Rendering courtesy of JJ Thomas
A rendering of The Edge development planned for Green Springs Highway in Homewood, Alabama.
Baba Java, a coffee shop born in Riverchase, has signed a lease and plans to expand to a new development approved in Homewood Monday night, the developer said.
JJ Thomas, who got approval for a mixed-use development called The Edge on Green Springs Highway from the Homewood City Council, said Baba Java and a Popbar frozen dessert and gelato company are the first signed tenants for the development. Popbar sells frozen desserts and gelato on sticks.
Baba Java opened in Riverchase in 2019 and opened a second location in Montevallo in February of this year. The company also has agreements for co-branding with Popbar at its new location scheduled to open soon in Meadow Brook and a future location planned to open next year in downtown Birmingham at the former Powell Steam Plant.
The Edge is a mixed-use development at 815 Green Springs Highway across from the McDonald's restaurant. The developer is taking two existing buildings and turning them into about 6,300 square feet of mixed-use space for food and beverages.
Thomas will add about 5,000 square feet in the development for retail. Additionally, it will have around 5,000 to 8,000 square feet of outdoor turf/stage/entertainment space and another 7,000 square feet of covered seating.
Responding to a question from Homewood Councilman Nick Sims this week, Thomas said there is no place for vehicular access from the Columbiana Road side of the development. On the east side of The Edge will be a sidewalk “for strollers and walking.”
“We’re getting the permit, and we’ll start painting the buildings later this week,” Thomas said. “We hope to finish and turn it over to the tenants at the end of the year. These are the two existing buildings. There’s a new building that won’t be ready until May.”
Editor's note: This story was updated on Aug. 16 with information about Baba Java having opened a location in Montevallo in February.
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
These buildings at 815 Green Springs Highway in Homewood, Alabama, are scheduled to be converted into a new mixed-use development called The Edge, with retail, entertainment, food and beverage spaces.
