The Block

The Block is a massive proposed mixed-use development for the 1900 block of 2nd Avenue North, the south half of Block 86 and the north half of Block 99, in downtown Birmingham. It is proposed by The Ultimate Fan (TUF Inc.), a Phoenix, Arizona-based entertainment and development company founded by Theodore Holloway and Karlos Dansby.

The $250 million project is planned for development in three phases. The first phase includes the updating and renovation of 180,000 square feet of space in the row of existing buildings on the north side of 2nd Avenue. That $33 million phase is scheduled to open before the 2022 World Games. The $35 million second phase involves upgrades and renovations to 250,000 square feet of space in the buildings on the south side of 2nd Avenue, also slated for completion in 2022. The final phase, dubbed Dansby Tower, would be a 48-story high-rise, budgeted at $150 million, and providing 750,000 square feet of residential and hotel space. If constructed at just under 700 feet, the tower would become the tallest building in Birmingham, and eclipse the Shipt Tower as second-tallest in Alabama, behind the 745-foot RSA Battle House Tower in Mobile. Circle West Architects of Pheonix is designing the project.

TUF Inc.'s "build and fill" development concept involves not only contracting the renovations and construction, but also managing key business tenants. Its "Urban Ecovillage" concept blends sustainable building practices into pedestrian-friendly lifestyle centers.

External links

• The Block website