A new business will launch this spring near Avondale, where it could play a role in the changing neighborhood as well as in one of the biggest trends in commercial real estate.
Meredith Calhoun and Becca Impello founded Practice Works, a concept that offers coworking space for health and wellness practitioners. Practice Works will be located in the building at 3613 Sixth Ave. S. in the Avondale/Forest Park area. The property previously served as home to growing tech firm Pack Health before it moved to First Avenue North. Before that, the building was a credit union.
Calhoun and Impello say the plan is to open for business April 1.
Calhoun previously worked in commercial real estate for more than a decade, where she played a key role in projects and deals across the city in her role at Corporate Realty. Impello has a background in the Birmingham health care community for the last 20 years with work in physical therapy and yoga.
The partners say in early 2018, they began the company as a way to help solve a problem they saw in the wellness industry.
Impello, as a practitioner, said there is a lot of inefficiency in the way spaces are currently structured for a lot of wellness professionals. After connecting with Calhoun for real estate expertise, the two saw the opportunity to rethink spaces so that they work for practitioners and by extension improve the experience for individuals.
Work began in late 2018 to transform the building into Practice Works. BILT in Alabama is the architect, and Sellers Construction is the contractor. Hatcher Schuster Interiors and Interior Elements worked on interior design. ServisFirst Bank was the lender and Capital Solutions was the SBA consultant. Dynamic Civil Solutions was the civil engineer and Corporate Realty worked on the transaction for the building.
Calhoun said there aren't many examples of wellness-specific coworking concepts, and they worked from a similar model to office coworking spaces that are a fast growing part of the CRE industry. Practice Works is similar to those concepts in that it has a membership business model, with different levels for practitioners and for individuals according to their needs.
One challenge was finding a way to provide flexible collaborative spaces, but also more private spaces that are needed in the health care industry.
Calhoun and Impello say there is a possibility in the future of expanding with more Practice Works locations after the Avondale location is in operation for a while.
The partners said Avondale offered the accessibility and parking that is needed for the Practice Works concept.
It's no secret that Avondale has been one of the most active areas in the Birmingham metro in recent years, with a wave of popular restaurants and night life options that is in turn helping draw more businesses and residents to the neighborhood.
Impello and Calhoun said they are excited to play a part in that activity and to help bring another new business to the Avondale and Forest Park area.