The tip of Birmingham's Triangle District is in line to get a major makeover as the Barclay Inn plans to gut and expand its hotel at the site on the southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and Maple Road.
The preliminary plans call for razing and replacing much of the 1950s-era hotel with a more dense building while preserving the hotel's five-story tower. The new 30,000-square-foot structure will have space for retail on its first floor facing Woodward and hotel rooms above it. Details about how many rooms and what amenities it will feature are in the design process.
"We are literally working on it right now," says Chris Enright, president of the Christopher Enright Architects, which is designing the building.
The building is being expanded to fit in with the city's plans for the Triangle District, an area just east of downtown bordered by Woodward Avenue, Adams Road and Maple Road. The area, which is in the shape of a triangle, is experiencing development pressure, yet has lacked a clear vision and framework for growth. The new master plan for the area is expected to spur development on surface parking lots and underutilized properties, which dominate the landscape, to create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use district similar to downtown.
The current hotel there started out as a Barclay Inn but eventually became a Holiday Inn Express. It returned to Barclay Inn two years ago. Once the site plans for the renovation/expansion are approved by the city, the developer hopes to begin construction midway through next year and complete work within 9 to 12 months.
Source: Chris Enright, president of the Christopher Enright Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
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