Burgers, tacos and coffee among new retailers released for Lane Parke
Revelator Coffee Company, YEAH! Burger, The Local Taco, Kinnucan’s and Char Bar No. 7 are among a slate of businesses that will open next spring in the Lane Parke development in Mountain Brook Village.
The names of eight new restaurants and retailers coming to the development’s first retail phase were released May 1. Construction is scheduled to begin on the development by early June, and the businesses are slated to open in spring 2016.
The retail phase will be 66,640 square feet in total. Most of the retailers announced are new to Alabama except those that are currently in Mountain Brook Village.
The new retailers and restaurants include:
- CharBar No. 7- With locations in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, this mix of an upscale and casual dining establishment specializes in burgers and steaks and also offers seafood, chicken and classic sandwiches on its menu.
- Kinnucan’s Specialty Outfitters- This active lifestyle retailer offers men’s and women’s apparel, footwear, technical outerwear and accessories, kid’s apparel and toys and other outdoor items. It currently has 13 stores in Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Madison, Atlanta and other Southeastern cities.
- The Local Taco- This restaurant mixes Tex-Mex cuisine with Southern food to create Tequila Lime Chicken, Portabella with Sage Goat Cheese and Korean Short Rib combinations often referred to as “tapas in a taco.” It currently has locations in Greenville, South Carolina, and Nashville.
- Revelator Coffee Company- Its roots are in New Orleans, but this coffee shop’s headquarters are in Birmingham and it has a location downtown on 3rd Avenue North. Its coffees are roasted in small, profiled batches.
- YEAH! Burger- This Atlanta-based fast casual restaurant uses natural and organic ingredients, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.
Retailers opening new versions of existing Mountain Brook stores are:
- A’Mano- A locally owned gift shop in the current Western Shopping Center will be opening in the new development. The store showcases glass, pottery, furniture, fine art and wearable art.
- M&S Interiors- The furniture and home accessories store offers wholesale pricing on items from suppliers across the globe. The store recently opened in the current Western Shopping Center and will move to Lane Parke when it is complete.
- Western Supermarket- The larger store will offer expanded offerings including a climate-controlled fine wine room, an expanded cheese shop with a cheese monger, a new butcher shop and Wi-Fi available in a mezzanine dining area.
Two additional restaurant concepts are planned to neighbor these eight retailers but have not yet been announced, and Retail Specialists is waiting to lease three additional retail spaces in this phase to women’s or children’s clothing or accessories boutiques once construction begins.
John and Rele Evans of developer Evson, Inc. worked with Retail Specialists to create a tenant mix to complement Lane Parke’s new Grand Bohemian Hotel, which is scheduled to open in October and is already accepting reservations, and its apartments, which completed construction in January. The developers also wanted the tenant mix to complement Mountain Brook and the greater Birmingham community.
John Evans said they could have developed a tenant list sooner than they did but that they wanted take the time necessary to focus on attracting unique boutique retailers.
“It has been a marathon, but we can see the finish line now,” he said.
W. Mead Silsbee of Retail Specialists said they marketed the development as an extension of the village, not as its own property.
“It will feel like the village has always been this way once it's all in place,” Silsbee said.
The Evans also noted that the city will soon be able to see the economic impact of the retail space as well as the hotel.
Once this phase of retail shops has been complete and A’Mano, Western Supermarket and M&S Interiors move from their current locations, the current shopping center from Western to Ollie Irene will be demolished (Smith's Variety is moving to Crestline Village and Ollie Irene to another part of town), and construction of a new road, Jemison Lane, will be completed to connect Montevallo Road to Lane Parke, alleviating traffic in the village an providing easier access to the hotel and shops.
“It will be another spoke in the wheel of the village,” Silsbee said of Jemison Lane.
One retail phase for Lane Parke will remain after this one is completed. Phase Two will be primarily shops, not restaurants. Currently, the lease for the Rite Aid in the current Western Shopping Center does not end until 2019, so construction on Phase Two will not begin until 2020. In the meantime, Retail Specialists will be recruiting retailers and Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood will be finalizing architectural plans.
John Evan’s grandfather and Rele’s father first developed Lane Park apartments in 1948 and the current shopping center in the 50s, and the Evans said they have always sought to continue both his legacy and that of Robert Jemison, who designed the village and was friends with the Evans family.
“[My dad] did everything for the long-term, in quality and service,” Rele Evans, John’s father, said. “Our decision process has always been to maintain the approach my dad had. We feel comfortable knowing it will be an asset for Mountain Brook.”
“I’m delighted the concept has evolved to where it is now,” Evans continued. “The inn, retail and apartments are like three legs of a stool. They all support each other. We think aesthetically it’s going to add to what’s available to people who live here.”
Retail Specialists is Birmingham-based, as is the project’s architect, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, and contractor, Hoar Construction. The project’s financier is IberiaBank. Evans said most of the construction for the development will take place within the property’s footprint and not affect traffic in Mountain Brook Village. A ground breaking will be held for the retail phase in late May or early June.
To learn more about the development, visit laneparke.info.