Lyric Building

The Lyric Building in 1930

The Lyric Building under construction in 1912

The Lyric Building is a 6-story office building constructed in 1914. The Lyric Theatre occupied a major portion of the building, and it's lobby takes up the ground-floor corner entrance at 1800 3rd Avenue North on the corner of 18th Street.

The project was financed by real-estate developer Louis V. Clark, who purchased three adjoining lots and hired the Hendon Hetrack Construction Company to erect the concrete-framed structure.

The office building continued to operate after the theatre closed in 1958. It was sold Birmingham Landmarks, saviors of the Alabama Theatre, for $10 in 1993. Early efforts to restore the theater, in tandem with redevelopment of the office building as an arts center, were not realized.

An extensive preservation and renovation of the theatre is currently underway. Some of the ground floor spaces were incorporated into the redesign to accommodate accessible restrooms and reception areas. Notably the longstanding Lyric Hot Dogs restaurant lost its lease in December 2013.

Tenants

• 201-202: A. H. Kessler chiropractor, neurocalometer and x-ray service (1925)
• 313: Stacy Arline Roberts, teacher of expression and public speaking (1925)
• 400-418: Lollar's Kodak Parlor (1910-1926)
• 514-516: A. J. Hope chiropractor (1923)
• 600-602: J. C. Glover chiropractor (1923)
• Birmingham Art Association gallery (1998)
• Create Birmingham (2013)
• House of $8.50 Eyeglasses (1960s)
• Karmelkorn Shop (1946)
• Lyric Hot Dogs (1957-2013)
• Place Design Studio
• The Spectator newspaper (1920)