New Frontiers for Historic Tax Credit

Brittany Foley, a preservation architect, talks about the opportunities for historic tax credits and the transformational spaces that preserve historic roots in the Magic City in the Birmingham Business Journal.

The Federal Reserve's Historic Lobby is pictured in a post-2015 renovation, thanks to historic tax credits. The renovation architect was Williams Blackstock with Capstone Real Estate Investments.

A 110-year-old warehouse, dubbed The Hardwick on the Rotary Trail, located at 23rd Street South is currently being renovated. The $24 million project will transform the building that was once the home of a fabricated and prefabricated steel-processing plant into office, retail and restaurant space. The Hardwick’s previous life as an open-air warehouse required extensive mechanical and electrical work to make the planned multi-floor bay possible.

We’re doing some things that are very technical inside the building, and rather complex, in order for it be able to be serviced as a multi-level office space with the restaurants on the ground floor, Foley said. We’re pretty much weaving structure inside of an existing building and then reinforcing walls that are just cantilevered in place right now.
— Brittany Foley
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/new...

2021 BBJ Building Birmingham Award Winners

KMS and The Historic Greyhound Station were announced as winners of the 2021 Birmingham Business Journal Building Birmingham Awards.

KMS (Kemp Management Solutions)

  • Winner of 2021 Building Birmingham Awards

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Birmingham’s Lakeview District has gained new life with the renovation of an existing warehouse space along the Second Avenue South Pepper Place corridor.  The vision for this 12,000sf corporate headquarters to maintain the spirit and bones of this old masonry warehouse was achieved through a series of modern adaptations to special building features such as the existing mezzanine supported from the roof deck above, and reuse of the generous amount of skylights.

The design for this family-owned business creates a professional home away from home.  The setting combines professionalism and seriousness with that of a relaxed, comfortable family atmosphere for employees to gather, meet with clients, and provide focused work zones in several environments away from their desk.


Historic Greyhound Station

  • Winner of 2021 Building Birmingham Awards

The Historic Greyhound Bus Depot (1952) is located in the heart of the Birmingham Central Business District near Linn Park and City Hall.  This facility was historically hailed as one of the largest Greyhound Bus Depots in the southeast and was in use until the late 2000s, where after Greyhound relocated and abandoned the original facility.  Capstone purchased the building in 2018 with the intent to readapt the bus depot into Class A office space.  The project is participating in the State and Federal Historic Tax Credit Program.

Williams Blackstock provided the programmatic planning and technical guidance to successfully readapt the Bus Depot into office space and meet the requirements of the Historic Tax Credit Program.  WBA carefully studied the historic bus luggage area, waiting rooms, basement, and miscellaneous support spaces and developed a plan to sympathetically readapt the building into three separate office spaces, each with separate metering and dedicated building systems.  Sight line studies were performed to thoughtfully locate roof top equipment to minimize visibility from the predominate streets. 

Specified treatments for the rehabilitation of the historic plaster, cleaning of the exterior masonry and limestone, and the interior terrazzo refinishing were carefully provided.  The iconic Streamline Moderne Greyhound marquee sign was completely rebuilt and the three-dimensional running dog was reconstructed and replaced above the entry.  The aluminum windows are detailed to echo the historic design while also accommodating thermally broken fenestration systems that meet modern code.

WBA Ranks First in Birmingham's Top Architecture Firms

The Birmingham Business Journal has ranked Williams Blackstock Architects number one in their list of architecture firms in Birmingham. 

The top players on the List retained their spot since last year. Williams-Blackstock Architects PC tops the ranking with 21 architects in Birmingham offices…
— Birmingham Business Journal

2016 Top 40 Under 40: Binx Newton, Williams Blackstock Architects

Binx Newton

Binx Newton

Congratulations to Binx for achieving the Birmingham Business Journal's 2016 top 40 under 40.

A Principal since 2013, Binx leads many of our research laboratory, healthcare and higher education projects. H fosters team collaboration with a passionate drive for thoughtful solutions, attention to detail and careful execution of concepts to realize client aspirations. With a sencere desire to improve the quality of the environment, he leads the firm's sustainable design practice.

Newton, 39, was the first employee to go from intern to principal at Williams Blackstock Architects, and he’s also leaving his mark on Birmingham.
— Birmingham Business Journal