Massey Building
- This article is about the 1925 building. For the 1905 Massey Building at 2024–2026 3rd Avenue North, see Massey Business College building.
The Massey Building (formerly the Bankers Mortgage-Bond Building or Bankers Bond Building) is a 10-story office building located on the northeast corner of Block 85, at 2025 3rd Avenue North, southwest of its intersection with Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard North.
Richard Massey commissioned the 65,000-square foot tower in 1925. It was owned jointly by him and by his firm, the Bankers Mortgage-Bond Company. Architect William Leslie Welton drew inspiration from Spain's Moorish architecture. The building's terra-cotta ornamentation features spiral-fluted columns and pointed elements atop the parapet meant to mimic minarets. Escutcheons over the recessed archway entrances on each facade bear the builder's initial "M".
The reinforced concrete building with brick veneer was constructed by the Smallman-Brice Construction Company for approximately $500,000. McConnell, White & Terry managed the property. It was renamed for Massey when his business failed during the Great Depression.
The building underwent a major renovation in 1986. In 2012 the entire northeast corner of the first floor was converted into a branch for Iberia Bank. The building was then owned by brothers Leo and Ed Ticheli.
The Tichelis sold the property to Colliers International Alabama in December 2021 for $3.5 million. Colliers completed an $8 million renovation of the building in 2022–2023, including new lighting and mechanical systems, and replacing all 387 of the building's windows. CCR Architecture and Interiors designed the renovations, which were supported by federal and state Historic Preservation Tax Credit. The update was a factor in landing Phelps Dunbar attorneys as lead tenant for the top three floors in 2024.
Gallery
Ground floor of the Massey Building in March 2007
Detail of the Massey Building in April 2007
Tenants
- ground floor
- Iberia Bank
- 1st Church of Christ Scientist
- Moe's Original BBQ
- Remon's Clothier, former location of My Brother's Place restaurant (Bryant & Pat Foster 1960s–1970s), Sandy's Place (1978)
- rooms
- 102: Beddow, Erben & Bowen attorneys
- 200: Transaction Advisory Group
- 204: Douglas Counseling Services
- 207: Tyree Hyche & Dixon attorneys / BNT of Alabama
- 216: James Thompson Jr attorney
- 325: Patrick Marshall Law
- 350: Forager Capital Management
- 500: former location of White Arnold & Dowd attorneys
- 8th-9th-10th floors (18,357 sf): Phelps Dunbar attorneys (2024–), former location of Hare Wynn Newell & Newton attorneys
- 822: former location of James Gatling architect
References
- "Smallman-Brice to Build Bankers Mortgage-Bond Bldg." (May 25, 1924) The Dixie Manufacturer, Vol. 54, No. 10, p. 18
- White, Marjorie Longenecker (1977) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.
- "The Massey Building" (1991) Old Birmingham magazine. Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 16
- Parker, Illyshia (May 10, 2022) "Historic downtown office building up for renovation." Birmingham Business Journal
- O'Leary, A. J. (June 12, 2024) "Law firm moves to Massey Building downtown." Birmingham Business Journal
- Watson, Nathan (June 14, 2024) "Inside the $8M renovation of Birmingham’s historic Massey Building." Bham Now