A visionary developer works to revitalize Birmingham's historic buildings
Birmingham developer Michael Mouron, inside the Foundry Yards building he's restoring, believes the region's future will be buoyed by the restoration and celebration of its historic structures.- ideas, programs and initiatives aimed at making the city stronger, more prosperous, better educated and safer than it is today.
Michael Mouron loves Birmingham. He loves its historic architecture and in recent years, the CPA and real estate developer has restored several of the city’s faded and forgotten shells and leased them to now-thriving businesses and nonprofit organizations.“Birmingham should be as vibrant as Montgomery,” he says. “If people are driving and flying in to see those exhibits, guess what city they’re coming through to get to Montgomery: Birmingham. What’s to stop Birmingham from doing that? We’re our own worst enemy.” Mouron will share with anyone a link to a story AL.com published last summer highlighting the economic impact of EJI’s exhibits and how hotels and restaurants are springing up around them.It happened in cities throughout the South as they bore the first fruits of progress and economic growth from seeds that had been planted years before, while Birmingham stayed parched from hate and division.Not in Birmingham. Not in a city where myopic city leaders spurned anything progressive, anything that sought to repair the brokenness, anythingIn Birmingham, buildings were abandoned as businesses that once flourished slowly flailed or fled over the mountain or to other Southern cities. As did their workers. Their white workers. Through decades of neglect, many of the city’s architecturally unique structures languished. Empty, ignored and deteriorating. They crumbled into pitiable carcasses, faint reminders of Birmingham’s once-promising roots — dusty remnants of a thriving past.sees new opportunity in those iconic buildings. He sees a second chance to revive them as catalysts for growth and beacons attracting more visitors to Birmingham.“The Magic City grew up at the turn of the 20th century, so it’s got a lot of historic buildings,” Mouron says. “Unlike Atlanta or Southern cities, Birmingham did not have the explosive boom where people came in and tore down the old buildings to build skyscrapers. The net result is we still have a tremendous inventory of older buildings, such that value can be created.” Mouron is a phenomenally successful businessman who capitalizes on his deep knowledge of federal, state and local historic tax credits, and Opportunity Zones. He also possesses a genuine passion for the city’s history.on 19th Street North, which once had a segregated side entrance and was a stop for Freedom Riders in 1961; and the 90-year-old NextTec building.He’s currently restoring an aged warehouse in the Parkside District on the south side now called Transfer on 1st. We recently had lunch in a 1930s building on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and 23rd Street South that Mouron also restored, where the seafood restaurant Magnolia Point is now located. His excitement about the latest restoration was immediately clear. “I had some time before we met so I went to the job that’s under construction,” he shared. “I just walked around thinking, ‘Gosh, this is really coming together. This is cool. I can’t wait to see it keep progressing.’”; as well as the nearby Valley Hotel, where he’s principal owner along with Twin Construction. The City of Homewood incentivized the hotel construction by offering the owners a percentage of lodging tax revenue generated.“I like to tell people a historic building is like an antique piece of furniture,” he said. “If done right, it has a patina you can’t duplicate with new construction.He would like to see more of the city’s fading historic properties developed to unlock their value and economic growth. “There’s still an inventory of historic buildings yet to be redeveloped,” he says, “and most of them would be eligible for the state and federal credits, which is significant.” Mouron also sees historic redevelopment as a component of what should be a bold and concerted strategy to reignite Birmingham as a premier civil rights destination in the state., according to the Alabama Department of Tourism. It’s the second most visited tourist attraction in the state behind the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. “I would think Birmingham’s civil rights history is much broader and deeper than Montgomery’s,” he says. Full disclosure, Mouron has long been in talks with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s board of directors and leadership about making thepart of the Institute’s footprint — they’re separated by three blocks. — by using it as a cornerstone of a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign and buying the terminal with a portion of the money raised.Because the terminal benefits from the tax credit allowed, being in an Opportunity Zone, Mouron cannot sell it until 2029. Discussions, he said, centered on a proposed agreement providing the civil rights institute with a lease-to-purchase option. In December 2023, the board toured and held a meeting at the terminal. Beyond providing additional exhibit space, preliminary ideas centered on it being utilized for learning, teaching and critical discussions, as well as corporate leadership meetings facilitated by the institute. “I can’t imagine a building that would have more national interest as the catalyst for the civil rights campaign than the historic Greyhound bus terminal,” Mouron says. “We couldn’t get any traction with the board.” Roz Houston, interim CEO and chair of the institute’s board, acknowledges that the terminal could be a “unique opportunity.” However, in the months since former, the Institute has laid off several staffers and is currently developing a timeline and strategy for a much-needed capital campaign while embarking on a national search for a new CEO. “Mike contacted me about resurrecting the idea in December,” Houston said. “I told him BCRI is undergoing a Capital Project Readiness Analysis before we would entertain any further ideas.”“I’m self-serving, I know that,” he said. “I get so frustrated when it seems so obvious to me.” Mouron’s frustration has not dampened his enthusiasm for historic revivals. He’ll continue seeking aging gems in need of restoration and acknowledges other developers, mindful of how the historical credits and tax benefits are bringing new life to old buildings, as well. “If you ride around Birmingham,” he says, “there’s quite a bit of historic renovation that’s been done. If you really wanted to look ahead, if half the buildings that remain are redone, I think Birmingham would have a really interesting draw for visitors as one of the more charming cities to walk through and see all the variety of 100-year-old buildings that have been nicely restored.” He’s not given up either on a vision of a city with a rich historical district and a valuable portfolio of restored properties complementing the already popular state capital. “Think about the benefit of having both Birmingham and Montgomery less than 100 miles apart,” Mouron adds. “I think the whole would be even greater than the parts.”If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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