Montgomery Developments

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Ran across these on the city's website -- links to .pdf maps of Montgomery's historic districts.

Capitol Heights Historic Districts

Cloverdale Historic District

Cloverdale-Idlewild Historic District

Cottage Hill and Cottage Hill Annex

Garden District

Highland Avenue Historic District

Lower Commerce Street Historic District

North Hull Historic District

Powder Magazine Historic District

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Links to drafts of some neighborhood long-range plans, also from the city's website...

Garden District Neighborhood Plan (Draft)

Rosa Parks Combined Communities and Five Points Neighborhood Plan (Draft)

Bellingrath_Cloverland Plan (Draft)

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Area hotel and tourism officials are looking forward to an additional 430 hotel rooms in downtown Montgomery next year. The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center is scheduled to open in February with 346 rooms. Across the street, the Hampton Inn & Suites will add about 85 more rooms in late spring or early fall. Counting the existing 237 suites at Embassy Suites, the area will have almost 670 rooms and suites in a three-block area.

The three hotels will eventually be key parts of a downtown entertainment district that will include Riverwalk Amphitheatre, Riverwalk Stadium, Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts and other venues.

Montgomery Advertiser: Hotel rooms to create demand for downtown

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The Montgomery city website has a page for downtown (mostly) projects that are planned, in the works, or recently completed. The page includes links to .pdf files that give a visual chronology of the projects -- some of the .pdf's include aerial photos of the pre-construction sites.

Downtown Projects

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Today's Advertiser includes an article about future development in west Montgomery. In about five years, developer Jim Massey Jr. predicts people will start moving back to west Montgomery. Among the factors that Massey believes will bring people back to west Montgomery are new home construction, rising gasoline prices, and a shorter commute. I hope he's right.

West side revival picks up

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Mayor Bobby Bright, City Council President Charles Jinright and City Council member Martha Roby are in Little Rock today on a civic tour to exchange ideas with leaders in the Arkansas capital. I hope Little Rock was chosen at least in part because of the streetcar system that was built there recently. Maybe this visit will encourage Montgomery leaders to move forward with the partial restoration of the Lightning Route.

Montgomery Advertiser: Local leaders visit Arkansas capital city

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Lee Street from Montgomery to Bibb streets will be closed for nearly eight weeks while workers re-align the street to accomodate the parking deck exit of the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, which opens in February. The block is being given a vintage look to match Court Square.

Montgomery Advertiser: Downtown block closing 8 weeks

I like the aesthetic improvements, but not the realignment. Perhaps the convention center deck could have been designed to accomodate the existing street grid rather than the other way around.

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Ground was broken Wednesday on the new 10,000 sq. ft. Automotive Manufacturing Technology Center at Trenholm State Technical College. The center should be completed by August 2008; and the program, which will simulate an automotive production assembly line, will get started in a temporary facility in January 2008.

Montgomery Advertiser: Trenholm Tech breaks ground on auto center

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The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Lu

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Destin Energy's new Catoma St. headquarters should be complete by the end of January. With old paint stripped away to reveal original brick and some new brick laid along the front, the renovated building is looking really good.

Montgomery Advertiser: Energy company will get new headquarters

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The Montgomery city council is considering a new tree ordinance for trees on city property and in historic districts. The ordinance was developed by the city and the Montgomery Tree Committee, and was approved by the planning commission.

Montgomery Advertiser: Council considering new tree ordinance

[RSAHort]

The Montgomery city council is considering a new tree ordinance for trees on city property and in historic districts. The ordinance was developed by the city and the Montgomery Tree Committee, and was approved by the planning commission.

Montgomery Advertiser: Council considering new tree ordinance

Is it just for city and historical districts? The article says public and private property. I can see the historic districts being under more scrutiny. But I personally wouldn't want to have to ask permission to do anything to the trees on my personal property.

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Is it just for city and historical districts?

I haven't seen the actual ordinance, so I can't say for sure, but the most recent Old Cloverdale Association newsletter includes an extract, and it says this about the purpose of the ordinance: "to regulate the planting, cutting, maintenance and removal of trees located on public property and trees on private property which are required to be planted or preserved by ordinance."

[RSAHort]

I spoke with the Urban Forester this morning. The new ordinance is just for public property. He said the only ordinance(s) applying to private property were those for the Historical Districts already in affect.

[Southron]

The Montgomery city council voted 9-0 to pass the tree ordinance, which will allow the Arbor Day Foundation to designate Montgomery as a "Tree City USA." Montgomery will be the 5th Alabama city to earn the designation, joining Birmingham, Auburn, Fairhope and Mobile.

Montgomery Advertiser: Council passes tree ordinance

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The Wynnsong 10 movie theater is now closed, another blow to the viability of businesses near the intersection of East Boulevard and Troy Hwy. The Wynnsong 10 opened at the Montgomery Towne Center in July 1997.

Montgomery Advertiser: Carmike closes Wynnsong 10 on East Boulevard

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Jackson Hospital breaks ground today on a 13,500 sq ft outpatient imaging center and a 27,000 sq ft surgery center.

Montgomery Advertiser: Jackson Hospital to break ground on centers

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The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church addition is under way.

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Mayor Bobby Bright met with the Montgomery Advertiser editorial board and discussed the plight of the west side of the city, as new development continues to push the city farther to the east. Bright said the city has invested tax dollars on the west side, including improved bus service and a new park with a golf course, and it's time for private developers to step in.

Bright says he can't save west side alone

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A $2.14 million exterior renovation is underway at the Capitol, including work on work on the roof, marble tiling and columns. A major $32 million restoration was completed in 1991, and a dome restoration in 2000 included painting the old clock overlooking Dexter Avenue.

Montgomery Advertiser: Capitol gets yet another facelift

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Three new hotels are planned near The Shoppes at East Chase, joining three existing hotels in the area. This spring, a 92-room Staybridge Suites will open at East Chase, along with an 80-room Comfort Inn on Chantilly Parkway. A third new hotel at East Chase is under development, but details have not been released.

Montgomery Advertiser: Hotels continue expansion in east Montgomery

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The state of Alabama, the city of Montgomery and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival received gifts of buildings and land totaling $50 million from the family of the late Wynton M. "Red" Blount. The family donated a 12,336 sq ft home and 100+ acres that surround it, worth about $28 million to the state. The home may eventually become the Governor's Mansion.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival received more than 58 acres of land and office space valued at $2 million. The city will receive about 136 acres of land and improvements to Blount Cultural Park worth about $20 million.

Montgomery Advertiser:

Blount family donates to city, state

Blount family generosity continues

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Today's Advertiser included an update on some of the major construction projects around town.

New RSA Headquarters

Where: 201 S. Union St.

Who is building: Retirement Systems of Alabama

Cost: More than $100 million

Completion date: June 2008, delayed from May

Montgomery Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center

Where: Tallapoosa and Molton Streets

Who built: City of Montgomery and Retirement Systems of Alabama

Cost: $200 million

Completion date: Hotel opened Feb. 4, and other facilities are opening later in February

Forensic Sciences building

Where: Corner of Carter Hill Road and S. Decatur St.

Who built: Alabama State University and the state of Alabama.

Cost: $10.3 million

Use: Forensic sciences classrooms for ASU and forensic science offices for the state.

Completion date: August 2007

Renovation of old Montgomery Advertiser building

Where: 200 Washington

Who is building: Montgomery County

Cost: $15 million

Use: Site for citizens to pay taxes, purchases licenses and visit Co. Commission meetings, with parking in an attached deck

Completion date: November or December 2008, delayed from July.

Montgomery County Detention Facility

Where: Corner of Adams and S. McDonough St.

Who is building: Montgomery County

Cost: $47.3 million

Use: Add 696 beds to the county's detention facility. Includes renovations to the kitchen and adminis

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Montgomery listed as a "Tree City USA"

As part of Arbor Week, on Tuesday Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright will officially proclaim Montgomery as one of 70 Tree City USA cities in the nation. Additionally, in honor of the city's fallen law enforcement officers, 23 legacy trees will be planted at King Hill Park on Up

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Riverfront development in downtown Montgomery is now resulting in development proposals along the Alabama River. River Ridge Harbor, a proposed recreational housing development off Old Selma Road, is being planned on the river in west Montgomery County. Although the area is miles from downtown, homeowners there could dock their boats along the riverwalk and walk all over downtown. It will be interesting to see how many more residential developments are planned along the river in the next few months and years.

Montgomery Advertiser: Planned development builds on revival of riverfront area