Birmingham greenlights $2M for new housing + retail project near City Walk

The Birmingham City Council approved a $2 million loan agreement today from the Birmingham Business Development Program. The loan will help transform the former Birmingham Board of Education Service Center into a new residential, retail and commercial development.

Located at 2300 Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. near City Walk and Phillips Academy, the project has been named The Tower at Uptown by developer RPG Birmingham, LLC. It will involve new construction in addition to renovation and rebranding existing spaces.

“We are proposing to take the large building, which is about 50,000 square feet, and make it part of a holistic development.” 

Jeff Riddle, RPG Birmingham

Some of the elements the development intends to build and attract include:

• 25 housing units
• A food hall
• Uptown Fitness
• Co-working spaces
• A mini-grocery store
• A coffee shop
• A sports bar
• Law + CPA offices
• An empowerment center
• An urgent care clinic
• Dog grooming (near City Walk’s dog park)

A strategic investment Birmingham needs

The agreement was passed by the council on the consent agenda.

“This project represents the kind of thoughtful, strategic investment Birmingham needs. By leveraging the Birmingham Business Development Program, we are helping transform a long-underutilized property into a mixed-use development that will bring new housing, retail and commercial opportunities to this corridor.

“This redevelopment not only revitalizes an important site, but also supports job creation, economic growth and long-term community impact for the City of Birmingham.”

Crystal Smitherman, Birmingham City Councilor

Riddle told the budget committee the project will take about 18 months to complete with a total cost of $28 million.

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