On President’s Day, the co-founders of Gladstone Equity Partners invited Bham Now for a special sneak peek inside the Yeilding Building at 2129 2nd Avenue N, near popular spots like The Collins Bar, Canary Gallery, The House of Found Objects and more.

Later this year, a joint venture between Gladstone Equity Partners, Friedman Realty and Harbert Realty Services will begin an adaptive reuse redevelopment project in the building, dubbed The Yeilding.

Read on to learn more about the Yeilding Building’s history, redevelopment plans, renderings and photos inside the building.

Yeilding’s — Your Friendly Department Store

It’s wasn’t that long ago that Birmingham’s downtown was bustling with locally-owned department stores like Loveman’s of Alabama, Blach’s, Parisian and Pizitz. While downtown’s retail options are on the rise—thanks to longtime establishments like Standard Furniture and newcomers like Ballard Designs—many local department stores have long since folded or been absorbed into national chains.

Several of these former flagship department store buildings have been renovated for modern use, including:

The downtown Loveman’s of Alabama building was repurposed and reopened as the McWane Science Center in 1998.
The downtown Blach’s building was renovated as residential lofts in 2007.
The flagship Pizitz building was redeveloped as a mixed-use project—The Pizitz—with residences, commercial space, a food hall and even a home for the Sidewalk Cinema in the basement.

However, one prominent former flagship building has been vacant for over 30 years.

The Yeilding department store building in the early 1900’s. (Gladstone Equity Partners, LLC)

Founded in 1876—just five years after the city of Birmingham’s own founding—Yeilding’s was the Magic City’s first department store. Yeilding’s offered everything you’d expect from an early-20th-century department store: clothing, furniture, linens, appliances, uniforms, housewares and more.

In 1911, the store moved to a new flagship location at 2129 2nd Avenue N. The three-story, 40,000-square-foot commercial building was designed by Miller, Martin and Lewis, the architecture firm responsible for several notable local projects, including the Linn-Henley Research Library building, the Sibyl Temple and the Loveman’s building (now McWane Science Center).

Yeilding’s operated the downtown location from 1911 until 1980, when it moved all operations to a new location in the old Eastwood Mall.

The Yeilding brings new commercial + residential space to downtown Birmingham

A rendering of The Yeilding. (Fifth Dimension Architecture + Interiors, LLC)

Earlier this year, a joint venture between Gladstone Equity Partners, Friedman Realty and Harbert Realty Services purchased the Yeilding Building from Ladd Real Estate, in a deal brokered by Harbert Reaty Services’ John Tally.

The group plans to utilize Historic Tax credits to preserve and transform the long-vacant, historic building into an adaptive reuse redevelopment for both residential and commercial use.

“Bringing the Yeilding building back online will not only help activate this long vacant corner, but the addition of more full-time downtown residents and retail options to support and complement the existing businesses will help foster sustainable growth and provide a sense of place in an already thriving district of downtown residents and visitors alike can enjoy.”
Bradley Creasy, Partner & Co-Founder, Gladstone Equity Partners, LLC

Dubbed The Yeilding, the project will include:

A mix of 42 studio- and one-bedroom residential units ranging from 400-700 square feet with 15′ ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and Class-A finishes.
A variety of amenities, including a rooftop terrace with an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, a resident lounge, fitness center, in-unit smart home packages and more.
Bewteen 6,000-12,000 square feet of commercial space available

The group is currently working with design group Fifth Dimension Architecture & Interiors, and is looking into general contractors for the build. The project is expected to start in Q3 of 2025 with a 15-month build time—meaning The Yeilding is expected to open in Q4 of 2026.

“Not only do adaptive reuse and urban infill projects help ensure the preservation of the many historic buildings located in the city core, they help retain the authenticity of and aide in the existing growth of their respective districts serving the local businesses, residents and workforce alike by creating a more walkable, livable and vibrant downtown.”
Bradley Creasy, Partner & Co-Founder, Gladstone Equity Partners, LLC