BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The

entertainment district at the

has signed restaurants

and

, bringing the center to more than 90 percent leased with just one spot empty.

Cantina Laredo, a modern Mexican restaurant offering, among other things, fresh-squeezed lime-juice margaritas, will take a space that will also include a rooftop patio with views of the jumbo screen atop Uptown. Mississippi-based burger joint chain Mugshots Grill & Bar will add its second Birmingham area location. Both plan to open in Uptown in spring 2014.

Their additions leave one space less than 4,000 square feet available in the $20 million, 60,000-square-foot Uptown.

“It moves us one step closer towards what we’ve all been working for,” Tad Snider, executive director of the BJCC, said in an interview. “We hope this tenant mix starts to pique local interests.”

This site plan shows where the restaurants already committed to the BJCC's Uptown entertainment district will be located when they open. (special)

Bayer Properties Inc. has worked with the BJCC to sign the mix of restaurants to Uptown to complement the BJCC and the new $50 million Westin Hotel.

The two new announcements join the already opened Todd English P.U.B. in the Westin along with a new concept from the owners of The Ivy restaurant in Atlanta's Buckhead and South in Nashville set to open this fall, Octane Coffee Bar set to open next month, and Texas de Brazil Brazilian steakhouse set to open in spring 2014.

“Early on when we partnered with the team at Bayer, there was a lot of planning, strategy and discussion into what ultimately creates an ideal tenant mix,” Snider said.

David Silverstein, principal at Bayer Properties, said Uptown is becoming what the team at Bayer and the team at BJCC were aiming for with the development.

“It’s going to be a wonderful addition not only to the BJCC, but for downtown Birmingham,” Silverstein said.

Snider said there are at least two potential tenants already far along in the process of eyeing the final vacancy in Uptown.

“We feel like we’re now just one step away from wrapping things up,” he said. “Ideally the tenant that slots in that last space will bring a slightly different twist and offering than what is already coming.”

Although the original site plan for Uptown has room for one more building to be built, Snider said the emphasis now is on getting the original tenants open and holding a formal grand opening for the whole development.

In addition to drawing on the 1 million convention and event visitors at the BJCC and the guests at the 294-room Westin, Snider said the goals is to have a complement of restaurants that generates interest and draws patrons from among residents throughout the metro area.

Sam Heide, director of leasing with Bayer Properties, managed the Mugshots Grill & Bar transaction and Trevor O’Connor with Bayer managed the Cantina Laredo deal.