Block 121
Block 121 is a Birmingham city block bordered by 20th and 21st Streets and by 1st and 2nd Avenues South.
The block is currently occupied mostly by parking lots, but also contains a Birmingham Water Works payment center, a Kinko's/Fed Ex store, Express Oil Change, and a building that most recently housed Reed Books and Scott's Koneys, all on the 20th Street side of the block.
The block was considered for the 72-story Shepherd Centre development, which was proposed in 1987 but never materialized. In 2006 Corporate Realty Development proposed a two-phase redevelopment, which would start with a $24 million full-service Hyatt Place hotel and retail shops, originally scheduled for a September 2008 opening, and then later add a high-rise mixed use building.
Cityville
In August 2007, the block was purchased for $4.3 million by Cityville Development Partners, made up of CRD and Chicago's Inland American Communities Group (a real estate investment trust). The partnership is planning a $33 million development, called Cityville Block 121 which will have 256 apartments, 23,087 square feet of retail space and a 400-space parking deck on the 2.5 acre site. The developers are targeting downtown workers and plan to include a clubhouse, fitness center, and swimming pool for residents. The architect for the project is Niles Bolton & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia. Completion is expected in 2010.
References
- Williams, Roy (May 15, 1994) "Un.real Estate: Pet Projects Grow into White Elephants." Birmingham News
- "Block by Block" (June 15, 2006) Urban Living 2006, special advertising section. Black & White
- "Cityville Development buys downtown block." (August 15, 2007) Birmingham News
- Cooper, Lauren B. (August 31, 2007) "City block to get revamped." Birmingham Business Journal
- Cooper, Lauren B. (February 11, 2008) "Express Oil moving downtown location to make room for $33M project." Birmingham Business Journal