Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

New Zierdt Rd expansion update announced today by the Mayors of Huntsville and Madison:

•Late 2012: Begin east side right-of-way clearing and Redstone Arsenal fence relocation
•Early 2013: Begin utility relocation
•Late 2013: Begin construction on northbound lanes, east side of Zierdt, upon completion of utility relocation
•Late 2014: Begin construction on southbound lanes, west side of Zierdt, upon completion of northbound lanes and right-of-way acquisition
•2015: Project completion

Officials said the road will be expanded from two lanes to four lanes. The road will be expanded to include pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular traffic.
This road south of I-565 is shared by both cities, is a major artery serving the west side of Redstone Arsenal, Madison and the areas around Huntsville International Airport.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

New Zierdt Rd expansion update announced today by the Mayors of Huntsville and Madison:

•Late 2012: Begin east side right-of-way clearing and Redstone Arsenal fence relocation
•Early 2013: Begin utility relocation
•Late 2013: Begin construction on northbound lanes, east side of Zierdt, upon completion of utility relocation
•Late 2014: Begin construction on southbound lanes, west side of Zierdt, upon completion of northbound lanes and right-of-way acquisition
•2015: Project completion

Officials said the road will be expanded from two lanes to four lanes. The road will be expanded to include pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular traffic.
This road south of I-565 is shared by both cities, is a major artery serving the west side of Redstone Arsenal, Madison and the areas around Huntsville International Airport.

Great news for that area. Now if they can just expand Martin Rd to four lanes to the airport...

Oh and that County Line / I-565 interchange? A man can dream.

[stallty]

Lendon in Jones valley looks pretty promising.

Site map:
http://www.lendonofhuntsville.com//i.../site_map1.png

http://www.lendonofhuntsville.com/

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by stallty

Lendon in Jones valley looks pretty promising.

Site map:
http://www.lendonofhuntsville.com//i.../site_map1.png

http://www.lendonofhuntsville.com/

Very nice, I like the water and greenways throughout.
This will be the last development in Jones Valley I do believe.


Could the grocery proposed be Whole Foods or Trader Joe's?


The retail portion should be similar to what could be downtown along the creek besides the VBC. Restaurants and small retail lining the waterway.

[HSVTiger]

A 12,000 sq ft grocer in Lendon?
One thing that makes Trader Joe's unique is the size of its stores—most locations average between 8,000 and 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m2).
source Wikipedia. Through its ownership by Aldi (managed by Aldi Nord; the southern division, Aldi Sud, runs Aldi markets in the United States), products branded with its name have begun to appear in ALDI MARKT (stores administered by Aldi Nord) in Europe.(Two locations in the Huntsville area)

Wikipedia

[Jugernagt]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Very nice, I like the water and greenways throughout.
This will be the last development in Jones Valley I do believe.
Could the grocery proposed be Whole Foods or Trader Joe's?

The retail portion should be similar to what could be downtown along the creek besides the VBC. Restaurants and small retail lining the waterway.

It just seems amount of parking is very thin for the amount of retail/restaurant mix they have planned in the back quadrant. Especially for the proposed "restaurant" building in the rear section.

And there is no rear access for deliveries to most all of the retail buildings.

[HSVTiger]

Could impact Huntsville in the future

The chief executive of Volvo Car Corporation (VCC) has told a newswire that he is discussing plans for a US plant with several rival makers.

"In the medium term, five to six years, we need to find a proper solution in North America," Stefan Jacoby is quoted as saying by Bloomberg, adding that "I'm looking for a partner that could help us utilize a North American plant."

Jacoby would not be drawn on the identities of the manufacturers he is speaking to, though he added that VCC is "open to everybody".

(Fiat maybe?)

Remember Mr. Jacoby was head of VW when they almost chose Huntsville for their US plant that went to Chattanooga instead (due to better incentives). He is/was very high on Huntsville at the time.
Oh by the way..Volvo is owned by the big Chinese automaker Geely.

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Oh by the way..Volvo is owned by the big Chinese automaker Geely.

Sounds like a good way to get MORE chinese spies into the Huntsville area... But I'm not against it.

[ThatGuy]

I wish Huntsville would get something like this:

http://techshop.ws/

I think it would do pretty well once people knew about it.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

I wish Huntsville would get something like this:

http://techshop.ws/

I think it would do pretty well once people knew about it.

Seems like a good idea, bet it would work here. Local shops now could look into providing services similar for locals.
Might check Lowe Mill, they are ALWAYS doing something new and exciting
and offer classes in art related topics.
Lowe Mill is a great asset to Huntsville and a very cool building.
http://www.lowemill.net/

[HSVTiger]

FYI
Shanes Rib Shack Grand Opening Tuesday July 31, 2012 from 11AM-8PM

Whitesburg Village near Bonefish Grill

[HSVTiger]

These giants are now in regular service to Huntsville International Airport



The second of two brand-new Boeing 747-8 Freighters enters scheduled service within Panalpina’s unique own controlled air freight network. The aircraft in Panalpina livery was delivered to Atlas Air, Inc., yesterday at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, and went into operation for Panalpina today.

Following yesterday’s official ceremony, the 747-8F with the tail number N851GT took off from Paine Field in Everett (nearby Seattle) and flew to Huntsville, Alabama. In Huntsville, the aircraft named “Passion for Solutions” will immediately enter scheduled service within Panalpina’s unique own controlled air freight network. From Huntsville, the 747-8F will fly on to Luxembourg via Stansted in the UK with the first cargo on board.

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Seems like a good idea, bet it would work here. Local shops now could look into providing services similar for locals.
Might check Lowe Mill, they are ALWAYS doing something new and exciting
and offer classes in art related topics.
Lowe Mill is a great asset to Huntsville and a very cool building.
http://www.lowemill.net/

I don't have any tattoos, piercings, drink craft bear or eat a vegetarian diet so I don't think I am allowed to set foot in the place. : )

[HSVTiger]

Another step forward with Twickenham Square

The Huntsville City Council approved a series of contracts Thursday night related to an $85 million-plus redevelopment of the former Councill Courts public housing site.

Pearce Construction was hired to build a $9.8 million parking garage at the renamed Twickenham Square, which promises about 240 loft-style apartments, a Homewood Suites hotel, Publix supermarket, large office tower plus additional retail and restaurant space.

The four-story, 941-space city garage could begin rising in September near the corner of Gallatin Street and St. Clair Avenue.

General Services Director Jeff Easter said the city will give Pearce the green light to start work as soon as the private developers involved in Twickenham Square - Triad Properties, Bristol Development Group and PGM Properties - buy the land from the Huntsville Housing Authority.

Gerry Shannon, a Triad executive, said that is scheduled to happen Aug. 9.

Meanwhile, Huntsville Hospital plans to move its clinical laboratory to the Triad-owned office tower at Twickenham Square. Shannon said the lab will cover about 1 1/2 floors in the five-story building.
Please make this building something other than a safe off the shelf design

A pedestrian bridge between the office tower and hospital also is on the drawing board.

HSV Times

[HSVTiger]

New firestation opens in Huntsville's far west suburbs. This area is expected to see major growth over the next few years as well as the often rumored
auto plant.

The jaws of life were used to open Fire Station 18 on Greenbriar Road. The station is the city's first public safety facility in Limestone County.

The station was completed ahead of schedule and almost $.5 million under budget. The station features two apparatus bays, two captain's quarters, seven private bedrooms, four private bathrooms, a common bathroom, a kitchen, a dayroom, a dining area, a turnout gear storage room, a laundry room and an exercise room.

One captain, one driver and two firefighters will be assigned to each of the three shifts at Station 18.

The new station will serve Limestone County areas in Huntsville along with Fire Station No. 11 on Martin Road.

WAFF source

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

Oh and that County Line / I-565 interchange? A man can dream.

Heard on the radio on the way in to work that Gov Bentley is going to be out at this intersection this morning for a major Road and Bridge Construction announcement.

I remember Gov Riley doing something similar and nothing has been done.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

Heard on the radio on the way in to work that Gov Bentley is going to be out at this intersection this morning for a major Road and Bridge Construction announcement.

I remember Gov Riley doing something similar and nothing has been done.

From the Huntsville Times
Madison County has received four additional road projects covered primarily with state funding, Gov. Robert Bentley announced at a news conference today.

Bentley announced 34 road projects statewide that are additions to the original projects announced in May.

Among the projects, two are designed to improve traffic flow entering and exiting Redstone Arsenal -- which is expected to put the base in a stronger position for the next BRAC.

The total cost of the projects will be $28 million. The state will cover 80 percent of the cost.

The projects will include widening Martin Road from two lanes to four near Gate 7 at Redstone Arsenal that will help alleviate the bottleneck at Gate 9, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said.

Also, County Line Road through Madison and west Huntsville will be widened to five lanes from Madison Boulevard to U.S. Highway 72. County Line Road contracts to four lanes in spots.

Bentley said Col. John Hamilton, garrison commander at Redstone Arsenal, stressed the need for the improved roads near the base as the area prepares for the next BRAC.

Other projects include replacing the bridge on Winchester Road at the Flint River. Madison County Commissioner Roger Jones, who represents the Winchester Road area in District 1, said the bridge will be four lanes and Winchester would be widened to five lanes.

The final project is a bridge over Mill Creek on Wall-Triana Highway.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

From the Huntsville Times
Madison County has received four additional road projects covered primarily with state funding, Gov. Robert Bentley announced at a news conference today.

Bentley announced 34 road projects statewide that are additions to the original projects announced in May.

Among the projects, two are designed to improve traffic flow entering and exiting Redstone Arsenal -- which is expected to put the base in a stronger position for the next BRAC.

The total cost of the projects will be $28 million. The state will cover 80 percent of the cost.

The projects will include widening Martin Road from two lanes to four near Gate 7 at Redstone Arsenal that will help alleviate the bottleneck at Gate 9, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said.

Also, County Line Road through Madison and west Huntsville will be widened to five lanes from Madison Boulevard to U.S. Highway 72. County Line Road contracts to four lanes in spots.

Bentley said Col. John Hamilton, garrison commander at Redstone Arsenal, stressed the need for the improved roads near the base as the area prepares for the next BRAC.

Other projects include replacing the bridge on Winchester Road at the Flint River. Madison County Commissioner Roger Jones, who represents the Winchester Road area in District 1, said the bridge will be four lanes and Winchester would be widened to five lanes.

The final project is a bridge over Mill Creek on Wall-Triana Highway.

All needed, but we've seen this song and dance before. I won't get my hopes up for any of it until I see crews out there working.

[HSVTiger]

Some keys to a vibrant downtown Huntsville per Chattanooga..
Huntsville should set up a relationship with Auburn's School of Architecture like Chatty did with Tennessee

Chattanooga's urban renaissance surged over three decades, through several recessions and recoveries.

A generation of residents spent untold man-hours in the design, construction and renovation of what are now city landmarks.

A few gave more than just time.

Chattanooga architect Stroud Watson gave the city a whole new vocabulary, teaching that downtown should be a living room made up of districts filled with defined edges and streetscapes.

He's praised as one of the most forward-looking figures in the city, responsible for generating the ideas behind Miller Plaza, the Tennessee Aquarium and the 21st Century Waterfront.

"We were visually ahead of the curve," Watson said. "We got things done that people would say, it'll never get done."

His greatest triumphs came through his work at the Urban Design Studio, which was founded in 1981 on Vine Street. Originally designed as an outlet for college architecture students to practice in a traditional urban environment, the studio grew into a quasi-governmental arm of the city.

With support from the city, the University of Tennessee, the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, it was a good time to be an urbanist.

"Most of what we were doing was so far-fetched," Watson said. "As far as I know, there were no other university programs like this."

City officials often asked developers to work with the Design Studio on new downtown projects, which were then redesigned to fit in the city's overall plan.

But after a contentious 2005 mayoral election between then-City Councilman Ron Littlefield and urban planner Ann Coulter, a victorious Littlefield declined to renew the contract of Watson, who had supported Coulter in the race.

Now, as Littlefield's time in office draws to a close, some are pushing for the return of Chattanooga's Urban Design Studio.

"It highlights the need for an entity or an organization that works beyond political term limits," said Christian Rushing, a Chattanooga planner.

Rushing is exhibiting a retrospective of the Design Studio's works in one of the city's first mixed-use buildings, which is now home to River City's pop-up retail efforts.

Located at 831 Chestnut St. behind the Sheraton Read House, Rushing has collected architectural drawings, detailed models and various evolving plans that show the formation of some of downtown's most recognizable landmarks.

"If there's a vision that's established which changes every four years because we get a new mayor or someone gets a new board, the city isn't able to be built the way it could be," Rushing said. "That was the magic of what Stroud and those guys were able to do."

Part of Watson's secret to success was his engagement with the public, he said.

"So much of moving forward had to do with making things visible to people," Watson said. "When you show someone a plan drawing, it's like showing them a roadmap with dirt all over it. That's why we created these models and three-dimensional studies."

He's most proud of his city-as-living-room concept, which postulates that "the city belongs to everybody, and when we build there we're building something for everyone."

Watson still sees a role for design, even with a real estate market slowed by the lingering recession.

The current challenge is replacing the city's blacktop parking lots with garages, he said.

"The 700 block [of Market Street] is as empty as it can be because there's no parking there," Watson said. "It's been a tough eight years for development, but it's been a good time for planning."
Chattanooga Times Free Press

[HSVTiger]

Full house of Heavies at Huntsville International