SmoothRock opens Liberty Park space for conferences, casual business gatherings

Tucked away in a corner of the StoneGate commercial development at Liberty Park, businesses can find a new amenity to serve their conference, event or even just lunchtime gathering needs.

SmoothRock Conference Center officially opened for business in February and hosted the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 22 for a formal ribbon cutting.

The space combines medical, office, retail and event space into one location convenient for its tenants and other Liberty Park professionals, as well as those around the area.

Chamber chair-elect Gary Jordan said at the ribbon cutting that the chamber is excited to have SmoothRock joining the city and providing much-needed conference space for businesses and community groups.

City Councilor Kimberly Cook also attended the event and remarked on the nonprofits the center houses.

“We’re very excited about the ministry you’re doing here as well as the business,” she said.

The center is anchored by Surgical Dermatology Group and Dr. Christopher Harmon, and the soon-to-be fully operational SmoothRock Surgery Center, which will handle outpatient procedures for the dermatology practice.

Two nonprofits are housed in the space: e3 Medical, a Christian church-planting group that launches congregations across the globe by sending medical teams to provide care and set up new churches, and New Water, a self-described disciple-making ministry located in Dadeville.

There are also food options at SmoothRock, including a cafe open for breakfast and lunch serving Shindigs Catering and a retail arm of Big Sky Bread, which produces all-natural and whole-grain breads, cookies and granola.

“The idea with this building is to pull several entities together,” Harmon said, describing the concept.

He said the other idea behind the center was to create an area in Liberty Park where professionals could hold meetings, conferences or simply meet for lunch to discuss business or life.

“So as we looked at how to make sort of a give-back or an impact within our community, doing a facility that gave people a third space in which to gather was part of the idea,” Harmon said.

The facilities, which include a large classroom, board room, outdoor patio and observation deck and courtyard, are available for event rental and corporate meetings for groups from five to 125 people.

SmoothRock is located at 1940 Stonegate Trail, Suite 20, and more information can be found at smoothrockcenter.com.