Rise Lakeview

Rendering of proposed building

29 Seven is an apartment and retail development at the corner of 7th Avenue South and 29th Street in Lakeview. The site, most of which was purchased at auction on June 6, 2006, was made up from four lots which formerly held the Chaos nightclub, the 729 Club, Southside Cafe and Norton's Florist.

The project site was granted zoning variances on April 8, 2004 at the request of developers Peter Rowe and Michael Sullivan who then planned a 7-story condominium tower with 66 one- and two-bedroom units along with retail space and parking for 80 cars at and below grade. No immediate progress was made on the proposal.

In 2007, Seventh Avenue LLC (a joint venture of Evergreen LLC and C & C LLC) proposed a 4-story, 90,000 square-foot building with 71 condominiums and as many as 9 retail spaces totaling 20,000 square feet. An 88-space surface parking lot is also planned. The units were planned to be marketed in the upper $100,000 to upper $200,000 range. Retail Specialists, Inc. was marketing the retail portion of the project. A "1950s style marquee sign" was planned as a landmark at the corner of 7th and 29th Street.

Demolition of the existing structures on the site was completed in February 2007. Construction was set to begin in April 2007 with completion projected by the summer of 2008. Changes in the residential market led the developers to change the project from condominiums to apartments. The plans were revised to call for 56 apartments and 20,000 square feet of restaurant space. In December 2008 the developers applied for a sales tax rebate of up to $85,000 per year for 10 years.

Conditions in the residential market and construction financing caused the project to be delayed until 2011. In April of that year a 4-story, 54-unit scheme with 19,450 square feet of retail space was presented to the Birmingham Design Review Committee by Retail Specialists Inc. The $15 million scheme won basic approval of the plan, with the exception of the surface parking shown at the corner of 28th Street and 7th Avenue. At that time it was announced that Huey's 24/7 Diner would be a retail tenant. Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor and construction began in time for a projected August 1, 2012 opening. Ultimately the apartments were opened to residences at the end of August.

In addition to Huey's, other retail tenants announced in August 2012 included Jimmy Johns, P Jack's Gastropub, and Press It Bistrot and Automat. In October 2013 Retail Specialists followed up with an announcement that Huey's and Press It would not fulfill their tenant agreements and would be replaced by a Babalu Tacos & Tapas.

Tenants

• #104: Neighborhood Barre (2014-)
• Sky Castle Gastrolounge (2015-)
• NeuroSpine Physiotherapy (2014-)
• Southside Apartment Co. (2014-)
• #113: Jimmy John's (2013-)
• #117: Babalu Tacos & Tapas (2014-)

References

• Coman, Victoria L. (April 28, 2004) "Variances OK'd for Lakeview condo, retail development". The Birmingham News
• Coman, Victoria L. (February 21, 2007) "Lakeview gets set for condo, retail development." The Birmingham News
• Tomberlin, Michael (August 31, 2008) "In Lakeview, setbacks prompt look to future." The Birmingham News
• Erdreich, Jeremy (April 13, 2011) "24/7 dining". Bhamarchitect's Blog
• Tomberlin, Michael (April 13, 2011) "Lakeview's 29 Seven project gets Design Review green light." The Birmingham News
• Kent, Dawn (January 28, 2012) "Mixed-use project moves forward in Birmingham's Lakeview area." The Birmingham News
• Kent, Dawn (August 23, 2012) "Lakeview's 29 Seven development nears completion; P Jack's Gastropub joins lineup." The Birmingham News

External links

• 29 Seven brochure at retailspecialists.com