Montgomery Developments

[Southron]

Downtown Hampton Inn Project

Renovation begins in May for the former Greystone Hotel, a 10-story building at the corner of Commerce and Bibb Streets downtown, across the street from RSA's Renaissance Hotel construction site. The structure was converted to office use in the 1970's, last used by First Tuskegee Bank. Expected to open by the end of 2007, the new Hampton Inn will feature 86 guest rooms, meeting rooms, a ballroom and a fitness room.

Montgomery Advertiser: Hampton Inn project to begin in May

Greystone Hotel, built in 1929

[Southron]

New Court Square Plaza set to open April 24th

Opening for vehicle and pedestrian traffic on April 24th, the $1.5 million cobblestone plaza around Court Square fountain restores the area to its pre-1950s roundabout design. The project includes reopening a block of Court Street that was converted into a concrete pedestrian mall in the 1970s.

The restored plaza and roundabout are part of the first phase of a $10 million downtown revitalization effort, implemented according to the new downtown master plan. Phase one of the revitalization plan also includes restoring historic downtown building facades, converting one-way streets to two-way traffic, redeveloping the downtown Five Points area and marking the Montgomery portion of the Selma-to-Montgomery march.

Montgomery Advertiser: Date set for opening of downtown roundabout

Court Square in the 1950s

Court Square prior to current renovation

New plaza/roundabout under construction in 2007

[Southron]

Riverwalk almost ready

The first phase of the downtown Riverwalk is nearing completion, and the waterfront area is open to foot traffic again. There is still some paving left to do, and some work to complete a pavilion. A floating dock is planned to be available for both commercial boats and personal watercraft.

Montgomery Advertiser article and photo gallery

Edited July 27, 2007 by Southron

[Southron]

River Region Mayors share ideas for moving planning board forward

The Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization -- made up of city and county officials from Montgomery, Autauga and Elmore counties -- plays a major role in area transportation planning, deciding how federal transportation money gets spent.

Prattville Mayor Jim Byard suggests the idea of an Alabama River water taxi connecting Prattville and downtown Montgomery, as well as Montgomery Area Transit System bus service to Autauga and Elmore counties. Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright likes the water taxi idea too.

Maybe these officials can work together to get area-wide transit solutions in place. Extending bus service to Autauga and Elmore counties would be a great help.

Montgomery Advertiser article here.

[Southron]

I missed posting this in March:

Hyundai adds 500-plus jobs with $270M engine plant

Hyundai announced the addition of a second engine plant, which will produce 4-cylinder engines at a $270 million facility beginning in September 2008. With the new engine plant, Hyundai will employ over 3,600 workers at its Montgomery facility.

The new 4-cylinder engines will be used in both Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The second Hyundai engine plant is Alabama

[Southron]

Some photos of the new live/work building at The Waters, a New Urbanist development, are available at the River Region Smart Growth blog.

[Southron]

Old Cloverdale mixed-use project tenants to begin moving in by late April

McAlpine Tankersley Architecture designed the Cloverdale Road mixed-use lofts and will move their offices there in a couple of months. The firm is also working with the developers, City Loft Corp., on an upcoming mixed-use project at the old Cloverdale school. Nancy Paterson's Bistro will relocate from a Zelda Road location to the A&P site late this month.

Marketed as Atlantic and Pacific Lofts, the buildings have commercial space on the ground floor with residential lofts upstairs. Lofts are selling for $225,000 - 500,000.

Montgomery Advertiser: Builder has high goals for Cloverdale loft project

[Southron]

New East Montgomery Wal-Mart catalyst for sprawl

Developers announced two new shopping centers and a residential subdivision near the new Wal-Mart (opening today) on Chantilly Parkway in east Montgomery. The gated residential subdivision will include 115 homes, office and retail space.

Montgomery Advertiser: Shoppers get more choices

[kayman]

New East Montgomery Wal-Mart catalyst for sprawl

Developers announced two new shopping centers and a residential subdivision near the new Wal-Mart (opening today) on Chantilly Parkway in east Montgomery. The gated residential subdivision will include 115 homes, office and retail space.

Montgomery Advertiser: Shoppers get more choices

WTH! I demand answers from whomever gave this whole situation the A'OK. Montgomery needs to be trying to fixed what already developed, not sprawl out further towards Mt. Meigs and McDade. They could have easily used the old Montgomery Mall parcel since the mall is dead and build that new Wal-Mart. Redevelop what is already developed.

[Southron]

WTH! I demand answers from whomever gave this whole situation the A'OK. Montgomery needs to be trying to fixed what already developed, not sprawl out further towards Mt. Meigs and McDade. They could have easily used the old Montgomery Mall parcel since the mall is dead and build that new Wal-Mart. Redevelop what is already developed.

Actually, the new Wal-Mart is outside the city limits, I should have mentioned that. Mayor Bright was not pleased that the company built this new store out there in sprawl-land. He says company officials told him that they would build a store on the under-served west side, but that looks highly unlikely now. He had some pretty harsh words about Wal-Mart in a Channel 12 segment, asking citizens not to spend money at that new store.

Mayor Bright mentioned recently that a buyer is on the hook for Montgomery Mall, but no deal has been finalized yet.

[convulso]

He had some pretty harsh words about Wal-Mart in a Channel 12 segment, asking citizens not to spend money at that new store.

might this be the first example of a high profile mayor in our state criticizing wal mart? anyone know of any others?

[Southron]

might this be the first example of a high profile mayor in our state criticizing wal mart? anyone know of any others?

Good question - I'm not aware of any others, maybe someone else here is.

Looks like Wal-Mart built just outside the city limits so that they could use lower sales taxes (6.5%) to draw customers from nearby stores (10%) within the city limits. Supposedly, the store is hooked up to city water and sewer lines.

"I will not shop there and I would advise everyone in Montgomery not to shop there. I'm going to launch a campaign against Wal-mart on Chantilly Boulevard," Mayor Bright said. "We don't need businesses ripping the city of Montgomery off, and that is exactly what they are trying to do by locating themselves right over the city limits and using our services without paying any sales taxes like other businesses here do."

Both Montgomery and Pike Road would like to annex the area.

WSFA-TV 12: Montgomery's Mayor: Don't Shop At New Walmart

Montgomery Advertiser: Mayor: Tax rate gives new Wal-Mart an unfair advantage

[Southron]

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright moderated his stand against Wal-Mart a little bit, saying he wasn't telling anyone not to shop there. He insists, though, that company officials lied to him about the new store location. Bright says he made a deal with Wal-Mart, a deal that included a store on the west side and the new east Montgomery store built within the city limits. Wal-Mart did neither.

Montgomery Advertiser:

Mayor softens, but doesn't back down on Wal-Mart

[Southron]

Court Square roundabout open to traffic

The Court Square roundabout reopened to traffic Tuesday morning, after a $1.3 million renovation. Vintage cars drove through the square demonstrating how to drive around the roundabout.

Court Square is now a wireless hotspot, with coverage extending about a block from the square.

The city also announced over $400,000 in facade grants that will be used to improve the facades of several downtown buildings.

Montgomery Advertiser story with photos and video links: Downtown roundabout comes full circle at last

[Southron]

Lunch Trolley Express begins service downtown

A lunchtime trolley service began service Tuesday, offering free rides to over 30 downtown restaurants from 11 am to 2 pm each workday. Signs marking the new trolley stops will go up this week.

Montgomery Advertiser: Downtown trolley gives free rides to lunch spots

[Southron]

Montgomery Mall has a new owner

City officials confirmed Tuesday that Montgomery Mall is getting a new owner. The identity of the new owner was not revealed.

The 726,883 sq ft mall, opened in 1968, was 95 percent occupied when Glimcher Realty Trust bought it in 1998, but lost tenants steadily over the last few years. Significantly, anchor stores have gone: Dillard's left in 2003, JC Penney in 2005 and Parisian in 2006.

Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Mall gets new owner

[Southron]

Montgomery Hyundai plant may add third vehicle production line

Hyundai may add production of a third vehicle at its Montgomery plant, according to trade publication Automotive News.

The plant is already near its full production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles per year, so an expansion may be needed to build the third vehicle. The plant currently produces Sonatas and Santa Fes.

Mobile Press-Register: Hyundai, Honda eye expansions in Alabama

[Alabadrock]

Montgomery Hyundai plant may add third vehicle production line

Hyundai may add production of a third vehicle at its Montgomery plant, according to trade publication Automotive News.

The plant is already near its full production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles per year, so an expansion may be needed to build the third vehicle. The plant currently produces Sonatas and Santa Fes.

Mobile Press-Register: Hyundai, Honda eye expansions in Alabama

That's an awesome development. It's great to see the foreign countries showing more interest and faith in Alabama.

[Southron]

Urban forester builds Montgomery tree canopy

Russell Stringer has directed the planting of over 3,000 trees since he was hired as Montgomery's first urban forester in 2004. The urban forestry division was created to offset the loss of trees in the city.

Stringer says the tree canopy reduces energy costs in the summer, and provides more attractive commercial areas, resulting in increased retail sales. Property values are higher in communities with lots of shade trees.

Stringer prefers to purchase trees native to Montgomery, resisting requests for trees popular in other areas, such as Mobile's live oaks.

Montgomery Advertiser: Urban forester keeps Capital City in the green

[Alabadrock]

Urban forester builds Montgomery tree canopy

Russell Stringer has directed the planting of over 3,000 trees since he was hired as Montgomery's first urban forester in 2004. The urban forestry division was created to offset the loss of trees in the city.

Stringer says the tree canopy reduces energy costs in the summer, and provides more attractive commercial areas, resulting in increased retail sales. Property values are higher in communities with lots of shade trees.

Stringer prefers to purchase trees native to Montgomery, resisting requests for trees popular in other areas, such as Mobile's live oaks.

Montgomery Advertiser: Urban forester keeps Capital City in the green

That's awesome. Exactly how many urban forestry divisions do we have in Alabama??

[Southron]

That's awesome. Exactly how many urban forestry divisions do we have in Alabama??

Good question. Mobile has one, and I suspect that Birmingham and Huntsville do too.

[Southron]

No railroad currently offers intermodal container service through Montgomery, but increasing container traffic at the expanding Port of Mobile may soon change that. Companies can now get a container from the West Coast to Huntsville more quickly than they can get one from Mobile to Huntsville. Railroads are waiting on the container traffic to increase enough to justify additional service. Montgomery is expected to benefit from the expansion of area rail service when it comes.

Expanded rail service could benefit companies around the state, and pay huge dividends down the road. Hopefully rail companies will begin expanding soon.

Montgomery Advertiser: Rails may bring business through tri-county

[DruidCity]

Exactly how many urban forestry divisions do we have in Alabama??

I'm curious about that, as well. Here's a link to the Alabama Urban Forestry Association:

http://www.aufa.com/urb-alabama.html

I also found an Alabama company specializing in urban forestry: http://www.sufa.com/

[Southron]

Part of the west Montgomery area is beginning to show signs of revitalization and development. The area on West Fairview Avenue from South Court Street to Interstate 65 has seen new businesses move in over the last few years. Commercial property owners are reinvesting in the area for the first time in twenty years or more.

Hopefully this trend will continue and expand to other under-served areas of west Montgomery.

Central Alabama Business Journal: West Montgomery experiences surge of retail development

[Southron]

City working on downtown rails-to-trails project

Montgomery Bicycle Club members and city leaders are working on a project that would turn abandoned rail lines into a bike path. The 10-ft. wide trail would run from downtown to Vaughn Park, and would accommodate bikes, pedestrians and wheelchairs. City planners estimate the cost of Phase I of the project at about $1 million, much of which could be paid for with federal funds. However, it's not clear if city will be able to get title to the old track properties from Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Hopefully, Norfolk Southern can and will give these properties to the city. This trail would be a tremendous asset to a city with a significant lack of bike paths, and another boost to downtown revitalization.

Montgomery Advertiser: Old rails may switch into bicycle trails