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One benefit of new Birmingham ballpark: driving down open industrial space

New Birmingham Ballpark

Here’s one benefit to a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark no one saw coming: the downtown industrial real-estate occupancy rate went way up.

In fact, the vacancy rate is down to a current 11.9 percent from 16.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, reports the Birmingham Business Journal. Causing the huge decline: the loss of industrial space at the ballpark site. It’s a double hit: the available inventory is lessened by the ballpark construction, and firms formerly using space at the ballpark site needed to find new space elsewhere in the city.

The $64-million ballpark and Negro Leagues museum will be located near downtown Birmingham at Railroad Park. Naming rights to the facility are carrying over from the Barons’ current home, Regions Park in suburban Hoover.

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