21 Birmingham developments we’re keeping an eye on in 2024

2023 was an exciting year for Birmingham, with tons of new developments and openings. Keep reading to see what’s in store in 2024!

1. AC & Element Hotel at Brown-Marx Tower

Ascent Hospitality—the property management company that owns the Elyton Hotel—is redeveloping the neighboring, historic Brown-Marx Tower as a new dual-branded AC & Element Hotel. Once complete, the 117-year-old tower will have a total of 338 rooms for travelers. 

• The AC Hotel portion will feature 190 rooms and will be geared toward business-oriented guests. 
• The Element Hotel portion will feature 148 rooms designed for short- and long-term stays.

Note: Technically, the AC & Element Hotel at the Brown-Marx Tower won’t be complete until January 2025. However, we’re so dang excited we still wanted to include it!

2. The James on Highland Avenue

In January, the Birmingham City Council approved the rezoning of Highland Plaza—the former site of the Western Supermarket on Highland Avenue—to make way for a new mixed-use development. Demolition of the Highland Plaza site began in late November, paving the way for the development, owned by Daniel Corporation.

Dubbed The James, the upcoming mixed-use property will include 272 apartment units and 10,000 square feet of retail space.

3. The Star at Uptown Amphitheater

Located near The Star at Uptown, The Star at Uptown Amphitheater is an upcoming $50 million, open-air amphitheater in the Druid Hills neighborhood of Birmingham. Once complete, the amphitheater would seat more than 9,000 guests.

Although the Star Amphitheater is anticipated to open in 2025, we can expect to see the project moving forward in 2024.

4. Edgehill at Southtown

In 2021, the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD) began the demolition of the aging Southtown Court in Birmingham. In April, the Southside Development Company broke ground on the new Edgehill at Southtown development—and construction is moving along ahead of schedule.

Edgehill at Southtown is being constructed in several phases, beginning with a family residential building bordering 23rd Street South. The building will be home to a mix of 60 apartment units and several amenities, including: 

• A playground
• A fitness center
• A computer room
• And much more!

5. Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall

In July, leaders of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Brasfield & Gorrie and members of the Gorrie family broke ground on the Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall. At nearly 116,000 square feet, the facility will include advanced labs, research suites, common areas and more, the building will be part of UAB’s growing Science and Engineering Complex.

Although Gorrie Hall won’t be completed until 2025, we can expect considerable progress on the development through 2024.

8. The Tracks

Announced in early 2022, The Tracks is an upcoming multifamily development located along 1st Avenue South near Rotary Trail in Birmingham. Constructed by TWG, The Tracks will include 273 apartment units spread among five stories as well as a variety of amenities, such as:

• Pool deck
• Fire pits
• Grilling station
• Community lounge
• Gym, indoor 
• Bicycle storage
• 1 gig internet speeds and more

The project is expected to be completed in Summer 2024. 

9. Urban Supply

Urban Supply is an upcoming, highly-anticipated redevelopment in Parkside first proposed by Orchestra Partners in 2020 as part of their Parkside Master Plan. The project aims to transform unused warehouse buildings into space for retail, restaurant and office tenants—all centrally located and easily accessible by the whole city.

In October, Dogtopia—a doggy daycare—became the first tenant to open in Urban Supply. Fairway Social and THRIVE Co-Working are projected to open in late 2024.

10. The Star at Uptown

Located on the footprint of the former Carraway Hospital, The Star at Uptown is an upcoming mixed-use development featuring office, retail, entertainment, hotel, residential spaces and more. Although the demolition of the old Carraway Hospital site was costlier and more time-intensive than expected, the Birmingham City Council approved a measure to give developer Corporate Realty an additional $3.7 million to finish the demolition, paving the way for the development to move forward.

11. Maiden Heights

Developed by Ingram & Associates, Maiden Heights is an upcoming collection of luxury villas, brownstones and manors in Highland Park. The homes will be built on the footprint of the McLaughlin Home, a historic manor built in 1907 that was demolished after falling into disrepair.

Once complete, Maiden Heights will include houses in three different designs:

• Villas, a duplex dwelling design with a shared wall with the neighboring unit
• Brownstones, a townhome design using brown sandstone commonly seen in New York City and Boston. 
• Manors, a larger home design reminiscent of European country home estates.

The homes at Maiden Heights are expected to be completed in 2024.

12. The Hardwick

The Hardwick is an adaptive redevelopment of a 111-year-old steel processing plant along Rotary Trail. Once complete, the 61,000-square-foot mixed-use community hub will include space for several tenants, including:

• Epice
• Ballard Design
• Lapeer Steak & Seafood
• Wilbron Inc. 

13. Rickwood Field renovation

To prepare Rickwood Field for the upcoming “A Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on June 20th, 2024, the Birmingham City Council approved $4.5 million in upgrades to the historic baseball field. The upgrades will include:

• Changes to the playing surface to update them to Major League Baseball standards
• Expanding the dugouts 
• Extending the netting down the baselines for safety

14. Crestline Heights

Originally known as Arbor Terrace, Crestline Heights is an upcoming multi-use development along Montclair Road. Located on the campus of the former Trinity Medical Center, Crestline Heights will include:

• A corporate campus
• Single-tenant buildings
• The Station at Crestline Heights, a 277-unit apartment complex with one-, two- and three-bedroom units

Developers are putting the final touches on the development, which is expected to be complete in 2024.

15. Magnolia Point

Located at the intersection of 23rd Street South and Magnolia Avenue South, Magnolia Point is a 1930s-era building near the ongoing Edgehill at Southtown development. In 2021, the developers back the renovation of the historic building by removing outdated siding and its rooftop, exposing the building’s original brick facade.

Once complete, Magnolia Point will include a mural painted by Marcus Fetch as well as a restaurant managed by Nick Pihakis and owned by Magnolia Point’s owner, Mike Mouron.

16. Hood-McPherson Building

Auburn University is working with Williams Blackstock Architects on a comprehensive renovation of the former Hood-McPherson Furniture showroom, located on Fourth Avenue North in downtown Birmingham.

When the renovation is complete, Auburn University will utilize the building as academic and administrative space for the Urban Studio of the College of Architecture, Design and Constructin (CADC), the Harbert College of Business and more.

According to Auburn University, construction is projected to be complete by early 2024.

17. The Painted Lady

Located in the historic Eyer-Raden Building on the southwest corner of 22nd Street and 2nd Avenue South, The Painted Lady is an upcoming boutique hotel under development by Addicus Private Equity, LLC.

Once complete, The Painted Lady will be managed by Lark Hotels of Amesbury, Massachusetts and will include: 

• 22 rooms
• Hotel-affiliated coffee shop in the lobby
• Local stylish bar and brewery
• Retail space available on the first floor of the development.

According to The Painted Lady’s website, the hotel will be open to guests in early 2024.

18. Artisan Flats

Announced in 2021, Artisan Flats is a boutique multifamily apartment complex coming soon to Lakeview. Located at 722 5th Avenue South, Artisan Flats will be a short walk from local favorites like TrimTab Brewing, Jack Brown’s, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Los Amigos, Mayawell and more.

According to the Artisan Flats website, the apartment complex is expected to be complete by early 2024.

19. The Switch

Located around Innovation Depot, The Switch is an upcoming innovation district located on the footprint of the historic 14th Street Switchyard that once anchored the area. Back in 2021, Williams Blackstock Architects shared their exciting vision for The Switch—an area designed to help grow and showcase the talents of startups and small businesses in Birmingham.

Once complete, The Switch would be one of the largest technology incubators in the Southeast and bring new growth to Birmingham’s tech and innovation scene.

20. The Silos

In late 2022, the Birmingham City Council’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved incentives to help build an $80M mixed-use development in Parkside. Located on the former site of the Sherman Industries concrete plant, the development—dubbed The Silos—would include a five-story multifamily residential building with roughly 300 apartment units, 400 parking spaces and a variety of amenities.

21. Smithfield revitalization

In July, Birmingham’s historic Smithfield community was awarded $50M from the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). According to Mayor Randall Woodfin, the $50M grant will be allocated to several projects in Smithfield, including:

• The purchase of Parker High School’s 11 surplus acres of land by the City of Birmingham, to construct 350 new affordable multi-family housing units
• The construction of an estimated 1,100 new affordable housing units in Smithfield

The grant is projected to generate $242 million in new economic activity, and the City of Birmingham pledged to match the grant funds with an additional $35 million over the next 8 years.

More Openings

• NEW: 17 delicious openings we can’t wait to try in 2024
• 25 of the biggest groundbreakings + new developments announced this year in Alabama

Which development are you most looking forward to in 2024? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!