Historic BEBCO Building in Southside transferred to local investment group

A historic Southside office building known for its old-fashioned sign was recently transferred to a local investment group, according to local commercial real estate company Shannon Waltchack.

BEBCO Building in Southside sold to local investment group

If you’ve ever driven down 2nd Avenue South near Good Dog Park & Bar, you’ve likely noticed the old-fashioned, orange billboard atop the one-story brick BEBCO Building. Built in 1926 as a garage for the Birmingham Electric Battery Company, the BEBCO Building was renovated in 2005 as commercial office space and currently houses office space for three tenants:

• Davis Architects
• Jay Industrial Repair 
• Scout Branding Company

Located at 2230 2nd Avenue South, the BEBCO Building is located within walking distance of many popular attractions and dining options in Southside, including:

• Rotary Trail, Railroad Park and Regions Field
• The Battery, with Wasabi Juan’s, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Birmingham District Brewing Co. and more
• The Painted Lady Hotel and Bygones Cocktail Bar
• The Hardwick, with Epice, Lapeer Steak & Seafood and Ballard Design

According to a press release from Shannon Waltchack, the historic property was recently sold to a local investment group.

“This is a fantastic asset with unique character in a highly desired location. It’s a property that was masterfully redeveloped for an all-star line up of tenants and I am confident that the new owner will enjoy it for many years to come.”

Michael Murray, CCIM, Shannon Waltchack

About the BEBCO Building

Constructed in 1926, the BEBCO Building was designed by William Leslie Welton, a prominent Birmingham architect from the 20th century who designed several of the city’s most iconic buildings, including:

• The Empire Building (now the Elyton Hotel)
• The John Hand Building
• The original Tutwiler Hotel as well as the Ridgley Apartments, now known as the Tutwiler Hotel
• The Massey Building
• Mayor George Ward’s Vestavia estate and the surviving Sibyl Temple, which now overlooks Highway 31
• And many, many more!

The building is a contributing structure to Birmingham’s Automotive Historic District, a roughly 12-block square district in Southside characterized by a range of two-story commercial buildings from the late 1800s to the early 1940s.

According to the National Register of Historic Places, the Automotive Historic District is significant because it represents the development of a secondary commercial district south of the city center. Although early buildings reflect the area’s development as an urban neighborhood, the primary development came with the invention of the automobile. From 1910 to 1940, the neighborhood transformed from urban residential to become Birmingham’s automotive center.

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