Birmingham has secured a tenant for the former Chevrolet Edwards’ Sticks ‘N’ Stuff building in the city centre, which will create 200 new jobs for the city.
The downtown Birmingham building that was once the showroom for Edwards Chevrolet dealership in the 1930s and last used as a Sticks ‘N’ Stuff furniture showroom more than seven years ago, will now incubate new business .
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a project financing agreement with Tquila Automation, Austin, Texas-based intelligent automation specialists, who will make an estimated capital investment of $280,000 to lease and equip 2,542 square feet of space in the former Edwards Chevy and Sticks. N’ Stuff Building, 1531 Third Ave. North.
Tquila will establish and operate a center for its precision robotic automation technical operations and hire 200 new full-time employees for five years.
In turn, the city will provide incentives of up to $300,000.
The incentives would be paid annually for up to five years, in an amount equal to $1,500 for each new full-time employee hired in the prior year.
On March 7, the City approved a project financing agreement with Nextec, LLC, to rebuild and rehabilitate the approximately 65,000-square-foot Edwards Motor Company Building.
The area will be leased for use as a flexible workspace and collaboration area for startups moving from Innovation Depot or other companies interested in locating to Birmingham.
“We are committed to supporting community redevelopment and strengthening our small businesses,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “This project does both.”
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