Park Crest Event Facility opens stunning new venue

Written by Lauren Dowdle

Photos by Keith McCoy

The best parties, weddings and events have one thing in common: the perfect venue. Maybe that means finding the perfect outdoor garden, cozy dining space or a large, farmhouse-style area. Luckily, people can find all of that right here in Hoover.

For longtime residents, they might remember the site off of Lorna Road as the former home of restaurants like the Grandview Building and Grammas Italian Restaurant. The Beard family purchased the property back in 2006 and transformed it from a dining spot to a stunning event facility, says Chase Beard.

Park Crest Event Facility has three venue areas: Park Crest Place, The Gardens and The Carriage House. They host a variety of events at the venues, including weddings, receptions, holiday parties and private parties.

Park Crest Place, a converted restaurant space, includes a dining area, bar, dance floor, lobby and two patios. The Gardens, especially popular during the spring and fall, is the outdoor venue where people can enjoy breath-taking views, stunning surroundings, a tranquil water fountain and beautiful landscaping.

“There’s really nothing like that in the city of Hoover with that type of view,” Beard says.

The newest (and largest) of the three venues, The Carriage House is truly a family endeavor. Beard, son of Kelli and Gary, designed and built the 20,000-square-foot space, which opened in April of this year.

“My father came to me before I graduated college, and he had the idea of The Carriage House to add it to the facility that was already there,” Beard says. “He asked me to come and learn the family business.”

Beard, who earned a building science degree from Auburn University, says he has always been interested in construction and knew that was the career path for him.

“But, I didn’t realize the first real project I would do would be a 20,000-square-foot event facility,” says Beard, who is now 27.

He started designing the space in 2013, and construction on The Carriage House began in the beginning of 2015. They worked through obstacles like weather delays along the way, but the new venue opened about a year after they broke ground.

“There’s really no building like it in Birmingham, which is what we were going for with the design,” Beard says.

During the design process, Beard tried to create something that would have staying power, but also appeal to current trends of design and architecture.

“I thought a farmhouse-style building would be popular,” he says. “I wanted to use a lot of light colors and whites and make everything breezy as far as decorating goes.”

After months of creating sketches and designs using software, Beard says his ideas morphed into “something everybody would enjoy.” Once everything was complete, he took some time to really take the whole experience in.

“It’s very rewarding. I sat out there for about 30 minutes just staring at it. This was my first commercial project to be around,” Beard says. “I love that building and the project. It’s such a rewarding experience.”

The Carriage House has a 36-foot-tall double-sided fireplace, eye-catching chandeliers, stained cedar and whitewashed walls on the main level. There are also separate bridal and groom suites and outdoor terraces.

“The space really can transform into anything you want it to be,” Beard says. “There are such big, open rooms and a good flow.”

Downstairs feels like a different building, Beard says. It has an upscale warehouse look with concrete walls and a stacked-stone bar. There’s also a state-of-the-art sound system, which is available on both floors. The Carriage House holds about 900 people.

“There’s something for everybody,” he says. “You can decorate to make it for smaller groups or have the run of the whole facility.”

Beard says all of the Park Crest venues are filling up quickly, with people already booking events for the beginning of 2018. “We encourage everyone who has their heart set on Park Crest not to procrastinate,” he says.

The facility offers classic car rentals, bar services and is getting into catering, with help from Chef Darryl Borden. The family also knows a lot of people in the wedding and event industries and can make recommendations.

Park Crest Event Facility is located at 2030 Little Valley Road. For more information or to book an event, visit Parkcrestevents.com.