BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Designers and developers of a proposed $40 million, 253-unit apartment project in Lakeview gave the first detailed looks at what the Metropolitan apartments could look like this morning.

In an informational presentation to the Birmingham Design Review Committee, architects with Atlanta's Lord Aeck Sargent and the developer with Houston's Bomasada Group presented initial concepts for the Metropolitan's site plan, design and engagement with the streetscape in that vibrant section of Lakeview.

Bomasada has nearly the entire block under contract to purchase. The block is between Sixth and Seventh Avenues South and 29th and 30th Streets. It is property the Barber Companies has held for several years.

John Gilbert, senior vice president with Bomasada, told the committee they could not convince owners of the last to pieces of property to sell.

The site plan and development plans are designed to build around those pieces of property. Mark Lange, principal with Lord Aeck Sargent, said the development will have as much as a 10-foot setback from those property lines to avoid encroaching on their existing buildings.

Some of the details that emerged from this morning’s presentation:

The project will be four stories with a total square footage of 286,240 square feet.

There will be three separate residential structures and a parking deck.

Plans call for making the corner at Seventh Avenue South and 29th Street the main entrance and put the clubhouse, fitness center and other amenities there on Seventh Avenue South. The plan is to give those spaces almost a retail appearance, even though the project will have no retail space, in hopes of helping it fit in as an active part of that corner.

Another residential structure will surround the parking deck on the Sixth Avenue South end of the block.

The third residential structure would be built on the corner of Seventh Avenue South and 30th Street.

The apartment buildings facing 30th Street will be U-shaped with green, “finger parks” inside the cut.

The alley will be open on both ends to allow access to the parking deck from 29th and 30th Streets. However, a pool and surrounding courtyard would be fenced off, preventing the alley from being completely open from street to street.

Skywalks across the alley would connect the two apartment structures on Seventh Avenue South with the one on Sixth Avenue South.

The parking deck would have space for 431 cars. The developer is also seeking four parking spaces on the street dedicated to the apartment building, primarily for potential new residents visiting the leasing office or new residents moving in.

The average apartment size now is planned to be around 875 square feet, although the designers said the developer is considering the industry trend for “micro-units” that calls for even smaller apartments.

Most of the apartments will be one-bedroom units, but there are plans for several two-bedroom apartments and maybe a dozen three-bedroom units.

A variety of materials and colors will be used to give the building a modern, dynamic appearance.

Designers openly solicited input from the Design Review Committee on a number of potential architectural elements. They said they are open to having direct access to street-level apartments on 29th Street with stoops and front doors in order to help give pedestrian life to the sidewalk there.

The presentation today was informational only. Developers are not yet seeking approvals from the Design Review Committee.

Officials also said much of the design could still change before a formal presentation is made for the committee’s approval.