Montgomery development news

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Brown, we appreciate the enthusiasm, we really do, but many of the articles you are posting have been posted earlier

Hey at least it looks like there is development in our city, haha. I'll slow down, sorry for the repost.

[Brown Duckz]

I know the increase in tourism has been discussed, but I saw this article on the Chamber website.

05/12/2006 CVB RELEASES TOURISM NUMBERS

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright signed a proclamation this morning declaring the week of May 15 National Tourism Week. The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) released recent statistics that illustrate that tourism has a major economic impact in Montgomery.

Travel-related expenditures increased in Montgomery from more than $470 million in 2004 to more than $520 million in 2005, an increase of 10 percent, and the average room revenue (room rate plus taxes) increased 12 percent from 2004-2005, from nearly $73 million to more than $81 million.

Additionally, “the room supply in Montgomery increased by 3.7 percent from 2004 to 2005, but at the same time we had a 4.4 percent increase in room demand,” said Dawn Hathcock, Vice President of the Chamber’s CVB. “That room requests are keeping up with or outpacing available rooms demonstrates how strong Montgomery is as a tourist destination,” she said.

The figures are based on results from the latest Smith Travel Research study, which is the industry standard for tourism performance. The numbers also represent a more than 9 percent increase in room revenue.

Montgomery is fast becoming a primary tourist destination, with draws including the AA professional baseball Montgomery Biscuits, a new long-awaited elephant exhibit at the Montgomery Zoo, a wealth of historic attractions and world-class theater at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts recently completed a new addition, and construction of the $160-million four-star hotel and convention center will be complete in September 2007.

For more information, contact Dawn Hathcock, Vice President, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau at 334-261-1100.

Pictured, Mayor Bobby Bright, center, seated at desk, speaks to the media about tourism's impact on the local economy. Mayor Bright is flanked by Chamber President Randy George, and CVB Vice President Dawn Hathcock.

[Brown Duckz]

Has the "246" Lofts development been posted or discussed?

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Has the "246" Lofts development been posted or discussed?

Yep, back on page 13

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Yep, back on page 13

Ok just making sure. How does everyone feel about residential developments downtown?

[bystander1]

Whoa! I've been gone all day and ended the night at Riverwalk Stadium. Lots of stuff posted, and I'll try to give some replies to some of them.

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Thanks a lot. I just don't see why the only discussion happening has to be about some skyscraper, IMO that accounts for only 5% of the development in a city. I'm more interested in the numerous projects that are going to better the city I live in.

I too am very interested in all the other developments around the city, and am glad to discuss them with rational replies with other reasonable forumers like you.

The reasons most like to focus on urban/center city developments in this forum are because they usually get a better response for discussion, and the developments tend to be more original or unique to that city. Downtowns are different in each city. Their characters are hard to duplicate. It's what truly seperates a city from one another. What one city is able to make successful isn't necessarily what another city could or should do to be successful.

Unlike suburban-like sprawl...which looks and feels nearly the same anywhere you go. You could pretty much cut-and-paste almost any type of suburban development from one city to another with very little difference. But it couldn't work that way in a downtown/urban environment from one city to another very effectively.

Although I don't always post everytime a new Starbucks, Applebee's, or Raceway gas station opens somewhere in town, I like to discuss new developments of nearly every type. I've done many threads about developments throughout the city... and in fact, I've been gathering info about future developments outside of downtown for a new development thread. I think you will like it when it's posted...

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by bystander1

I've been gathering info about future developments outside of downtown for a new development thread. I think you will like it when it's posted...

Got some underground info for us?

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by DruidCity

What is the timetable for the outer loop, and do you have a map of it ?

There is no firm date for its completion, but this map gives a clue about the currently proposed route. The original route took the highway directly through what is now the Hyundai property, so the new route and the interchange at I-65 had to be placed further south.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Got some underground info for us?

Ummm, not really. It just hasn't been officially announced yet.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Ok just making sure. How does everyone feel about residential developments downtown?

I think we need more of it... but I also think it's a hard sell with new 2000 sq ft houses with lots selling for well under $200k.

[Brown Duckz]

I also think it's going to be hard to sell, but I think the interest is there - and that's def where we need to start. Once downtown becomes liveable via shopping, entertainment, dining, etc I think the demand will be apparent. IMO older establishments need to be renovated first to meet the demands of the initial "downtown city living" customers, but after that I wouldn't be suprised if condo style developments came into proposal.

[Brown Duckz]

Land swap would ease traffic jam

By Sebastian Kitchen
Montgomery Advertiser


One thing is keeping Montgomery from widening Perry Hill Road, and it's a thing that should be easy enough -- an OK from the City Council.

Council members are expected to give their approval Tuesday to a land swap with the school district that would let the city do extensive work on Perry Hill Road from Harrison Road to Atlanta Highway. Segments would be broadened to five lanes.

In the deal, already approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education, the school district gets land for athletic fields near Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School.

"It is a good win-win," Jeff Downes, executive assistant to Mayor Bobby Bright, said of the land swap.

School board members and representatives from LAMP also have approached the mayor about acquiring city land that runs along Oak Street and West Jeff Davis Avenue, Downes said.

The city also intends to widen Perry Hill Road from Interstate 85 to Harrison Road. Most of the preliminary work already is done.

Perry Hill Road is a traffic nightmare during the school year, when parents are taking or picking up their children from Goodwyn Junior High, Head Elementary and St. Bede Catholic schools. All three schools are within about a mile of each other.

"It can really get to be a mess over there," said Michelle Fowler, whose children attend Goodwyn and Head. "There is just too much traffic for that area."

Kim Myers drops off and picks up her children at St. Bede.

"There is really only one way in and one way out, and the fact that Perry Hill Road is so narrow does not make things easier," she said. "Many times, I just sit there and hold my breath when I need to turn. It's very dangerous."

The Perry Hill project, being paid for with mostly federal funds, is part of the city's plan to improve the north-south corridors, Downes said. The city has several major arteries moving east-west including East Boulevard, Vaughn Road and Atlanta Highway.

"We don't have a lot of capacity north and south," Downes said.

The current north-south corridors are "pretty restricted," he said, including Decatur Street, Ann Street, Zelda Road and Court Street.

Staff writer Antoinette Konz contributed to this report.

[Brown Duckz]

Growth planners looking west

By Marty Roney
Montgomery Advertiser

PRATTVILLE -- Most of the development that has made Prattville one of the state's fastest-growing cities has been on the east side, but new growth now is budding on the city's older west side.

The westward trend has the city taking a hard look at planning for the area. City officials are in the midst of upgrading the master plan, involving everything from reviewing traffic flow to where new parks might be located.

"We have done that for east Prattville in an effort to control growth, and have seen good results" said Mayor Jim Byard. "The west part of town began stirring about a year and a half ago. There are several large subdivisions going in and a good bit of retail growth taking place."

The east side of Prattville has been the city's economic engine, driven by established shopping centers that soon will be joined by two large retail developments with Bass Pro Shops and Target as anchors.

The west side is the older, some would say "sleepy," side of town.

That did not deter 4-H Properties, which is building the Winchester Ridge subdivision on the west side. The development, with about 100 lots, will feature homes that will be approximately 2,800 square feet with an average price of about $350,000. Another developer, Brooks Lazenby, is building new homes in about the same price range and size just down the road from Winchester Ridge.

"What drew us to west Prattville was the property," said Chad Holley. "It has rolling hills and mature trees. We like all the work the city has done downtown and along the banks of Autauga Creek. I don't think we will have any problem selling west Prattville over east Prattville."

However, west Prattville resident Gil Carter hopes the city can control the growth in his part of town.

"It's just my opinion, but it looks like east Prattville kind of exploded with no real controls," he said. "What we like out here is the slower space. It's more like the way Prattville used to be.

"Out east is new Prattville. We're old Prattville out here. I shop out east, but I like being able to come home and have things calm down a bit. I hope all this growth won't change that."

[Brown Duckz]

Well, it looks as if every sector is being upgraded to house the future growth, check this out.....

Water treatment plant opens Wednesday

Montgomery Advertiser



The city of Montgomery officially will open its new Richard E. Hanan Water Treatment plant at 5303 Norman Bridge Road on Wednesday.

The grand opening of the $18.16 million plant, operated by the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, will expand service for the Hyundai manufacturing plant and future growth in the city.

The plant has a capacity of 12.5 million gallons per day and can be expanded to 20 million gallons per day to support future industrial, commercial and residential growth, water and sewer board spokesman Thomas Morgan said.

The new facility is made up of three components: 10 new wells that cost $4.98 million; new water lines that cost $4.8 million; and a new treatment plant and pumping station that cost $8.38 million.

The plant is named for Richard Hanan, who has been a member of the water and sewer board since 1963.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

... IMO older establishments need to be renovated first to meet the demands of the initial "downtown city living" customers, but after that I wouldn't be suprised if condo style developments came into proposal.

That's taking place now with new development Cloverdale, Capital Heights, Cottage Hill, and around Centennial Hill.

Wow, I just noticed that all those neighborhoods start with "C".
Just don't add...Chisholm.

[Capital Heights]

I may be a bit biased.....but I think Capitol Heights is really hopping.

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by Capital Heights

I may be a bit biased.....but I think Capitol Heights is really hopping.

I'm in your area I see...

[Brown Duckz]

I took a few shots of downtown today... here's a teaser. Would you guys like to make a Montgomery picture thread? I'm usually always snapping shots...... I'd hate to clutter a development thread.

[bystander1]

perhaps you could resurrect one of the older MGM city pics threads...unless they've been deleted already.

BTW, is that my pic?!! It looks just like one of mine...

[thoraudio]

Bystander and I have several Mtgy pic threads, but it's always nice to see a new perspective.