Huntsville skyscrapers

[jmanhsv]

Found this on Bidclerk today:

"Est. Start Date: April 2008

Site work and new construction of a multi-residential development in Huntsville. Design plans call for the construction of a 15-story apartment complex.

A firm construction schedule has not been established pending municipal approval. No inquiries are requested at this time."

As you all probably know, developer Randy Scrimsher proposed a 21-story condo tower/parking garage on Holmes Avenue about five years ago. The project seemed dead until last summer, when it appeared again during the height limits debate. With the proposed 6-level parking garage at Holmes and Greene, this project being built on top of the deck would put it at 21 floors. But it is just as likely that this is a whole new project, which would be even more exciting...

[Evad]

Well that map points to Oakwood's campus. Seems unlikely they would build something this tall there since I thought they had a bunch of land...

[jmanhsv]

Yeah, I don't think that map's accurate. I don't see a need for a 15-story apartment building for a campus of 2,000 students.

[HSVTiger]

More talk about the height limit, the Planning Commission should decide by Feb 26th, In the article we learn that a 20 story hotel was lost(supposedly) due to the

archaic rules. Also Schrimsher still plans at least a 20-25 story condo.

[Huntsville_secede]

More talk about the height limit, the Planning Commission should decide by Feb 26th, In the article we learn that a 20 story hotel was lost(supposedly) due to the

archaic rules. Also Schrimsher still plans at least a 20-25 story condo.

[Evad]

More talk about the height limit, the Planning Commission should decide by Feb 26th, In the article we learn that a 20 story hotel was lost(supposedly) due to the

archaic rules. Also Schrimsher still plans at least a 20-25 story condo.

[jmanhsv]

Hold up.... This has got me confused. Scrimsher's got two high-rises planned downtown!? He still wants to build the 24 story condo tower at Holmes and Jefferson, and he also has this apartment building planned at Holmes and Lincoln. This is getting better...

Like I've said before, this height limit stuff is just plain stupid. I agree with height limits near Old Town and Twickenham, but that's it. It shouldn't apply to the whole downtown area. I love the neighborhood's argument against tall buildings- "protect downtown residents from building shadows, light intrusions and noisy ventilation systems."

[rnc]

This is so stupid. I can understand not wanting tall buildings right next to the historic districts, but what is the purpose of height limitations in the CBD besides limiting downtown's economic potential? Boo progress...

[Huntsville_secede]

The Link to the article was posted

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

High anxiety downtown

Thursday, February 14, 2008

By JOHN PECK

Times Staff Writer [email protected]

City planners, others debate building heights for change in zoning

Should the sky be the limit? That's an issue the City Planning Commission could decide this month on a proposed zoning change governing building heights in downtown Huntsville.

The City Council will have the final say.

[Huntsville_secede]

Very interesting part of the article

The amendment was before the zoning committee because of a provision setting a two-story, 30-foot height limit for buildings in downtown commercials zones if the property abuts or is across the street from residential districts.

Officials discovered later that the exception would block the planned $150 million Constellation development on the old Market Square site at Memorial Parkway and Clinton Avenue. So, they proposed lifting the "across the street" provision but keeping the abutment requirement. The Constellation development is threatened because of the public housing complex "across the street," which in this case is Memorial Parkway - a four-lane, divided highway.

[internerdj]

Officials discovered later that the exception would block the planned $150 million Constellation development on the old Market Square site at Memorial Parkway and Clinton Avenue. So, they proposed lifting the "across the street" provision but keeping the abutment requirement. The Constellation development is threatened because of the public housing complex "across the street," which in this case is Memorial Parkway - a four-lane, divided highway.

[rnc]

Very interesting part of the article

The amendment was before the zoning committee because of a provision setting a two-story, 30-foot height limit for buildings in downtown commercials zones if the property abuts or is across the street from residential districts.

Officials discovered later that the exception would block the planned $150 million Constellation development on the old Market Square site at Memorial Parkway and Clinton Avenue. So, they proposed lifting the "across the street" provision but keeping the abutment requirement. The Constellation development is threatened because of the public housing complex "across the street," which in this case is Memorial Parkway - a four-lane, divided highway.

[Huntsville_secede]

Well you can forget about us having any 20 story building before the year 2100

10-story limit will stay, but others rise

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

By JOHN PECK

Times Staff Writer [email protected]

Planners may raise height limits in downtown borders

The Huntsville Planning Commission isn't budging from a 10-story, 150-foot height limit for downtown buildings.

But it's amenable to increasing two- and three-story limits to as high as six in some buffer areas around downtown historic neighborhoods.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

[HSVTiger]

Well you can forget about us having any 20 story building before the year 2100

10-story limit will stay, but others rise

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

By JOHN PECK

Times Staff Writer [email protected]

Planners may raise height limits in downtown borders

The Huntsville Planning Commission isn't budging from a 10-story, 150-foot height limit for downtown buildings.

But it's amenable to increasing two- and three-story limits to as high as six in some buffer areas around downtown historic neighborhoods.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

[HSVTiger]

Interesting comments, expect the City Council to change this height proposal

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind...&thispage=1

If you read between the lines at least a 16 story building or something in the works.

"The City Council, which has the final say on zoning changes, introduced two more options last week for consideration: a 16-floor maximum and no height limits.

Councilwoman Sandra Moon believes a 16-story limit would be a compromise. A building cap, she said, could cause investors such as state retirement system chief David Bronner to bypass Huntsville and build elsewhere."

[jmanhsv]

Well, we already know there are 20+ towers proposed for downtown, so why not make it unlimited? Maybe if Scrimsher released plans for his 25-story condo tower, maybe that will sway some people to think again about the height limit.

We all know which side the Huntsville Times is on with this issue; on the front page of today's paper: "UNCHECKED, WILL SKYSCRAPERS IN HUNTSVILLE SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL?" They act like, if Huntsville had unlimited height limits downtown, it'll look like Manhattan. Which would be awesome, IMO, but that ain't gonna happen. We'll probably see 1-2 20+ buildings, and a couple of 10+ towers, which is quite a boom for a city our size, but that certainly isn't "out of control."

[Huntsville_secede]

Well, we already know there are 20+ towers proposed for downtown, so why not make it unlimited? Maybe if Scrimsher released plans for his 25-story condo tower, maybe that will sway some people to think again about the height limit.

We all know which side the Huntsville Times is on with this issue; on the front page of today's paper: "UNCHECKED, WILL SKYSCRAPERS IN HUNTSVILLE SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL?" They act like, if Huntsville had unlimited height limits downtown, it'll look like Manhattan. Which would be awesome, IMO, but that ain't gonna happen. We'll probably see 1-2 20+ buildings, and a couple of 10+ towers, which is quite a boom for a city our size, but that certainly isn't "out of control."

[David1502]

The reason for the height restriction comes down to one word, Twickenham and I'm not saying this to throw stones at its residents. It is highly unusual to have a single family home residential community immediately adjacent to the downtown of a metro area - usually if there is a residential community it is either public housing (Which there is near downtown in Council Courts, etc.) or high rise apartments or condiminiums. Twickenham is not just any residential community it is unique in that it is historic and the most expensive community in the area. Its residents have an obvious concern to protect their property values like any homeowners would and this leads them to be concerned about the adjacent commercial area called downtown. They look at downtown in the same way that the folks in Hampton Cove or Jones Valley look at the adjacent shopping areas to their neighborhoods and don't want the commercial pressure to be great to make their homes no longer attractive to purchase. If you look at the houses on the west side of Franklin, they back up to commercial property on Madison. Also, there is a concern that if downtown becomes too public it will become like typical cities and attract a sizeable homeless population. For example, have you ever eaten breakfast at the McDonald's on Governors and been the only non homeless person there. If you look at all other cities of any size this is just the process of maturation which pushes out nearby homes for higher density uses and at the same time brings an enviroment more friendly to the homeless - neither of these are appealing to those who own homes in Twickenham.

What's the solution? Create a new downtown without height restrictions centered around the Parkway/Clinton Avenue interchange and have it push west down Clinton and Governors. The public housing and other uses in that area along Clinton and Governors are undervalued uses of the area's prime location. There is a lot of property north of Clinton with visibilty on I-565. Presently there are shacks just south of 565 when there could be high rise offices. There isn't a nearby residential area that would feel threatened - if anything it would lead to a revival of the old West Huntsville area which the city is trying to revive by forcing the Downtown Rescue Mission to move.

Trying to fight the Twickenham/Old Town homeowners is a loosing battle - if you were in their shoes wouldn't you feel the same way. Why not start a new downtown without height restrictions and excellent visibility. The exsiting downtown can continue to maintain its historical charm while the rest of the area can enjoy a modern skyline to its west.

[Huntsville_secede]

The reason for the height restriction comes down to one word, Twickenham and I'm not saying this to throw stones at its residents. It is highly unusual to have a single family home residential community immediately adjacent to the downtown of a metro area - usually if there is a residential community it is either public housing (Which there is near downtown in Council Courts, etc.) or high rise apartments or condiminiums. Twickenham is not just any residential community it is unique in that it is historic and the most expensive community in the area. Its residents have an obvious concern to protect their property values like any homeowners would and this leads them to be concerned about the adjacent commercial area called downtown. They look at downtown in the same way that the folks in Hampton Cove or Jones Valley look at the adjacent shopping areas to their neighborhoods and don't want the commercial pressure to be great to make their homes no longer attractive to purchase. If you look at the houses on the west side of Franklin, they back up to commercial property on Madison. Also, there is a concern that if downtown becomes too public it will become like typical cities and attract a sizeable homeless population. For example, have you ever eaten breakfast at the McDonald's on Governors and been the only non homeless person there. If you look at all other cities of any size this is just the process of maturation which pushes out nearby homes for higher density uses and at the same time brings an enviroment more friendly to the homeless - neither of these are appealing to those who own homes in Twickenham.

What's the solution? Create a new downtown without height restrictions centered around the Parkway/Clinton Avenue interchange and have it push west down Clinton and Governors. The public housing and other uses in that area along Clinton and Governors are undervalued uses of the area's prime location. There is a lot of property north of Clinton with visibilty on I-565. Presently there are shacks just south of 565 when there could be high rise offices. There isn't a nearby residential area that would feel threatened - if anything it would lead to a revival of the old West Huntsville area which the city is trying to revive by forcing the Downtown Rescue Mission to move.

Trying to fight the Twickenham/Old Town homeowners is a loosing battle - if you were in their shoes wouldn't you feel the same way. Why not start a new downtown without height restrictions and excellent visibility. The exsiting downtown can continue to maintain its historical charm while the rest of the area can enjoy a modern skyline to its west.

[AlienCity]

Huntsville's Downtown is designed for a 15K antebellum cotton mill community anyway. Too much history to bulldoze (Constitution Hall, Twickenham, etc.), and too little space and traffic capacity to develop anything significant.

I say screw it, and find some open land near the river and build a new CBD. A tall skyline would probably get in the way of Monte Sano anyway. The area near the river is nearly undeveloped and flat.

[HSVTiger]

No one is proposing bulldozing anything in the traditional CBD. It is mostly all historic and can't be touched.

Downtown has plenty of areas to go up, along the Parkway, along Clinton, along Church St toward Pratt

and the entire Medical District, especially when the Councill Ct projects are removed. There will be some expansion west

of the Parkway along Clinton(the new firestation under construction now) and the projects in that area will also be removed.

The height restriction is stupid and unneccessary. Buffer height zones adjacent to the residential areas is a good idea.

There will be some interesting developments and proposals made in the near future.

[3rdGenHuntsvillian]

I say screw it, and find some open land near the river and build a new CBD. A tall skyline would probably get in the way of Monte Sano anyway. The area near the river is nearly undeveloped and flat.

[HSVTiger]

Found this on Bidclerk today:

"Est. Start Date: April 2008

Site work and new construction of a multi-residential development in Huntsville. Design plans call for the construction of a 15-story apartment complex.

A firm construction schedule has not been established pending municipal approval. No inquiries are requested at this time."

As you all probably know, developer Randy Scrimsher proposed a 21-story condo tower/parking garage on Holmes Avenue about five years ago. The project seemed dead until last summer, when it appeared again during the height limits debate. With the proposed 6-level parking garage at Holmes and Greene, this project being built on top of the deck would put it at 21 floors. But it is just as likely that this is a whole new project, which would be even more exciting...

[garrettmd08]

Since people are so uptight about skyscrapers i think clinton avenue west has a lot of space for redevelopment to accomidate skyscrapers. south huntsville is already dense with the hospital and sch. North Huntsville (meridian street lincoln village, memorial parkway is close but is to separated from downtown with the highway and its interchanges along with the train tracks. Clinton avenue west would be perfect, i think for some more highrises because this area i believe is about to be or is already zoned for office buildings and the constellation retail project is opening up. It could develop into a midtown for huntsville. This area is also close to the arsenal 565 , nasa and the botranical gardens.

[L'burgnative]

Unfortunatly thanks to the downtown height restrictions and the routing of the future Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta Freeway forking off at Reseach Park Blvd. and through the arsonal instead of east of downtown, the only place I see highrises in the future is Cummins Research Park. It's my opinion that if the city wants to place height restrictions, Cummins Research park is where it should be. BTW please forgive my spelling, I'm tired.