Montgomery Developments

[EXBubba]

They would do better to build a new stadium with bonds, but then who would come?

[Southron]

The Montgomery Advertiser ran a story this morning about the changing retail mix along East Boulevard, which is losing existing stores to EastChase and other developments in East Montgomery. The general consensus is that the area is changing, but not dying, at least for the near future. East Blvd. is a central location, between the inside-the-bypass neighborhoods and all the new stuff out east, and should be a viable retail area IMHO.

What do y'all think about this? Will East Blvd. go the way of South Blvd. over the next few years?

Retailers move east, but business on boulevard still strong

Edited September 2, 2007 by Southron

[kevinlpugh]

It will unless Pike Road steps up and claims territory. This will establish an eastern border that will force businesses to stay on the blvd. Without it, Mongtomery will be in Auburn before long...

[poonther]

Is South Blvd pretty much dead from the Troy Hwy all the way to 65 and beyond? Even around Baptist? So sad if it is.

My uncle ages ago was the State Senator for years from Selma and my Aunt and Uncle spent most of the session in the Diplomat Hotel on South Blvd. I'd get to go every year to be his page and get to spent the week w/them at the motel. We'd eat at the restaurant on premises and sometimes get room service for breakfast. I thought I was living the life of a movie star that week.

[RSAHort]

There is an articel on Dr. Bronner in Montgomery Living Magazine. It has a Q&A format. One question about the old judicial building that may interest you. I would copy and past but its in pdf format.

http://www.rsa.state.al.us/Articles/RSA%20...ng%209-2007.pdf

[EXBubba]

Is South Blvd pretty much dead from the Troy Hwy all the way to 65 and beyond? Even around Baptist? So sad if it is.

My uncle ages ago was the State Senator for years from Selma and my Aunt and Uncle spent most of the session in the Diplomat Hotel on South Blvd. I'd get to go every year to be his page and get to spent the week w/them at the motel. We'd eat at the restaurant on premises and sometimes get room service for breakfast. I thought I was living the life of a movie star that week.

I believe that South Blvd will have to totally redevelop and move away from the MGM Mall model. The question is, what will attract anyone to that area without jobs in the area and horrendous traffic on East Blvd or going downtown for work. There are many more desirable neighborhoods inside the bypass. One would have thought this never would have happened with the population north of MGM Mall, but I believe that retail has gotten to the point, what with consolidaton of dept stores, that MGM just can't support three malls. I don't think income levels are high enough and the MGM Malls owners are probably looking for some way to write off the building until someone makes them an offer for redevelopment.

[Southron]

Is South Blvd pretty much dead from the Troy Hwy all the way to 65 and beyond? Even around Baptist? So sad if it is.

Yeah, South Blvd. has been going steadily downhill for a while now. Maybe the unfortunate decrease in property values will eventually make more renovation and redevelopment economically feasible. My worry is that the area of East Blvd near the Troy Hwy will continue to decline as well. Once Old Navy, Circuit City and Bed Bath & Beyond move out to EastChase, I'm afraid that Barnes & Noble may leave and then that area would be left with basically nothing but a Wal-Mart.

[kevinlpugh]

Yeah, South Blvd. has been going steadily downhill for a while now. Maybe the unfortunate decrease in property values will eventually make more renovation and redevelopment economically feasible. My worry is that the area of East Blvd near the Troy Hwy will continue to decline as well. Once Old Navy, Circuit City and Bed Bath & Beyond move out to EastChase, I'm afraid that Barnes & Noble may leave and then that area would be left with basically nothing but a Wal-Mart.

And that's a shame, but even Stevie Wonder can see that's coming!

[Southron]

And that's a shame, but even Stevie Wonder can see that's coming!

Yeah, it really is a shame. Everybody who lives inside the bypass is getting the shaft. That's the way it goes with sprawl though -- the next big thing loses its luster and becomes a run-down eyesore or gets bulldozed within 30 years.

[kevinlpugh]

Montgomery Auctions Maxwell Heights

Sep 6, 2007 07:39 PM

The city of Montgomery auctioned off the west side housing subdivision known as Maxwell Heights Thursday. 32 bidders showed up for the auction.

City Development Director Ken Groves said, "We would like to see some good positive use for it."

It came down to a bidding war between two people. Cassandra Sheppard had the top bid of $290,000.

The property, vandalized and run down, doesn't look like much now, but Sheppard says she has a vision. She tells WSFA 12 News, "A year or two years from now, it will be totally different."

The city says it's a win-win.

"The best thing is this property now goes back into the tax base and we get property taxes off of it," said Groves.

Sheppard plans to turn Maxwell Heights into rental property. She says she has renovated property before, but nothing this large.

The city says the money from the sale will go into the general fund budget. They plan to close the deal in 30 days.

I doubt seriously that this lady will be able to turn this into a quality rental property. The best thing would be to raze all the buildings, build a wall with a moat and start fresh..

[Southron]

I doubt seriously that this lady will be able to turn this into a quality rental property. The best thing would be to raze all the buildings, build a wall with a moat and start fresh..

Completely agree. It would be nice to see the nearby housing projects torn down and the whole area redeveloped into a real neighborhood on a traditional street grid.

[Southron]

Alfa is selling 936 acres in three main tracts along U.S. 80 and U.S. 31 in southwest Montgomery, with two U.S. 80 tracts east of the airport. Officials expect the sales will probably spur development in the area.

Montgomery Advertiser:

Land sale may reshape city's southwest side

[Southron]

The campaign to raise money for the downtown children's museum will begin in early 2008. Set to open in 2009, The Children's Museum of Alabama will occupy three floors in the old Brown Furniture Store on Commerce St., across from the new Renaissance hotel & convention center.

Montgomery Advertiser: Fundraising set for children's museum

Edited September 30, 2007 by Southron

[Southron]

Destin Energy, a sustainable energy project developer, is redeveloping properties downtown on Catoma Street between Bell and Bibb streets. The project includes a new Destin Energy office in the renovated ca. 1920s former Reinhart Toyota/Lime-Cola Bottling Co. building, and landscaped green space. Destin Energy plans to restore the building's original brick fa

[Southron]

Destin Energy renovation in progress:

[kevinlpugh]

Circuit City moving to EastChase

Circuit City tentatively is scheduled to open a 30,000 sq ft store between December and February at EastChase Market Center in the third, and last, planned retail phase. The store is moving from its Montgomery Towne Center location on East Boulevard, where Barnes and Noble, Office Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond are located.

www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

[Southron]

^ Another related Advertiser story about retail stores leaving East Blvd. As the article states, "Montgomery doesn't need another string of strip malls anchored by empty stores, but that is what appears to be on the way." On the bright side, the management at Hooters wasn't afraid to open a new business on East Blvd.

East Boulevard continues to lose retail stores

[Southron]

The Montgomery County Board of Education approved a $164.6 million budget Tuesday for Phase I of its school facilities plan, which includes the construction of two new schools and the renovation or rebuilding of six others. The projects, expected to be completed by August 2009, include rebuilding George Washington Carver High School, Bellingrath Middle School, and Pintlala, Davis, Floyd and Dalraida elementary schools, as well as the construction of a new elementary and new middle school in east Montgomery.

Montgomery Advertiser: $164.6M plan for Montgomery schools approved

[Southron]

If you're looking to buy a house in Montgomery, now is probably the time to do it. Business 2.0 Magazine is touting Montgomery as one of 10 cities in the country where investors should consider buying houses, due to an expected increase in housing prices over the next few years.

Business 2.0: Real estate bounce-back

Montgomery Advertiser: Real estate in Montgomery expected to rebound

[Southron]

The Destin Energy renovation is coming along.

Something is going on with the old Montgomery Fair building. The dumpsters have been out front for a week or more and there was an architectural review board sign posted on it for a while. Hopefully renovation is in the works.

[Southron]

The new Montgomery County Detention Facility is under construction at the corner of Adams Ave and S. McDonough St., directly across from the current 1980s jail at 251 S. McDonough St. The new facility, scheduled for completion in September 2008, will add 696 beds to bring capacity to 1,001. The first floor will be an administrative and booking area, the second floor will have a medical unit and housing area for female inmates, and the third and fourth floors will house male inmates.

Montgomery Advertiser: Jail expansion goes high-tech

Judging by this rendering, the new jail may be marginally more attractive than the old one, but that isn't saying much.

[kevinlpugh]

The new Montgomery County Detention Facility is under construction at the corner of Adams Ave and S. McDonough St., directly across from the current 1980s jail at 251 S. McDonough St. The new facility, scheduled for completion in September 2008, will add 696 beds to bring capacity to 1,001. The first floor will be an administrative and booking area, the second floor will have a medical unit and housing area for female inmates, and the third and fourth floors will house male inmates.

Montgomery Advertiser: Jail expansion goes high-tech

Judging by this rendering, the new jail may be marginally more attractive than the old one, but that isn't saying much.

Well... it is a jail... what can we expect?

[Southron]

The Montgomery City Council annexed a tract of land surrounding the Home Depot on Chantilly Parkway, after the city of Pike Road had annexed the superstore property. The Montgomery County Commission rescinded a vote that allowed Pike Road to proceed with its annexation, so the matter may be resolved in court.

I hope Montgomery eventually annexes the Home Depot property and takes in all of the new businesses along Chantilly Pkwy. These little parasite communities don't deserve to siphon off the tax base of the real economic engine in the River Region.

Montgomery Advertiser: Council stakes Home Depot claim

[Southron]

Something is going on with this building on Monroe St. The dumpsters have been out front for a week or more and there was an architectural review board sign posted on it for a while. Hopefully renovation is in the works.

According to Architectural Review Board staff, renovation plans were approved for this building, with commercial space on the ground floor. It'll be great to remove another downtown eyesore from the list.

[kevinlpugh]

Owner wants to subdivide Montgomery Mall property

Bryan Lee, owner of Montgomery Mall, filed an application to divide the Montgomery Mall into four separate lots. Lee's proposed changes would split a gas station near the mall's entrance into a 2.10 acre lot. He also wants to divide the mall building into three properties. He would split two of the anchor stores -- the old J.C. Penney store and the store occupied by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear -- along with some parking areas into their own properties.

www.montgomeryadvertiser.com