Birmingham, AL
ARCHITECT: Williams Blackstock Architects
DEVELOPER: Capstone Real Estate Investments
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Kelly Landscape Architects
CONTRACTOR: Stewart/Perry
In May of 2021, Sain was contracted to begin work on revitalizing the historic Edward’s Motor Company building located on the corner of 16th Street and 3rd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. NEXTEC, LLC chose the location as its incubator for small businesses, startups, and non-profit organizations. The two-story building located near Birmingham’s Innovation Depot will serve as additional office space for the nearly 110 startup companies in the Innovation Depot that may outgrow their current space.
Sain partnered with William Blackstock Architects, Capstone Real Estate Investments, Kelly Landscape Architects LLC, the City of Birmingham, and Stuart/Perry to revitalize the existing building. Our work began with the preparation of a boundary and topographic survey. We coordinated with the architecture and consulting teams to upgrade the existing drainage and utility connections on the site.
Sain assisted with construction coordination and provided recommendations for rehabilitating an existing asphalt parking lot. The project’s biggest challenge was serving as the liaison for the contractor, architect, and City of Birmingham to ensure it was finished on time and within budget.
Additionally, our Traffic team provided a parking variance study demonstrating the ample on-street parking spaces. By showing this availability, the project was able to bypass the original zoning variance and minimize the cost of additional parking spots in the adjacent lot.
Revitalizing a 90-year-old building provides challenges such as meeting historical guidelines for building appearances and upgrading existing facilities to meet ADA compliance. Despite the many challenges of revitalizing urban areas, projects like this continue to provide our cities with vibrant spaces for economic development.