Metro Huntsville Development News

[jmanhsv]

Once again, Sci-Quest is considering another building downtown for its relocation from CRP. This time, it's the old Hale Brothers Hardware building near the courthouse. Officials say that the Councill High School site would cost too much to renovate and that the museum would take up the whole building. Article: Sci-Quest's Home Could End at Hale Brothers

Personally, I don't like this location. Where's the parking?

Edited March 8, 2006 by jmanhsv

[HSVTiger]

Once again, Sci-Quest is considering another building downtown for its relocation from CRP. This time, it's the old Hale Brothers Hardware building near the courthouse. Officials say that the Councill High School site would cost too much to renovate and that the museum would take up the whole building. Article: Sci-Quest's Home Could End at Hale Brothers

Personally, I don't like this location. Where's the parking?

Yeah this one is strange, looks like a CityScapes deal, are they still doing anything besides this?

If you have three busses of out of control kids, where do they unload? Fun times for sure

[HSVTiger]

Ruth's Chris is official/Embassy Suite

Orlando, FL

[Shawn35816]

Very good news. Can't wait to try it out.

[jmanhsv]

It's great that Huntsville is getting restaurants that you would find in cities twice its size.

[nitek_of_mobile]

It's great that Huntsville is getting restaurants that you would find in cities twice its size.

Ruth's Chris is quite common. I mean, there's one located in midtown Mobile.

[jmanhsv]

^Mobile's an exception. Most Ruth's Chris locations are in major million-plus metropolitan areas. The only ones that are not (according to this site) are Destin, Lafayette, and Mobile, and coming soon, Columbia and Huntsville.

And speaking of new downtown development (Ruths Chris is locating downtown, if you didn't know), Local Developer Scott McLain says that negotiations are "going well" for a new downtown hotel on the MarketSquare property. He declined to say what chain, but I'm putting my money on a Marriott.

[HSVTiger]

more development coming around hospital, this property will become available over the next few years.

Hopefully the new Federal Courthouse will proceed soon which is in this area.

McLain and Dallas Fanning, Huntsville's planning director, both agreed the land could fetch more than $1 million per acre. In addition to being in the heart of the city's medical district, Councill Court is a short walk from Big Spring International Park and historic Twickenham.

McLain said the Housing Authority could maximize its profits by subdividing the land, because only a "super-tiny" number of businesses could afford to shell out $20 million or so for the entire site.

"There will be lots of people that might want just an acre," he said.

Fanning said Councill Court's location in a downtown "growth corridor" makes it well-suited for medical offices, restaurants or a hotel. While it is also on the list of potential sites for a new downtown fire station, Fanning said city officials have not talked seriously about buying the land.

"It has two great opportunities: To expand medical use as well as private investment and activity," Fanning said last week.

Private development would bring the city a bundle of cash. A company such as Marriott or Cheesecake Factory would pay thousands of dollars in taxes on everything from toilets to table linens.

[jmanhsv]

The Huntsville Housing Authority has agreed on a plan to raze all 196 units of the Councill Court development. Up to 125 units will be rebuilt to modern standards for elderly residents who want the convenience of living next to the hospital. The project will cost $32M, and the sale of up to 13 acres of the 20 acre development will yield $16.5M. However....

Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison said he had hoped the redevelopment plan would incorporate more multistory buildings at Councill Court.

But Lundy said high-rise buildings are too restrictive to families.

Huntsville Times article: Board is resolved on Councill Court

Edited March 28, 2006 by jmanhsv

[jmanhsv]

The city gave more details on their Downtown North Master Plan yesterday. Here's the rundown:

Encourage mixed-use developments in the Downtown North area, which is bordered by the Parkway to the west, Oakwood Avenue to the north, 565 to the east and south.

Build more greenways in the area.

Improve public transit. (Here's a good idea- build a trolley system between DT North, DT and 5 Points)

Rezone the Lincoln Mill Village from industrial to residential w/ historical preservation.

Make the Abingdon Road area a "live-work zone."

Make Meridian Street a business district.

Divide area into 10 zones:

Meridian Street Neighborhood Commercial Corridor

Grove Street Neighborhood

Abingdon Live/Work Redevelopment Area

Memorial/University Commercial Corridor

Washington/Pratt Redevelopment Area

Church Street Redevelopment Area

Dallas Bypass

The Justice Center (does anybody know where this is?)

The complete plan will probably be on the city's Urban Development website soon.

Huntsville Times article: City shifts designs to north of center

[jmanhsv]

I saw a sign on the Parkway today that said "Coming Soon- Office Space" with a rendering of a 4-5 story mid-rise. It's on the northbound side near Useless.

[jmanhsv]

Redstone Arsenal plans to lease 422 acres north of the base along Rideout Road in order to build office space and other commercial development. The land will be used to build university classrooms (A couple of universities have satellite campuses on Redstone, including Florida Tech and Georgia Tech), office buildings, and a conference center. There is a possibility for other commercial development, with restrictions. Huntsville Times article: Redstone will lease land along Rideout

[Tennesseestorm]

Kindof off topic, but I hope everyone there in northern Alabama is safe. A lot of tornadic storms roaring through there. We had bad storms earlier here and even some tornado warnings.

Its been a rough night.

Stay safe!

[DruidCity]

The Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology held its official groundbreaking today for the main building, slated to open in 2007. HAIB's master plan shows that there is a potential for 10 buildings once the campus is complete in about 10 years.

Refresh my memory. That's the deal where the state is matching $80 million in private donations with $50 million in state funds ? Is that just for the first building ?

[jmanhsv]

^Yes, that's the project where they got $50M in state funding. It's a good deal- 1600 jobs will be created (most of the auto plants in AL got hundreds of millions of dollars in state money to bring 2000-4000 jobs here). I don't think the state money's going toward building the campus, though if it were, it would be used to construct the first building. The other 9 possible buildings are headquarters for biotech companies involved in the project.

Kindof off topic, but I hope everyone there in northern Alabama is safe. A lot of tornadic storms roaring through there. We had bad storms earlier here and even some tornado warnings.

Its been a rough night.

Stay safe!

Yes, it was a very rough night. Very hyped up by the news media though. A wall cloud went right over heavily-populated Southeast Huntsville, ominously close to the path of the Airport Road F4 in 1989. Fortunately, there was little damage.

[DruidCity]

Thanks for the clarification. It's great to hear about so much going on up there.

For that matter, it seems like quite a lot is going on all over the state right now.

[jmanhsv]

Some good news/bad news for Huntsville International Airport... The airport is getting ready to build a $26M parking deck with 1360 spaces. Construction on the deck is going to begin in December and will be completed a year later. The airport also announced that rail cargo traffic has risen 51.3% from a year ago, but passenger airline traffic has decreased by 10.8% (We really need a low-cost airline). Source: Airport parking project set for 2008 completion

[jmanhsv]

The first of 2 new megaplex movie theaters expected to open in Huntsville over the next year or so will open on May 5 in Jones Valley. The second, a Regal theater, will open at Bridge Street sometime next year. This press release was taken from the Rave Motion Pictures website.

RMP VALLEY BEND 18 OPENING MAY 5 IN HUNTSVILLE, AL

THE ULTIMATE STADIUM THEATER TO OPEN IN

Huntsville on May 5, 2006

Dallas, TX. -Rave Motion Pictures

[jmanhsv]

Some Research Park stuff I forgot to mention...

Raytheon had the groundbreaking for their new $20M, 120,000 sq ft building this week. Remember this building? (it could easily have six floors...)

Article: Raytheon has a new vision

Also, Sparta, Inc., a California-based/Huntsville-founded company, broke ground on their new 97,000 sq ft building. I can't find a rendering online, but it's as bad as the one above, just with only 2 floors.

Article:Sparta poised for ''growth spurt''

Edited April 14, 2006 by jmanhsv

[HSVTiger]

Cracker Barrel has begun building it's second Madison County

location across from Parkway Place Mall at Memorial Parkway and Drake Ave.

I imagine this one will be packed constantly

[jmanhsv]

^Well, it's about time! I am getting tired of the 30-minute cross-town trips to the Cracker Barrel in Madison.

[jmanhsv]

I noticed this little blurb while reading the paper this morning. It was in the article about the new fountain downtown (see posts 17 and 18 for more info and a pic).

Several subdivision and zoning measures will also be on the agenda, including a rezoning for a large commercial development at Balch Road and US 72.

hmmm....

[codyg1985]

Cracker Barrel has begun building it's second Madison County

location across from Parkway Place Mall at Memorial Parkway and Drake Ave.

I imagine this one will be packed constantly

I am surprised that Madison County had only one Cracker Barrel up until this point.

[jmanhsv]

The City Planning Board approved the new Thrasher Fountain last night. Expect the fountain to be operational by August, just before the opening of the new Embassy Suites. And remember that "large commercial development?" (see post 122) It was just an office park. Article: Big Spring Fountain on tap for August

And in other news... News Channel 19 reports that public transit ridership in Huntsville has increased by 25% from this time last year. Also note too that we were complaining about $2 a gallon gas back then.

[L'burgnative]

Hello all, I am new to the Huntsville area. I just bought a home in the Madison area, probably not the best time to buy a home considering that it is a sellers market in Huntsville right now with all the RSA Jobs opening up. I am moving here from Lawrenceburg, Tn. The only time that you guys would have heard from me; unless you guys go to the Nashville forum, was in a different post about Huntsville were I mentioned that I wished Huntsville could get more Interstates standard roads, but codyg1985 shot me down on that one. But I just wanted to say hey and I hope the Huntsville area will continue to grow.

Edited April 28, 2006 by L'burgnative