The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved $421,833 in incentives for a planned Japanese restaurant in Birmingham.

The council approved $50,000 as well as $371,833 in tax incentives over three years for Johin’na LLC. The website for the restaurant advertises cuisine that includes sashimi, sushi, oysters, sake, cocktails and Robata, a Japanese style of barbecue.

Bham Now has reported that the restaurant will be in the Frank Building on 20th Street North, a historic skyscraper built in 1903.

The incentives approved Tuesday are part of the city’s Retention Incentives for Success and Expansion, or RISE, Program, which established two funds in 2022 to provide resources for area businesses.

Landscaping and Development

The council also Tuesday approved amendments to the city’s ordinances concerning landscaping, buffering and screening. City staff said the amendments made changes such as adding a definition section for the landscaping chapter to give it clarity and adding foundation requirements for commercial properties.

Changes also included an increase in landscaping requirements for residential uses, the addition of a section that suggests using native plants and green infrastructure in new developments; and the addition of a tree protection plan to help safeguard trees during construction or other land disturbances.

“I think this is excellent work and I appreciate the attention to detail and the due diligence that went into these amendments,” Councilor Valerie Abbott, who chairs the Planning and Zoning Committee and is a staunch tree conversationist, said.

“I’ve always been an advocate for having a strong tree protection plan. Once you cut them down, they’re not coming back in our lifetimes. We need to plant more trees, care for the ones we have, and ensure responsible development that respects our urban greenspaces.”