Construction is beginning on one of downtown Birmingham’s most highly anticipated projects.
Developer Bayer Properties is starting workthis week on the $66 million redevelopment of the historic Pizitz Building.
The 251,210-square-foot building will be transformed into six floors of residential space, featuring 143 multifamily units, office space on the Mezzanine level and apublic urban market on the ground floor.The building’s attached seven-level parking garage will also be redeveloped.
Renovation of the Pizitz, built in 1923, is expected to provide another major catalyst for the city center and continue the recent surge of Second Avenue North, which has seen a wave of redevelopments, historic renovations and new tenants in recent years.
“We’re extremely excited for being able to start the Pizitz project,” said David Silverstein during an interview with the BBJ this week. “It’s a great project for our company, but most importantly, it’s an even more important project for the revitalization that’s ongoing in downtown Birmingham.”
Silverstein said construction this week will focus on the demolition of the building’s annex, which is not a historic structure.
The Pizitz project is scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2016.
Bayer Properties has partnered with New Orleans-based Wisznia Architecture & Development and Baton Rouge, La.-based Stonehenge Capital to make the project a reality.
Brasfield & Gorrie will serve as general contractor on the project.
Wisznia Architecture & Redevelopment will serve as lead architect, with Birmingham’s KPS serving as the local architect on the project.