Reviewed by: Pat Byington
FIRST LOOK: Inside Edgehill at Southtown, coming soon to Southside [PHOTOS]
On Wednesday, May 29, members of the media were invited for a special look at Edgehill at Southtown—an exciting mixed-use development coming soon to Southside.
Read on to learn more about the development, features, timeline and more.
About Edgehill at Southtown
A little over a year ago, developers broke ground on an exciting new project: Edgehill at Southtown.
The development is a partnership between the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD) and Southside Development Company (SDC), a collaborative effort from some of the Southeast’s top developers and property managers:
- Corporate Realty
- The Benoit Group
- SPM Management
- BREC Development, LLC
Located on a 22-acre site in Birmingham’s Southside, Edgehill at Southtown will ultimately replace Southtown Court, a 455-unit affordable housing community built in 1941.
“It’s been a long time, a lot of hard work and a lot of partnerships, but in a few months we’ll get to welcome our residents to this brand new, state-of-the-art facility. This building offers affordable housing, but it blends in with all the new apartments in downtown Birmingham.
I’m very excited for our residents to get to live in this new, modern facility. It’s a great day for HABD and residents of HABD.”
James Hawkins, Project Manager, Housing Authority of the Birmingham District
Edgehill at Southtown | Family Building
Construction on Edgehill at Southtown’s Family Building began less than a year ago, and the project remains ahead of schedule. Construction of the Family Building is spearheaded by BREC Development, a Birmingham-based firm specializing in multi-family development.
“Today is an exciting day that’s been a long time coming. Our group has been working with HABD for over seven years, and I know their vision for this project started years before that.
Our contractor, Hollyhand Companies out of Tusaloosa, is ahead of schedule. This entire project is coming together very fast!”
Steven Hydinger, Managing Director, BREC Development
With a total cost of $28M, Edgehill at Southtown’s Family Building will include a mix of 60 residential units as well as:
- A computer room
- A fitness center
- An outdoor playground
- A community room with a pool table and more
- A gazebo
- A secure mailroom
- And much, much more.
“The history of Southtown has always been about community, and we want to keep that going. In our experience, one way to encourage community is to give people things to do inside the apartment complex itself.
We’ve spent a lot of time and money designing activity spaces—from the community room to the fitness center—where residents can stay active, meet new neighbors and continue to build that community.”
Steven Hydinger, Managing Director, BREC Development
BREC Development anticipates having the Family Building ready for move-in by mid to late October.
Edgehill at Southtown | Senior Building
While BREC Development wraps up the Family Building, Atlanta-based developer The Benoit Group is busy going vertical with Edgehill at Southtown’s Senior Building, which is set aside for residents aged 62 and above.
“As you get older, you want a quieter space where you can mellow down—you don’t necesarily want to hear kids running down the hallway. This building gives senior residents a place to relax, but the facility encourages residents of both buildings to intermingle and create community.”
James Hawkins, Project Manager, Housing Authority of the Birmingham District
“Currently, we’re at about 26-30% complete overall in construction. We’re up about two or three floors on the framing side and we anticipate having the roof finished on July 25, 2024.
Our overall timeframe is to be complete by March 2025—and right now, Capstone Building Corp. is moving fast to help us meet that goal.”
Torian R. Priestly, Chief Development Officer, The Benoit Group
At a total cost of $40M, Edgehill at Southtown’s Senior Building will include:
- A total of 143 apartment units, including 118 one-bedroom units and 25 two-bedroom units
- A community room
- A business center
- A media center
In addition, the Senior Building will provide a program called Social Expression, which will offer several different services for the senior residents.
“The Social Expression administrator will find ways to get the senior residents to places and services they need, whether that’s a trip to the grocery store or a visit to the park. They’ll also host events on the property for Christmas, Thanksgiving and more.
We’re working to find ways to accomodate the senior residents and make them feel like they’re living in a posh hotel.”
Torian R. Priestly, Chief Development Officer, The Benoit Group
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