Great news for downtown Birmingham. Yesterday, economic development organization Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) and Tessa Commercial Real Estate LLC announced that they are redeveloping the first floor of the historic Burger-Phillips building in downtown Birmingham.

About the Burger-Phillips Building

Developed in the 1920s, the Burger-Phillips Building is a six-story building located at 1914 3rd Avenue North, near businesses like Fine Traditions Gentleman Shop and The Vault Bar and Lounge.

Originally home to a furniture store, the building was purchased in 1933 by the Burger-Phillips Department Store. The upscale department store remodeled the building’s exterior and—according to Creature—utilized the first automatic opening doors in the Southeast.

Although Burger-Phillips Department Store closed in the 1970s, the building retained the name.

In the late aughts, Carruthers Real Estate Company funded a $6.8M renovation of the Burger-Phillips into a mixed-use rental property, with 35 apartment units on the upper floors and commercial space on the first floor.

However, the commercial space on the first floor has remained vacant—until now.

Renovating the first floor of the Burger-Phillips Building

After several years of vacancy, the ground floor of the Burger-Phillips Building is being renovated by the economic development organization Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) and Tessa Commercial Real Estate.

“Burger-Phillips is exactly the type of project that we love at OPAL. We’re taking a historically vacant, underutilized space and transforming it into a hub that will serve both tenants.”
Alex Flachsbart, Founder and CEO, Opportunity Alabama

Meredith Calhoun—founder and CEO of Tessa—had shown the space to multiple prospective tenants over the years, but none had signed. So when Tessa Commercial Real Estate outgrew its previous home at Baker’s Row, she knew where to find the perfect spot.

“For as long as I can remember, this had been a vacant space on a very important street. I found a wonderful design partner in Amanda Loper with David Baker Architects, who helped us find ways to maximize the efficiency of the space.

We’re creating an office environment than is not only cool, open and airy but efficient and functional for our office purposes as well.”
Meredith Calhoun, Founder and CEO, Tessa Commercial Real Estate

According Meredith Calhoun, the redevelopment is expected to be completed by late Summer 2024.

“I’m most looking forward to having that space redeveloped in a way that encourages engagement and interactions with the street. There are wonderful neighboring tenants all along 3rd Avenue, and we’re excited to see if this project sparks the redevelopment of another space nearby.”
Meredith Calhoun, Founder and CEO, Tessa Commercial Real Estate

Excited to see the redevelopment of the Burger-Phillips Building ground floor take shape? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!