Design Review Agenda January 9

Here’s the Design Review Committee agenda for Wednesday (January 9). Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

I.        Call to Order:  Minutes of the December 19, 2012 meeting.

II.        Name:  Mr. Dan Fritts (Live Design Group)

Site Address:  3100 Clairmont Ave. (St. Symeon Orthodox Church)

District: Highland Park Local Historic

Requesting approval for:  New church construction and renovations to existing church buildings

III.       Name: Mr. David Sanders (Champion Windows)

Site Address: 1243 23^rd Street South (Condominium Unit)

District:  Highland Park Local Historic

Requesting approval for: Replacement windows

IV.       Name: Mr. Kyle Clark (Shield Properties)     DELETED (Rescheduled for 1/23/13)

Site Address: 2501 Aberdeen Road

District: Red Mountain Suburbs Local Historic

Requesting approval for:  Painting and landscaping for ADA-compliant handicap ramp

V.        Name:  Mr. Zach Jones (Design Team Sign Company)

Site Address:  611 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd, South (Newk’s Café)

District:  Midtown

Requesting approval for: Awning and sign

VI.       Name: Mr. Melvin Cooper

Site Address: 7524 1^st Avenue, North (Wells Fargo)

District:  East Lake

Requesting approval for: New ATM

VII.     Name:  John Sexton (Black Design Architecture)

Site Address: 725 29^th Street South (Slice Pizza)

District:  Lakeview

Requesting approval for:  Rear Building addition

VIII.    Name: Mr. Mike Gibson (Appleseed Workshop)

Site Address: 2429 2^nd Avenue, North

District:  2^nd Avenue, North

Requesting approval for: Renovations

Design Review Agenda December 19

Here’s the Design Review Committee agenda for Wednesday (December 19). Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

[Also, as anticipated, the Chicago-based developer of downtown's recent Cityville mixed-use development has announced a new mixed-use development just south of the new baseball park, with 245 housing units and, we assume, ground-floor retail/restaurants. More details will follow once we see plans and renderings.]

I.         Call to Order:  Minutes of the November 28, 2012 meeting.

II.        Name: Ms. Mary McSpadden

Site Address: 5500 1^st Avenue, South, Smiles For Keeps

District: Woodlawn

Requesting approval for: Signage

III.       Name: Mr. Ricky Armstrong (Modern Sign)

Site Address: 1200 4^th Avenue, North (America’s First Credit Union)

District: Downtown Northwest

Requesting approval for: sign replacement

IV.       Name: Mr. Trevor Matchett  (Hendon & Huckestein Architects)

Site Address: 1924 11th Avenue, South,  Surin

District: 5 Points South

Requesting approval for: façade renovations

V.        Name: Mr. Jimmy Meeks (Owner)

Site Address:  1001 20^th Street South (The Break)

District: Five Points South

Requesting approval for:  Paint and Awning

VI.       Name: Ms. Brenda Daniels (Daniels Signs)

Site Address:  9441 Parkway East (Tax Associates, Inc)

District:  Parkway East

Requesting approval for: Parapet sign and Pole sign reface

VII.     Name: Ms. Sheila Chaffin (UAB)

Site Address:  Block bounded by 12^th & 13^th Streets and 4^th & 5^th Avenues, South

District:  Midtown

Requesting approval for: Temporary parking

VIII.    Name:  Mr. Tim Hallman (Innerface Signs)

Site Address:  BJCC Market Place

District:  Cultural

Requesting approval for:  Storefront temporary signage

IX.       Name: Mr. Daryl Williams

Site Address: 514 19^th Street, Ensley (Volcano)

District:  Ensley

Requesting approval for: Facade repairs

Design Review November 28

Here’s the Design Review Committee agenda for tomorrow (November 28). Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

I. Call to Order:  Minutes of the November 14, 2012 meeting.

II. Name: Ms. Mary McSpadden

Site Address: 5500 1^st Avenue, South, Smiles For Keeps

District: Woodlawn

Requesting approval for: Signage

III. Name:  Mr. Paul Irwin (Irwin Brothers Remodeling)

Site Address:  4142 Crescent Road

District: Forest Park Local Historic

Requesting approval for: Garage extension, addition of front yard parking pad to existing driveway, and new patio tile

IV. Name: Mr. Joey McClure (Joseph McClure Real Estate)

Site Address: 218 20^th Street, North, Bistro Two Eighteen

District: Birmingham Green

Requesting approval for:  Sign

V. Name: Mr. Rakesh Patel

Site Address: 1016 20^th Street, South, Homewood Suites  

District: 5 Points South

Requesting approval for: Elevation revision approval and site plan

VI. Name: Joe Rabun (Rabun, Rasche, Recetor, Reece Architects)

Site Address: 2221 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., North; Westin Hotel

District: Cultural

Requesting approval for: Sign standards and signage

VII. Name:  David Watts

Site Address: 2011 11^th Avenue, South 

District:  5 Points South

Requesting approval for:  Façade renovations

IX. Name: Ms. Lara Watson (Reliable Signs)

Site Address: 2228 Highland Avenue, South (Highland Package Store)

District:  Five Points South

Requesting approval for: Signage

X.      Name:  Mr. Robert Thompson (Thompson Architecture, Inc.)

Site Address: 20 South 20^th Street (Alagasco Center for Energy Technology)

District:  Midtown

Requesting approval for:  Parking Renovations / Landscaping

XI. Name: Mr. Tommy Wood

Site Address: 2329 1^st Avenue North

District:  Morris Avenue

Requesting approval for:  Roof top greenhouse

 

New hotel inches forward

Perils of historicism

Today at Design Review Committee the developer of a new hotel on the west side of 20th Street South a half block south of the fountain in the historic Five Points South neighborhood presented a revised exterior scheme. We last saw this proposal over a year ago; since then the exterior has traded its “bland suburban” character for something more attuned to the Art Deco surroundings of the area (above). However, the proposal was denied, and the applicant asked to return to a special subcommittee that would work with him further.

Part of the issue is that the new structure sits on an historic base–a former music club and, previously, a Piggly Wiggly grocery store–and that base is unsuccessfully integrated with the new facade above. While the new facade is certainly an improvement over the earlier design, the devil is in the details (and no true details have been presented yet). If all those vertical bits and chamfers will be formed out of synthetic stucco, we may be end up with poorly-executed historicism. We’ll have to see how this one progresses.

Hip not

Also denied was a revised Pepsi advertisement (above), designed to wrap around the electronic message board at Two North Twentieth, the former Bank for Savings building at Morris Avenue and 20th Street North. The Committee found this new design still too inartistic and commercial to warrant such a huge, full-color, singular statement on the City skyline. A frustrated building representative may consider appealing this ruling. This City was built on commerce, and the old electric sign is grandfathered. But the Committee is clearly drawing a very firm line here.

[thanks to Rakesh Patel for the hotel sketch, and Harbert Realty for the banner]

Design Review October 24

Below is the agenda for this week’s October 24 Design Review Committee meeting. Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

I. Call to Order:  Minutes of the October 10, 2012 meeting.

II. Name: Mr. Alex Krumdiek (Krumdiek A+I)

Site Address: 109 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd (AIA Offices)

District:  21^st Street North

Requesting approval for: Façade renovations and awning

III. Name: Ms. Sharon Bradshaw (Scott Services)

Site Address: 2100 3^rd Avenue, North, Cadence Bank

District: 21^st Street District

Requesting approval for: sign

IV. Name: Mr. James Barden (B & B Quality Construction, Inc.)

Site Address: 2121 2^nd Avenue, North (Old Spencer Building)

District: 2^nd Avenue

Requesting approval for:  4^th Floor Renovation

V. Name: Mr. Stephen Boehme (Twin Construction Co.)

Site Address: 3208 Carlisle Road

District: Red Mountain Suburbs Local Historic

Requesting approval for:  Stairwell addition; door installation to replace existing window

VI. Name:  Mr. Charles Russel

Site Address:  423 20^th Street South

District:  Midtown / Birmingham Green South

Requesting approval for:  Paint, awning and sign

VII. Name:  Mr. Keith Rouss (Harbert Realty)

Site Address:  2 North 20^th Street

District:  20^th Street

Requesting approval for: Roof top advertising sign

VIII. Name: Mr. David Brandt (Fravert Services)

Site Address:  1913 5^th Avenue, North, Chic-fil-A

District: Birmingham Green

Requesting approval for: signs

 

Design Review October 10

Below is the agenda for this week’s October 10 Design Review Committee meeting. Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

 I.        Call to Order: Minutes of the September 26, 2012 meeting.

 II.        Name: Mr. Stephen Boehme (Twin Construction Co.)

Site Address: 3208 Carlisle Road

District: Red Mountain Suburbs Local Historic

Requesting approval for:  Stairwell addition; door installation to replace existing window

III.       Name: Ms. Sharon Bradshaw (Scott Services)

Site Address: 2100 3^rd Avenue, North, Cadence Bank

District: 21^st Street District

Requesting approval for: sign

IV.       Name:  Mr. Keith Willcut (All South Sign)

Site Address:  1409 5^th Avenue North, Jim Burke Automotive

District: Downtown NW

Requesting approval for: Signs

V.        Name: Mr. Brad Ward (The Sign Shop)

Site Address:  2304 12^th Avenue, North (Greater Birmingham Ministries)

District:  12^th Avenue North

Requesting approval for: Sign

VI.       Name: Mr. Dayne Nelson (Sign and Graphics Inc.)

Site Address: 2170 Highland Avenue, South (Alamerica Bank)

District:  Five Points South

Requesting approval for:  Signage

VII.     Name:  Mr. Keith Rouss (Harbert Realty)

Site Address:  2 North 20^th Street

District: Birmingham Green

Requesting approval for:  Roof top advertising sign

VIII.    Name: Mr. David Brandt (Fravert Services)

Site Address: 805 St. Vincent’s Drive

District: Lakeview

Requesting approval for: Campus signage plan

More eats, and Design Review September 26

Reservations are recommended

The Dallas-based restaurant chain Texas de Brazil is bringing its grand all-you-can-eat steakhouse concept to downtown Birmingham, as reported by the Birmingham Business Journal this afternoon. It will open next year adjacent to the new Westin Hotel in the BJCC‘s entertainment district. This is the first of planned announcements for new tenants in the district.

In the meantime, below is the agenda for this week’s Design Review Committee meeting. Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

I.        Call to Order:  Minutes of the September 12, 2012 meeting.

II.        Name: Mr. Jason Robb

Site Address: 2504 Aberdeen Road

District:  Red Mountain Suburbs Local Historic

Requesting approval for: Renovations to existing residence (Painting existing brick, soffits, and fascia; installing new front doors; installing new front windows; installing front door pediment; installing columns and transoms around/over doors on the sides of the front entrance; and installing gas lanterns)

III.       Name: Mr. Mark Williams (Reliable Signs)

Site Address: 517 22^nd Street, South, Iron City Live

District: Midtown

Requesting approval for: operating guidelines for sign

IV.       Name: Mr. Keith Rouss (Harbert Realty)

Site Address: Two North 20^th

District: Birmingham Green

Requesting approval for: Roof top advertising sign

V.        Name:  Mr. Jared Pineda

Site Address:  18 Richard Arrington Jr., Blvd, North

District:  21^st Street North

Requesting approval for:  Roofing samples

VI.       Name: Mr. Russ Walter

Site Address:  2805 3^rd Avenue, South (Pittsburgh Paints)

District: Lakeview

Requesting approval for:  Sign

VII.     Name: Mr. Jerry Nelms (BJCC)

Site Address:  Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd between 22^nd & 24^th Street,

District:  Cultural

Requesting approval for:  Street improvements and parking

VIII.    Name: Mr. Jimmy Harvell (Larry Signs)

Site Address: 7737 1^st Avenue, North (Quik Pawn Shop)

District:  East Lake

Requesting approval for:  Signage

IX.       Name: Ms. Sheila Chaffin (UAB)

Site Address: block between 5^th & 6^th Avenues and 11^th & 12^th Streets South

District: Midtown

Requesting approval for: Demolition and site restoration of the UAB Theater Storage temporary structure.

[thanks to Texas de Brazil for the pic]

Viva downtown

Projecting confidence

This morning the Design Review Committee approved new illuminated signage at the top of the former Region’s Plaza building (rendering above, corner of 20th Street North and 5th Avenue). The 1976 building–home to Regions Bank before mergers and consolidations emptied it in 2007–has most recently been the subject of different hotel proposals. Viva Health–a Birmingham-based HMO–is now creating its new headquarters in the building. It will reorganize the ground floor, which previously had bank and elevator lobbies, into retail tenant space, with a Viva-run coffee shop planned on 20th Street (other tenants to be announced). Slight changes were mandated to the signage presented, but it will look essentially as depicted above, on all four sides.

As we’ve recently discussed in other contexts, while it’s great that a locally-based company is helping to fill a long-vacant tower downtown–and is adding its  brand to the skyline–it’s moving from a Southside location on the other side of downtown. Will its former location be quickly filled by a new occupant? Given its proximity to UAB‘s campus, chances are high that it won’t be vacant for long.

Viva, welcome to the CBD.We encourage you especially to design your coffee shop in a way that engages passerby and enlivens your storefronts.

[thanks to Fravert for the rendering]

Design Review September 12

Here is this Wednesday’s agenda for the September 12 Design Review Committee meeting. Remember, the meetings are open to the public and take place at 7:30 AM at Auburn Urban Studio, 3rd Floor of Young and Vann Building, corner of 18th Street North and First Avenue downtown.

I.     Call to Order:  Minutes of the August 22, 2012 meeting.

II.        Name: Ervin Kennedy

Site Address: 827 19^th Street, Ensley (Eastside Funeral Home)

District: Ensley

Requesting approval for: Window replacement and paint

III.       Name: Mr. David Brandt (Fravert Services)

Site Address: 417 20^th Street, North, Viva Health (Old Regions building)

District:  Birmingham Green

Requesting approval for:  Signs

IV.       Name: Mr. Milton Wren

Site Address: 1230 32^nd Street North

District: Norwood Local Historic

Requesting approval for: Fencing, Carport

V.        Name: Mr. Mark Williams (Reliable Signs)

Site Address: 517 22^nd Street, South, Iron City Live

District: Midtown

Requesting approval for:  Sign

VI.       Name: Mr. Dayne Nelson (Sign and Graphics Inc.)

Site Address: 2170 Highland Avenue, South (Alamerica Bank)

District:  Five Points South

Requesting approval for:  Signage

VII.     Name: Mr. Jimmy Harvell (Larry Signs)

Site Address: 7737 1^st Avenue, North (Quik Pawn Shop)

District:  East Lake

Requesting approval for:  Signage

Deactivating storefronts

Retail clothing becomes retail banking

This morning at Design Review Committee, approval was given for new awnings and signage at the historic Massey Building (corner Third Avenue North and Richard Arrington Blvd., ab0ve) for a new bank branch for Iberia Bank. While filling a vacant corner storefront is generally good, a bank branch is a lesser replacement for Remon’s, the longtime upscale men’s clothier. After decades downtown, Remon’s expanded to the suburban Summit shopping center a couple years ago and then quietly closed the downtown location shortly thereafter. The bank is lesser because the clothing store had regularly changing, high quality shop window displays. Lesser because good retail is few and far between downtown, while bank branches are ubiquitous. Lesser because, despite the decent new awnings and signage, this intersection loses a local business that made it feel special.

The gates are now closed

A similar situation has occurred across 3rd Avenue at the historic Title Building (above): a longtime coffee shop closed, and was replaced by a short-lived O’Carr’s restaurant franchise. When the restaurant closed, the place was converted into ordinary office space, signage was removed, blinds were drawn, and another hub of activity was eliminated from the intersection.

…and another bank branch

Speaking of ubiquitous, on the SE corner of the intersection we already have another bank:  First Commercial Bank‘s branch (above). The remaining corner is taken up by a large entrance lobby for the Concord Center which–while housing some of the best “lobby art” visible from a downtown street–is still an office building lobby. With the architectural prominence of the buildings on this intersection, and their massing which helps define the north-south corridor of Richard Arrington, it’s sad there are now no ground floor uses which engage the public in a more meaningful way. We have recently discussed how Mobile has a program to encourage retailers to come downtown; the state of this intersection illustrates how much our city needs one too.

Perhaps a new lease on life, yet again

Finally, now that the old “Ready in 2012″ signage has come down from the much-anticipated, much-delayed Pizitz Building development, a smaller “Now Leasing” sign has appeared (above). We suspect this heralds a serious new effort by the developer to make this project happen, albeit perhaps in a different form than previously announced. Definitely stay tuned.