Phoenix Lofts
The Phoenix Lofts
In 1926, at the corner of 17th Street South and 2nd Avenue North, the Phoenix Building replaced a horse carriage service, which replaced the residences before them. Built as a modern warehouse with storefronts on the street, the Phoenix signed a lease for a new tenant -- purportedly the longest ever in Birmingham -- for Southern Bell Company.
As part of the lease agreement, the Jefferson Theater was torn down and the Phoenix was doubled in size. When it reopened in 1950, the Phoenix had 168,000 square feet on six floors and 340 feet of terra cotta decorations along 2nd Avenue North and 17th Street South. With a cafe at the corner, the phone company (now BellSouth) remained until 1987.
In 2004, Metropolitan LLC commenced a massive renovation to bring the Phoenix back to life -- creating 74 lofts with parking and restoring the terra cotta facade to its original splendor.
