Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening its first downtown Birmingham location before the end of the year.

The burrito maker has signed a lease at the bottom of 20 Midtown, the downtown development anchored by Publix.

Dick Schmalz, owner of RGS Properties and Scott Bryant of Scott M. Bryant & Co. are partnering on the $30 million development at the corner of 20th and Third streets.

"Scott Bryant and I continue to be both excited and encouraged with not only the recent signing of the lease with Chipotle, but also the momentum that the project has, and the amount of interest that it is generating," Schmalz said.

Chipotle already has two locations in the Birmingham area, but this is the first near the city's center. The chain has locations off of U.S. 280 and in Hoover near the Galleria.

The Chipotle will be in the same building as the Starbucks, which will have 36 apartments on the upper floors. Next to the Chipotle, SRS will have an office as well as the leasing office for the apartments. Leasing for the apartments will start July 1.

Starbucks is aiming to open before the end of July, Schmalz said.

Across the street, the Publix building will have 86 apartments, mostly 1-bedrooms with some 2-bedrooms.

20 Midtown will sit on more than 200,000 square feet downtown.

Tammy Cohen of Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds is the architect. Martin Smith of SRS Real Estate Partners is managing leasing the retail space.