Alley Project

[Southron]

The Advertiser ran a story yesterday about the restoration of the windows on the building at 101 Tallapoosa St, adjacent to the alley. The original windows, visible on the right side of the second photo of the last post, were installed in 1895 and are being fully restored to their former glory rather than being replaced.

Restoration project brings a clear view of history

[Southron]

Photo update 12/13/08:

The frame is mounted for the water tower at the Tallapoosa St. entrance.

Looks like another balcony is planned here.

[Southron]

Architectural Review Board members, upset that plans for the Alleyway were not submitted to them before work began, voted down a request to modify the facade of the entrance building on Commerce St. and requested a full set of plans for the entire project. City officials say work will go on anyway.

The city should have submitted these plans long ago. It was really a dumb idea to try to skirt around this. I doubt the board would have a problem with what is being done, but they were left out of the process and understandably aren't happy about it.

Work continues on Alleyway Project despite review board's veto

[Southron]

The water tower was mounted yesterday. It juts out into the sidewalk and kind of blocks the view into the alley a little, but will probably blend in better once the painting and landscaping is done.

[brad0022]

Dreamland BBQ will open at the Alleyway and close the Atlanta Hwy location. They cite the city's continued support for downtown growth as a reason to locate downtown.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=969...mp;nav=menu33_7

[Southron]

Dreamland BBQ will open at the Alleyway and close the Atlanta Hwy location. They cite the city's continued support for downtown growth as a reason to locate downtown.

Great addition to downtown! I'm kind of surprised that the Atlanta Hwy location will close, but since Dreamland is supporting downtown I'll actually have to drop my opposition to eating at one that isn't in Tuscaloosa. Boomer T's is a good place to go for BBQ at lunch and now we have a downtown BBQ place for dinner as well. Excellent!

[brad0022]

Great addition to downtown! I'm kind of surprised that the Atlanta Hwy location will close, but since Dreamland is supporting downtown I'll actually have to drop my opposition to eating at one that isn't in Tuscaloosa. Boomer T's is a good place to go for BBQ at lunch and now we have a downtown BBQ place for dinner as well. Excellent!

I liked Boomer T's. Only ate there once several months ago. I'm not a huge fan of Dreamland but will support it downtown. I also read a while back that Wintzell's Oyster House out of Mobile was interested opening up to 4 regional locations. First one in P'ville then on the eastside and later one downtown. Can't remember where the owner mentioned the 4th. Looks like they will miss out on an Alleyway location.

[Southron]

I liked Boomer T's. Only ate there once several months ago. I'm not a huge fan of Dreamland but will support it downtown. I also read a while back that Wintzell's Oyster House out of Mobile was interested opening up to 4 regional locations. First one in P'ville then on the eastside and later one downtown. Can't remember where the owner mentioned the 4th. Looks like they will miss out on an Alleyway location.

I'd forgotten about the Wintzell's announcement. That would be a good fit somewhere near the Riverwalk if they don't wind up in the Alley.

[brad0022]

The Montgomery Architec

[brad0022]

More great news. A new Italian restaurant, Sa Za Serious Italian Foods, is coming to the Alleyway. Ken Register, owner of the Olive Room, will open the restaurant. He will hold a formal announcement on Feb. 13 at 4:30pm.

"I am making this investment because I believe in the future of downtown," Register said in a news release Friday. "All the people associated with this project are as excited as I am.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/articl...357/1007/NEWS01

[Southron]

More great news. A new Italian restaurant, Sa Za Serious Italian Foods, is coming to the Alleyway. Ken Register, owner of the Olive Room, will open the restaurant. He will hold a formal announcement on Feb. 13 at 4:30pm.

Fantastic news! My hat's off to Ken Register for bringing this downtown.

Below are links to the WFSA story and the restaurant website. It looks like the food will be really good.

Italian restaurant partner to unveil plans for downtown location

www.sazapizza.com

[brad0022]

Fantastic news! My hat's off to Ken Register for bringing this downtown.

Below are links to the WFSA story and the restaurant website. It looks like the food will be really good.

Italian restaurant partner to unveil plans for downtown location

www.sazapizza.com

I can't wait for this. Looks very good. Now I can definitely skip Dreamland. I hope the prices aren't too crazy.

[Southron]

I can't wait for this. Looks very good. Now I can definitely skip Dreamland. I hope the prices aren't too crazy.

I'm with you on the prices, especially when it's opening in the middle of a recession.

---

According to the Advertiser, the 5,300 sq ft Sa Za will seat almost 150, including about 20 in outdoor seating along the Commerce Street sidewalk and another 15 or so in a bar in the alleyway itself. I'm digging all this new outdoor seating...

Italian restaurant coming to downtown

Advertiser photo gallery

[brad0022]

I'm with you on the prices, especially when it's opening in the middle of a recession.

---

According to the Advertiser, the 5,300 sq ft Sa Za will seat almost 150, including about 20 in outdoor seating along the Com

[Southron]

Dreamland BBQ will open at the Alleyway and close the Atlanta Hwy location. They cite the city's continued support for downtown growth as a reason to locate downtown.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=969...mp;nav=menu33_7

There's a sign up now on Tallapoosa Street...

[Southron]

According to the Advertiser, a new downtown police precinct will be based out of an Alleyway storefront. I wonder if the new police precinct at the Riverwalk silo has been cancelled...

Police planning new precinct in Alleyway Project

High-resolution plan of the Alleyway project (pre-SaZa):

AlleyPlan.pdf

[Southron]

The Advertiser has a new photo gallery (linked below) of progress on alleyway construction.

Alleyway construction continues

[Southron]

The Montgomery Architec

[krazeeboi]

I don't really like the concrete foundations for the tower's legs, but I suppose they are necessary to physically secure the structure. The tower itself is cool though.

[richyb83]

Thanks for the updates Interesting project...nice to see the downtown revitalization!! Hope this all works out; the residential lofts is an essential componet...connecting the hotel/convention center to the riverwalk & baseball stadium should make for a nice synergy!

Edited August 12, 2009 by richyb83

[Southron]

Photo update 8/23/09:

[Southron]

More great news. A new Italian restaurant, Sa Za Serious Italian Foods, is coming to the Alleyway. Ken Register, owner of the Olive Room, will open the restaurant.

Ken Register and Joe DiMaggio Jr., who opened the first SaZa restaurant in Naples, FL, plan to make the Alleyway location the flagship of a new chain, and hope to open about 150 locations across North America. The restaurant's corporate headquarters will be in Montgomery, and DiMaggio moved his family here this summer.

Alleyway restaurant expected to be flagship for company

[nowyano]

I was in Montgomery Saturday and wish I had seen this project, but I didn't know where it was. I probably drove right past it and was unaware it was happening, I can be a fairly oblivious driver if I'm not looking for something.

I have almost always lived in the North East (Providence, RI and Boston) not counting college. So I am an urbanite who loves density, and walking especially in city centers. Living in the South I have noticed that a lot of downtowns are dead after business hours and on weekends. As I was driving through on Saturday, I noticed that there was little to no traffic (foot or otherwise).

Do you guys think this project will increase foot traffic on weekends? I mean there are a lot of tourist destinations in downtown Montgomery (the visitors center, Rosa Parks Museum, the Capital Building, the Southern Poverty Law Fountains), not to mention the area that I saw right around Troy Montgomery which also seems to have a lot of potential for foot traffic.

[Southron]

I was in Montgomery Saturday and wish I had seen this project, but I didn't know where it was. I probably drove right past it and was unaware it was happening, I can be a fairly oblivious driver if I'm not looking for something.

Do you guys think this project will increase foot traffic on weekends? I mean there are a lot of tourist destinations in downtown Montgomery (the visitors center, Rosa Parks Museum, the Capital Building, the Southern Poverty Law Fountains), not to mention the area that I saw right around Troy Montgomery which also seems to have a lot of potential for foot traffic.

The alley is half a block west of Riverwalk Stadium down near the riverfront, and the area has seen an increase in foot traffic all week long. As downtown revitalization progresses, the areas further south of the river should become more lively. It's going to take a few years, though. If the property owners on lower Dexter Ave would move forward with renovations it might be sooner rather than later...

[brad0022]

I was in Montgomery Saturday and wish I had seen this project, but I didn't know where it was. I probably drove right past it and was unaware it was happening, I can be a fairly oblivious driver if I'm not looking for something.

I have almost always lived in the North East (Providence, RI and Boston) not counting college. So I am an urbanite who loves density, and walking especially in city centers. Living in the South I have noticed that a lot of downtowns are dead after business hours and on weekends. As I was driving through on Saturday, I noticed that there was little to no traffic (foot or otherwise).

Do you guys think this project will increase foot traffic on weekends? I mean there are a lot of tourist destinations in downtown Montgomery (the visitors center, Rosa Parks Museum, the Capital Building, the Southern Poverty Law Fountains), not to mention the area that I saw right around Troy Montgomery which also seems to have a lot of potential for foot traffic.

It is hard to really notice when driving on Madison if you dont know what to look for. Yes the Alley has already brought lots and lots of tourists and locals alike. Ive been to the Alley bar twice and it was almost impossible to get in at the times I was there. Very crowded. The alley outside the club and Dreamland was crowded with people socializing too. Also the city is doing pubcrawls once a month so that is drawing a lot of local traffic. Its absolutely packed. I would image logs of people staying in the hotels at the sametime not knowing the pubcrawl is going on are joining in but I dont know for sure without surveys. Its packed and there is only just one bar/venue open. The rest of is to come soon. Its slow but will be filled out one of these days.