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{{About|the downtown building|the current Red Cross headquarters|Ridge Park}}
{{About|the downtown building|the current Red Cross headquarters|Ridge Park}}
The '''Red Cross Building''' (formerly the '''Social Security Building''') is a vacant five-story, 125,000<!--or 140,000--> square-foot building office building at 2225 [[3rd Avenue North]] in [[downtown Birmingham]].
The '''Red Cross Building''' (formerly the '''Social Security Building''') is a vacant five-story, 125,000 square-foot building office building at 2225 [[3rd Avenue North]] in [[downtown Birmingham]].


In the mid-1940s the city sought to present the vacant [[Municipal Market]] as a possible location for a Social Security Administration office. Architects and engineers worked out a plan to add a second story and reclad the exterior with clean, modern limestone panels. Ultimately, the building's size was increased to five floors. It was used as the Birmingham office of the U. S. Social Security Administration from [[1946]] until the [[Patriot Center|Social Security Administration Southeast Program Service Center]] near the [[Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex|Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center]] was completed in [[1974]].
In the mid 1940s the city sought to present the then-vacant [[1923]] [[Municipal Market]] as a possible new location for the Southeast regional office for the Social Security Administration. Architects and engineers worked out a plan to add a second story and re-clad the exterior with clean, modern limestone panels. That work was completed in [[1946]]. In the late 1950s, an additional two floors were added above the roof of the two-story building. The appearance of five floors is belied by the fact that the old roof level was never converted into usable 3rd floor space.


The building was then renovated and expanded again in [[1975]] for the [[American Red Cross]], the building's only tenant since that time. In [[1998]] the Red Cross moved to the renovated [[Rust Building]] at [[Ridge Park]] on [[Red Mountain]].
The Social Security Administration relocated to a newly-built [[Patriot Center|Social Security Administration Southeast Program Service Center]] near the [[Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex|Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center]] in [[1974]]. The vacant building was acquired the following year by the [[American Red Cross]] and renovated as their local headquarters and blood donation center. In [[1998]] the Red Cross moved to the renovated [[Rust Building]] at [[Ridge Park]] on [[Red Mountain]].


In [[2004]] [[Operation New Birmingham]] put the vacant building on their [[12 Most Wanted]] list of downtown buildings in need of renovation. Attorney [[Eric Guster]] purchased the building in [[2015]] for redevelopment. Guster announced that after renovations, it would house his [[Guster Law Firm]], as well as other tenants. In [[2019]] Guster put the building back up for sale, saying he was refocusing his redevelopment efforts in the eastern and western sections of the city.
In [[2004]] [[Operation New Birmingham]] put the vacant building on their [[12 Most Wanted]] list of downtown buildings in need of renovation. Attorney [[Eric Guster]] purchased the building for $850,000 in [[2015]] for redevelopment. Guster announced that after renovations, it would house his [[Guster Law Firm]], as well as other tenants. In [[2019]] Guster put the building back up for sale, saying he was refocusing his redevelopment efforts in the eastern and western sections of the city.


Developer [[Ed Ticheli]] purchased the property from Guster and commissioned [[Hendon & Huckestein Architects]] to plan for its conversion into small residential units intended as "workforce apartments", similar to his [[American Life Building]] redevelopment.
Developer [[Ed Ticheli]] purchased the property from Guster for $4.25 million, and commissioned [[Hendon & Huckestein Architects]] to plan for its conversion into small residential units intended as "workforce apartments", similar to his [[American Life Building]] redevelopment.


==References==
==References==
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* Tomberlin, Michael (August 25, 2020) "Long-vacant American Red Cross building in Birmingham getting $30M rehab into apartments." ''Alabama NewsCenter''
* Tomberlin, Michael (August 25, 2020) "Long-vacant American Red Cross building in Birmingham getting $30M rehab into apartments." ''Alabama NewsCenter''


[[Category:Red Cross Building|*]]
[[Category:1946 buildings]]
[[Category:1946 buildings]]
[[Category:Long & Gatling buildings]]
[[Category:Long & Gatling buildings]]
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[[Category:Federal buildings]]
[[Category:Federal buildings]]
[[Category:Vacant buildings]]
[[Category:Vacant buildings]]
[[Category:3rd Avenue North]]
[[Category:Block 83]]

Revision as of 13:51, 28 August 2020

This article is about the downtown building. For the current Red Cross headquarters, see Ridge Park.

The Red Cross Building (formerly the Social Security Building) is a vacant five-story, 125,000 square-foot building office building at 2225 3rd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham.

In the mid 1940s the city sought to present the then-vacant 1923 Municipal Market as a possible new location for the Southeast regional office for the Social Security Administration. Architects and engineers worked out a plan to add a second story and re-clad the exterior with clean, modern limestone panels. That work was completed in 1946. In the late 1950s, an additional two floors were added above the roof of the two-story building. The appearance of five floors is belied by the fact that the old roof level was never converted into usable 3rd floor space.

The Social Security Administration relocated to a newly-built Social Security Administration Southeast Program Service Center near the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in 1974. The vacant building was acquired the following year by the American Red Cross and renovated as their local headquarters and blood donation center. In 1998 the Red Cross moved to the renovated Rust Building at Ridge Park on Red Mountain.

In 2004 Operation New Birmingham put the vacant building on their 12 Most Wanted list of downtown buildings in need of renovation. Attorney Eric Guster purchased the building for $850,000 in 2015 for redevelopment. Guster announced that after renovations, it would house his Guster Law Firm, as well as other tenants. In 2019 Guster put the building back up for sale, saying he was refocusing his redevelopment efforts in the eastern and western sections of the city.

Developer Ed Ticheli purchased the property from Guster for $4.25 million, and commissioned Hendon & Huckestein Architects to plan for its conversion into small residential units intended as "workforce apartments", similar to his American Life Building redevelopment.

References

  • "List of buildings recently designed by Long & Gatling, Architects" typescript (June 14, 1950), in "Architects & Architecture", Vol. 2 of material compiled by Hill Ferguson for the cornerstone vault in Birmingham City Hall
  • Tomberlin, Michael (February 13, 2011) "Downtown dreams: Renovation slow for prominent buildings." The Birmingham News
  • Diel, Stan (February 24, 2011) "Sign of times past uncovered downtown." The Birmingham News
  • Godwin, Brent (October 13, 2015) "Lawyer plans massive mixed-use project on Third Avenue North." Birmingham Business Journal
  • "Prominent downtown building back on the market." (September 26, 2019) Birmingham Business Journal
  • Tomberlin, Michael (August 25, 2020) "Long-vacant American Red Cross building in Birmingham getting $30M rehab into apartments." Alabama NewsCenter
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