1909)
*** 217: [[Birmingham View Co.]] (1905)
*** 219: [[J. G. Crews]] attorney (1905)
*** 221: [[F. Cuff]], [[Perfection Mill Goods]] (1909)
** 3rd floor (Rooms 33-42 in 1899)
*** 33: Miss [[M. Rogers]] rooms (1899)
*** 36-43: [[A. W. Entrekin]]
*** 41-42: Mrs [[S. M. Webb]] rooms (1899)
*** 324: [[Ralph Pearson]], manufacturer's agent (1909)
*** 326-327: [[Riley & Silk]] (1905)
*** 329: [[T. C. Whedbee]] (1905)
*** 330: [[W. D. Carmichael]] / [[W. A. Collins]] (1905)
*** 332: [[D. F. Allen]] real estate loans (1909)
*** 333: [[W. K. Cornish]] (1905)
*** 334-335: [[E. R. Rivers]] / [[B. F. Yoe]] (1905)
*** 336: [[T. J. Bickley]] (1905), [[W. H. Bowen Co.]] school supplies (1909)
*** 337: [[A. G. Douglass]] (1905)
** 4th floor
*** [[Annie Mardis]] boarding house (1899)
*** 444: [[C. M. Yeilding]] (1909)
*** 450-451: [[Miller & Martin]] architects (1904-1905)
*** 451: ''[[Labor Advocate]]'' (1909)
*** 452: [[E. C. Yielding]] (1905), [[John Denegre]], [[Royal Life & Accident Co.]] (1909)
*** 455: [[National Life & Accident Insurance Co.]] (1905), [[Richard McNally]], attorney (1909)
*** 456-457: [[W. T. Masterson]] (1905)
*** 459: [[C. P. Jones]] / [[W. J. Dobbs]] (1905)
*** 460: [[Sea Breeze Chemical Co.]] (1905)


==References==
==References==
* "W.K.T.B." (1888) in ''[http://archive.org/details/historicalstatis01newy North Alabama (Illustrated)]'' Birmingham: Southern Commercial Publishing Co., p. 92
* "[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81161866/hood-building-sold/ Hood Building Has Been Sold]" (October 10, 1908) {{BN}}, p. 10
* {{White-1977}}
* {{White-1977}}
* Kent, Dawn (September 22, 2007) "Renovated Blach's site set for new lease on life." ''Birmingham News''.
* Kent, Dawn (September 22, 2007) "Renovated Blach's site set for new lease on life." {{BN}}
* DeButts, Jimmy (October 17, 2007) "Cooper files lawsuit claiming Langford not Birmingham resident." ''Birmingham Business Journal''.
* DeButts, Jimmy (October 17, 2007) "Cooper files lawsuit claiming Langford not Birmingham resident." {{BBJ}}
* Hubbard, Russell (September 24, 2009) "Regions sues Owens and Woods." {{BN}}
* Tomberlin, Michael (February 13, 2011) "Downtown dreams: Renovation slow for prominent buildings." {{BN}}
* Tomberlin, Michael (September 6, 2013) "Downtown Birmingham's Blach's Lofts sold for $3.2 million." {{BN}}


[[Category:1890 buildings]]
[[Category:Blach's building|*]]
[[Category:1888 buildings]]
[[Category:1936 buildings]]
[[Category:1936 buildings]]
[[Category:Former retailers]]
[[Category:Former retailers]]
[[Category:Former hotels]]
[[Category:Former hotels]]
[[Category:Warren Knight & Davis buildings]]
[[Category:Warren Knight & Davis buildings]]
[[Category:3rd Avenue North]]
[[Category:20th Street North]]
[[Category:Owens and Woods buildings]]
[[Category:Owens and Woods buildings]]

Latest revision as of 09:55, 10 July 2021

The Hood Building in an 1888 engraving

The Blach's building (originally the Hood Building, now known as Blach's Lofts) is a four-story commercial building on the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue North and 20th Street. It was built in 1888 by merchant William Hood and featured a deeply-profiled cornice and window trim, fancy brickwork and arched windows.

The building originally housed Hood's Hood-Yeilding General Merchandise Store and the W.K.T.B. grocery store.

In 1908 it was reported that Hood had sold the building to a newly-formed Saks Investment Company, led by Louis and Herman Saks for $260,000. In 1910 the building was converted into the 100-room Bencor Hotel. Hardin's Coneys operated a crowded, sawdust-strewn hot dog stand on the corner. Ben Fell operated a newsstand on ground level and resided upstairs.

In 1935 the building was completely remodeled in a modernist style by Warren Knight and Davis for Blach's department store. The arched windows were squared off, the cornice and window trim were stripped away and the brickwork was stuccoed over and painted off-white. The store moved into its new location in 1936 and remained until the mid-1980s.

In 2004 Operation New Birmingham put the then-vacant building on their 12 Most Wanted list of downtown properties in need of renovation.

Blach's building, July 2010

In 2007 a $5 million renovation of the Blach's building was completed by the Carroll & Green Group on behalf of architects and owners Kenneth Owens and Franklin Woods of the Owens and Woods Partnership. 5,000 square feet of ground floor office space was leased by MBA Structural Engineers. 18 one- and two-bedroom residential lofts on the upper floors were also included in the renovation. That number was increased to 24 units by 2013.

In July 2007 Birmingham mayoral candidate Larry Langford signed a month-to-month lease for an apartment at the Blach's lofts in order to establish residency in the city. After the election, opponent Patrick Cooper filed a lawsuit claiming that Langford did not meet the requirement and his claimed use of the apartment was "a sham."

In February 2009 Regions Bank foreclosed on the building and sold it for $2 million. They have sued the Owens and Woods Partnership for non-payment on a $700,000 loan. In September 2013 the LIV Development group sold the building to an undisclosed buyer for $3.2 million.

Tenants

References

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