innovation depot

Birmingham, Alabama

The 140,000 square foot, $14 million renovated downtown structure serves as the new headquarters for Innovation Depot, a non-profit business incubator site for start-up companies that combines the resources of the existing Entrepreneurial Center and UAB’s Office for the Advancement of Developing Industries.

The structure was originally a Sears Department Store constructed in 1941 that was abandoned and left vacant for more than 20 years. The new design breathes life into the structure with a building program that includes 120,000 square feet of office suites and 20,000 square feet of research laboratory space along with a copy center, conference rooms, café/bakery, training facilities, rooftop terrace and exterior landscaped courtyards. The project redevelops a two block area of downtown Birmingham and is a catalyst for revitalizing the surrounding urban area and bringing new life to a blighted urban downtown area.