LIV Parkside

LIV Parkside is a mixed-use multifamily project in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, in the revitalized Railroad Park neighborhood.

The urban-infill site for LIV Parkside is located across the street from Railroad Park and down the block from Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons. The 347,000 square-foot project has 228 luxury apartments, two retail spaces, a yoga studio, fitness center, Zen terrace, and a large pool deck overlooking the city’s most hip and emerging neighborhood.

The topographic geology of the area, known as Railroad Reservation in the 1800s, created a considerable challenge. Testing the soil required taking 1 boring for every 700 square feet (80 total borings), and the results were dramatic. The soil would require 201 micropiles drilled into the ground to reach rock, which was situated anywhere from 30 feet below surface to almost 250 feet and deeper, with substantially different depths often less than 10 feet apart. Obtaining these depths through various strata of loose rock and mud generated a literal mud pit. Through meticulous attention to detail, the team addressed numerous geologic challenges at the outset to assure a solid foundation for the project.

To overcome unexpected delays, we developed a plan to expedite our schedule. We made use of our own tower crane, enabling the speed of materials from delivery to point of installation to be accelerated. We made the decision to phase the project so the owner could lease the apartments as quickly as possible. We changed products, maintaining the same quality, but selecting products that could be delivered more quickly. One example of this was installing steel handrails to be painted in the field rather than powder coated aluminum handrails which would require long leads times for field measuring, fabrication, and powder coating. Our team brought in a second stucco contractor so work could be done simultaneously on both sides of the building. By exploring numerous options and thinking creatively, the team was able to deliver units to the owner in phases for immediate occupancy.