In October of 2015, stakeholders in the East Lake Commercial District of Birmingham, AL transformed a gravel parking lot created by the demolition of a mid-block building in the neighborhood’s historic commercial district into a community gathering space. Volunteers used donated construction equipment to scape the gravel lot down to the original foundation pad, laid landscaping stone to create a retaining wall, built planters out of pallet wood left over from a previous project, painted the walls of the adjacent building with donated paint, strung outdoor lights, painted donated iron outdoor furniture and even constructed a circular fireplace. What was once an overgrown, underused lot is now a gathering space for customers of adjacent businesses (one of which is a coffee shop).  

Now it’s time to take that space to the next level! Plans call for refurbishing the pallet planters, constructing a stage, installing electrical outlets to make power available at ground level, adding furniture and most importantly, programming the space with live music, container retail and food trucks, and art shows that will give residents and visitors alike more entertainment and food options and help support local businesses, artists and performers. 

This is a volunteer-driven project: whether you live, work or play in East Lake or just want to get involved with the community, this is a great opportunity to help bring vibrancy on of Birmingham’s unique neighborhood commercial district.