Greenleaf Trust building rises in Birmingham

It’s cold, grey, and dreary outside these days, but the Greenleaf Trust Building is really blooming in downtown Birmingham. Work on the building is entering its final stages as it charges toward a May finish and June grand opening. The five-story building’s exterior is pretty much finished and the interior build-out is set to begin in earnest soon. The construction can be monitored here.”Construction of the Greenleaf Trust Building is moving along very well,” says Patti Owens, vice president and managing director of Catalyst Development, which is in charge of constructing the building.Greenleaf Trust is going for silver LEED certification with environmentally friendly features like a 1,500-square-foot green roof, natural lighting, and numerous water- and energy-efficiency fixtures. The Eckert Wordell Architecture-designed structure is also replacing an abandoned gas station at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Maple Road. The first floor will be occupied by Zazios, a modern Italian restaurant based in Kalamazoo. The second and third floors of the 50,000-square-foot building will be dedicated to office space, some of which will be occupied by Kalamazoo-based Greenleaf Trust for its Metro Detroit offices. Five rental apartments will go on the fourth and fifth floors.Source: Patti Owens, vice president and managing director of Catalyst DevelopmentWriter: Jon Zemke