Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Luxury hotel + condo in Southside Birmingham wins 125-foot height approval
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After years of discussion and zoning changes, a proposal to build a luxury hotel + condo in Southside Birmingham took a big step forward on Tuesday.
The Birmingham City Council voted to approve the rezoning of a property in the Redmont Park Neighborhood that will allow the building to reach up to 125 feet in height.
The Tramont proposal: Height debate
Called the The Tramont, the development by Arlington Redevelopment LLC. and FiveStone Group located at 1240 22nd St. South alongside Red Mountain Expressway, was first proposed in 2019, and even then the height of the building was an issue.
Over the years, the project was opposed by the Redmont Park and Highland Park Neighborhood Associations because of the proposed height of the building and concerns about a hotel.
In early 2026, the City Council seemed to put the issue to rest when they approved rezoning the property to allow the development of the hotel + condo hospitality concept and decided to cap the height of the building at 65 feet.
A variance to increase the height of the project from 65 feet to 80 feet was also later granted.
In the meantime, the developer insisted the building needed to reach at least 115 feet to make the project viable. As a result, the developer went through the process to change the zoning of the property from Mixed-Use Medium District to Qualified Mixed Use High District to enable them to build up to 125 feet.
At the Aug. 25th meeting, after hearing from the developer and local residents for nearly 2 hours, the Council voted 7-2 to support the developers request for the zoning change.
Councilors Josh Vasa and Crystal Smitherman opposed the rezoning for a taller building.
What’s next for The Tramont development?
Now that the project has been greenlit by the Council, what’s next for The Tramont and the neighborhood?
According to David Silverstein, the developer of the Tramont, the new development will build a complex that includes:
- 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.
At the Council meeting Silverstein mentioned meeting with the City to improve the exit off Highway 280 that will lead people to the new luxury destination.
The developer will also need to go through the city’s design review process.
