Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Birmingham to re-consider luxury hotel + condo height limit
Reading time: 4 minutes
How tall should a luxury hotel + condo with a restaurant and spa stand in the heart of Southside Birmingham?
65 feet? 125 feet?
That’s the question the Birmingham City Council will decide at their weekly meeting on August 25, 9:30AM at City Hall. If you want to express your opinion on the matter, the council is holding a public hearing during the meeting before they make a decision.
To understand why this height debate is striking a chord, you have to rewind a few years. This isn’t the first time residents have wrestled with the visual footprint of this and other new developments.
A big red balloon appears on Southside Birmingham
In 2019, the Highland Park and Redmont Park Neighborhoods on Birmingham’s
Southside saw a big red balloon at 1240 22nd St. S, floating next to the Crescent Building which houses the offices of the Sirote Denton Law Firm.
At the time Bham Now lightheartedly assured the community the red balloon in Stephen King’s horror It had nothing to do with the demonstration.
The purpose of the red balloon hovering over the neighborhood? The developer, David Silverstein with the Five Stone Group, was trying to show the community what it would look like to have a ten-story mixed-use development with condos and a hotel called the Tramont at that spot.
Unlike the balloon, the Tramont development has yet to get off the ground after years of zoning disagreements between the developer and neighborhood associations about how tall a building at that location should stand.
Tramont development height is the primary issue
Here is the gist of the divide between the two groups.
The neighborhood prefers to cap the height of the condo/hotel at 65 feet. The developer wants a 115-125 feet tall building.
Earlier in 2026, the City Council seemed to put an end to the seven-year-long debate by agreeing to change the present zoning to enable the construction of a condo/hotel building with the neighborhood’s wish for a 65 foot tall limitation.
Even though the zoning for a hotel/condo development was greenlit, Silverstein insists he needs a building between 115 to 125 feet to make the project viable.
What’s at stake? Details about the Tramont project
The Tramont development has been proposed numerous times over the years. In fact, Bham Now published stories about the project in 2021 and 2024.
Since the development was first proposed in 2019, there has been a building boom in the area with the construction of the Cortland Vesta apartments and The James.
According to Silverstein, the Tramont development will consist of the following amenities:
- 80+ hotel rooms
- 10-15 high end condos on the top 4 floors
- Upscale restaurant
- Spa wellness center
Ithaka Hospitality, the group that operates The Laurel in Auburn—Alabama’s only AAA Five-Star hotel—has been lined up to run the hotel complex.
Silverstein has a long history in The Magic City, developing The Summit, Crescent Building, Cahaba Village (anchored by Whole Foods) and the Pizitz downtown.
On the other hand, the topic of the Tramont has been considered numerous times by both the Redmont Park and Highland Park neighborhood associations. In fact, the residents have overwhelmingly taken votes opposing the project (primarily the height issue) in 2019, 2025 and 2026, according to neighborhood leaders.
What’s next for Tramont Development?
On July 14, the Council Planning Committee voted 3-1 to allow the full council an opportunity to consider changing the zoning of the Tramont development to a category that will allow the building to stand at 125 feet. The one vote against the motion was by District 3 councilor Josh Vasa. The project is in his district.
The entire council will consider the proposed zoning change at the August 25th City Council Meeting. A public hearing will be held before they consider the measure. If you can’t make the meeting, you can submit public comments to bhamcitycouncil@gmail.com.
