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Joe Saling
Joe Saling, regional director of sales and catering for the Kessler Collection, points out where a restaurant and other amenities will be located on the Grand Bohemian’s third floor.
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Grand Bohemian
A Christmas tree is lifted atop the Grand Bohemian as part of a Dec. 12 Tree Topping ceremony. Photos by Madoline Markham.
After years of planning, the first parts of Lane Parke will open to the public this year.
Hotel details
The Grand Bohemian hotel is scheduled to be ready for business in June.
During a Dec. 12 event, a tree topping ceremony was held to mark the point of construction where interior work begins on the building. The ceremony is based on a Scandinavian tradition that pays homage to the spirits of the trees that were used to create a building.
Inspired by the Bohemian Club in San Francisco, the Bohemian is part of the Kessler hotel collection, which was created to celebrate arts and culture.
In addition to its 100 hotel rooms, the $35 million building will feature amenities for the community to use.
A freestanding 2,200-square-foot art gallery, the largest of any of the Kessler hotels, will be located adjacent to an outdoor sculpture garden. Nearby, a swimming pool will double as a fountain, and area residents will be able to valet park their cars and walk directly into the spa on the first floor.
Up on the third floor, a restaurant that will feature farm-to-table menu items made with regional ingredients opens up to a rooftop terrace that overlooks Mountain Brook Village. Next to the restaurant, a cooking school will accommodate 12-20 people at a time.
“You get wonderful views up there,” Kessler CEO Richard Kessler said of the terrace. “We’ll have fire pits out there for [colder] days like this.”
A 6,000-square-foot ballroom will be able to accommodate 300-350 people. Private parties can book a dining room that seats up to 42 people. After dinner, parties can use the adjoining billiard room and outdoor terrace.
During a time of opening remarks, Kessler Collection CEO Richard Kessler said that the city has been a great partner and supporter of the project.
“We want to be a great partner with you in the long term,” he said.
Retail update
Developers are anticipating a release of the tenants who will be coming to the first retail phase by early 2015.
Village Design Review approved this part of the development last year.
“With Kessler [Collection] coming on board, interest from high end retailers percolated up,” John Evans of Evson Inc. told the City Council last year. “We have a pretty good pick for the community.”
At the same meeting, Robert Jolly of Retail Specialists said that all the first phase among tenants will be opening their first location in Alabama at the Bohemian.
Evans also said he estimates that the new Western Supermarket in the phase will be ready for the store to occupy about nine months after construction begins.
Rounding out the development, the city will be completing road improvements this year. This year’s budget calls for $1 million for Lane Park Road improvements and $2.5 million for Cahaba Road improvements. Additionally, the majority of the apartment construction was completed in 2014, with many residents moving in.
