WorkPlay opened in 2001 and quickly became a mainstay on Birmingham's entertainment scene. The building at 500 23rd St. South has a theater, a bar, a soundstage, a recording studio and more. New owners are planning the next chapter for WorkPlay, after buying the property in October 2023 for $3.6 million.Five business partners — Johnny Grimes, Shane Hopson, Ben Jackson, Colby Mouchette and Josh Williams — bought WorkPlay for $3.6 million from previous owners Tom Williams Jr.
Nearly everything under WorkPlay’s roof will get a makeover, from the floors to the ceilings, Grimes said. That includes carpeting, lights, seating, recording equipment, film gear, a PA system for the soundstage and more. The bathrooms will get a major overhaul and more may be added to the layout, he said. WorkPlay’s patio will get a glow-up, as well.
Patrons at WorkPlay's bar in 2005. The entertainment complex in Birmingham also has a theater, a soundstage, a recording studio, office space and more.WorkPlay was founded more than two decades ago by the Hunter brothers — Alan, Hugh, Randy and Blake — who brainstormed the overall concept and opened the venue in 2001, in a former warehouse at the corner of 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue South. At the time, the price tag for the project was $4.
WorkPlay also hosted special events such as corporate dinners, community fundraisers, wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs. Several artists recorded music at WorkPlay, including concert albums. Train, a favorite in Birmingham during the late ‘90s and early 2000s, recorded more than a dozen tracks at the WorkPlay theater fora 2004 album. “WorkPlay Live,” a 2005 compilation disc, featured tracks by Lucy Kaplansky, Glen Phillips, Maria Taylor, Vanessa Carlton and Okkervil River.
“I’m so glad that Johnny Grimes and his team bought it,” Williams said. “They’re the right people for WorkPlay. We brought it back and they’re going to take it to a different level.”
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