Visions for Vacancies: What Do You Envision for the Rail District?

Hate seeing empty storefronts around Birmingham? Want to make your opinion heard about business development in your neighborhood?

In this week's Visions for Vacancies, we're not talking about a specific storefront or empty building, we're talking about one of Birmingham's newest business districts: the Rail District.

The Rail District can be found on Birmingham's east side, along South Eton Road. Grounded by businesses such as the and the — as well as the — the area is a mix of high-end condominiums and ground-floor storefronts.

There's already plenty of tenants in the Rail District — from yoga studios to insurance offices — but it has plenty of potential. And so, what do you envision for this side of town? What kind of businesses do you think should move in? Should it be retail-oriented or does it need more restaurants and bistros, like downtown?

You don't need to be a commercial developer or city planner — or have money to invest in a business project — to have the next great idea. We want to hear about it.