Decatur Development Thread

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by SineQuaNon

Yes, I am.

Nice! Nice to finally see another Decaturite on the forum; though, I moved to Tuscaloosa 6 years ago.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

New restaurant possible next to Mellow Mushroom (downtown)

By Ben Montgomery
Decatur Daily
LINK

The Decatur Board of Zoning Adjustment will consider granting permission for a new restaurant to be located next to Mellow Mushroom at a meeting today at 3 p.m. in City Hall.

The company requesting permission is B Cubed LLC. It has a Decatur address.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Update on the previously mentioned new restaurant in downtown Decatur.

Barbecue restaurant coming to downtown

By Ben Montgomery
Decatur Daily
LINK

A Moe’s Original Bar B Que plans to open next to Mellow Mushroom in downtown Decatur in April.

The city Board of Zoning Adjustment granted George Barran, of Decatur developer Gateway Commercial Brokerage, permission to build a restaurant at 202 E. Moulton St. Barran is a member of the board and did not vote.

Schoel Architecture, of Decatur, will open a new office in the same building.

Gateway Commercial Brokerage also owns Mellow Mushroom’s building.

“All of downtown is blowing up,” Barran said. “And there aren’t any barbecue restaurants downtown.”
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Moe’s has 12 restaurants in Alabama, including two in Huntsville. A Cullman location opened in May.

Mike Ellis, co-owner of the locations in Huntsville, said the restaurants are popular in college towns and could attract students from Calhoun Community College. Most of Moe’s entrees cost about $10.

“We’ve looked around Decatur, and we like what’s going on in downtown,” said Ellis, who will be a co-owner in Decatur as well. “We want to take advantage of the arts and entertainment district.”

A Zaxby’s restaurant is planned for the edge of downtown at Grant Street and Sixth Avenue. The board voted to allow Zaxby’s to construct a parking lot with seven fewer spaces than normally required because of a lack of space.

[SineQuaNon]

Looking through some county records, it appears that a Planet Fitness will be locating in the empty space next to Pier 1 imports on Spring. (Where Michael's used to be in the Walmart Shopping center I believe).

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by SineQuaNon

Looking through some county records, it appears that a Planet Fitness will be locating in the empty space next to Pier 1 imports on Spring. (Where Michael's used to be in the Walmart Shopping center I believe).

Nice, that thing has been empty for some time.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

It's about time someone found a use for this property...

Guard to take over property

By Bayne Hughes
Decatur Daily
LINK

The former Lurleen B. Wallace Developmental Center property soon may have a permanent tenant after being vacant for almost a decade.

Col. Dennis Butters, spokesman for the Alabama National Guard, said Monday the Guard will take over the 100-acre Wallace property on U.S. 31 South from the state Department of Mental Health.

Butters said he didn’t know what the plans are for the Beltline Road armory site, but the guard may end up staying there.

Jennifer Ardis, spokeswoman for Gov. Robert Bentley, said the governor is scheduled to be in Decatur at 9 a.m. Thursday for an announcement.

She said she could not comment on the reason for his visit.

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said Maj. Gen. Perry Smith, commander of the Alabama National Guard, will be here with the governor to make an “announcement that will have a major impact on Decatur and Morgan County.”

Except for the 2007-08 school year when Decatur City Schools used the property, the Wallace Center has been vacant since it was closed as a facility for the mentally disabled in 2003.

City leaders unsuccessfully have proposed possible uses for the Wallace property through the years, including a high-tech industrial park, a site for a combined high school, a robotics park and a football stadium.

In November 2012, Orr first proposed the National Guard move from Beltline Road to U.S. 31. He gave Maj. Gen. A.C. Blalock a tour of the property at the time.

Orr suggested at the time the guard could use the money from the sale of the Beltline property to build an armory on 40 acres in the northeast corner of the Wallace property.

The Beltine property is considered prime real estate because of its location between Danville Road and Carridale Street in Southwest Decatur and across from Decatur Mall.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Permits to build on rise in Decatur

By Ben Montgomery
Decatur Daily
LINK

Forty-four single-family residence building permits were issued in the first six months of this year in the Decatur metropolitan area, up from 31 during the same period in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Decatur metropolitan area includes Morgan and Lawrence counties. In Limestone County, 56 single-family building permits were issued through June 30, up from 39 last year.

Decatur homebuilding company Davidson Homes LLC is constructing about a dozen homes in and around Decatur, Cullman and Trinity, marketing director Dustin McNutt said. He said the business had some of its best growth in the first few months of the year since it was established in 2009.
McNutt said business was slow during January and February, but has picked up. He said most of the company's properties were doing well, but its two Trinity subdivisions were having trouble attracting buyers.

Limestone's construction companies and officials have said that county's homebuilding climate is the opposite: Six new subdivisions were approved through June 30, county Engineer Richard Sanders said. But building started to slow down after the first quarter of 2013. Limestone builders have blamed a 1 percent bump in mortgage interest rates for the slowdown. McNutt said the interest bump may have spurred homebuyers to make a purchase instead.

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"It may already be recovering in Decatur," he said. "I would think economic recovery would lead to housing market recovery in Decatur."
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[boomer613]

Does anyone know if the sweetwater and the Bass Proshop project are still in the plans for Decatur or has this development died?

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by boomer613

Does anyone know if the sweetwater and the Bass Proshop project are still in the plans for Decatur or has this development died?

I've been wondering the same thing. I thought it showed more promise if becoming a reality when Don Kyle was elected, but I've heard nothing lately.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Athens State president proposes $10-million science and technology center, new degree programs in Decatur

By Kelly Kazek
AL.com
LINK

ATHENS, Alabama - A $10 million science and technology center in Decatur would help Athens State University better meet the needs of local industries, ASU President Bob Glenn recently told The News Courier in Athens.

The proposed site is an old city-owned cotton warehouse off West Moulton Street. The center would allow ASU, which has traditionally focused on liberal arts, to add bachelor's-degree programs in those disciplines.

The plan is still in "the talking stages," said Rick Mould, vice president for University Advancement.

"We've talked to some businesses and industries in the Decatur area and also had conversations with the city of Decatur and Morgan County," Mould said. "One of the things we've looked at was the industrial base and how the city and county could help and how industry could help."

The university does not have a plan to fund the center, The News Courier said.

In 2012, Athens State joined Calhoun Community College in building the Alabama Center for the Arts in downtown Decatur. ASU offers art classes in the facility.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

International Paper is closing its plant in Courtland... 1,100 people will be without a job...

[thunder89]

Not shocking, but sad all the same that it continues to be a failure with such a prime piece of property.

Decatur's Sweetwater development 'dead' after stalled negotiations made deadline impossible; government shutdown to blame?

October 4, 2013
By: Kelly Kazek

DECATUR, Alabama – The third try at a deal for property known as Sweetwater, this one a $1.3 billion development, is “dead in its present incarnation,” according to a Decatur official.

In March, City Council Chairman Gary Hammon was upbeat about a deal for the property at Interstate 65 and I-565 that would bring 4,000 jobs to the area. But today Hammon said: “At this point, there was no way everything could be done on the infrastructure in time. The opening date was set all along for October 2014 and it is impossible to achieve that.”

Officials said sequestration and the federal government shutdown led the anchor retailer to stall, making the timing impossible for the city because of bond issues and financing.

City Council members tried in 2008 and again in 2011 to broker a deal for the 125 acres in a Decatur-annexed portion of Limestone County. When negotiations became public again earlier this year, Hammon said: "This is the first time we've had something in front of the council that has teeth in it."

Hammon, who could not confirm which store would be the anchor because of confidentiality agreements, said although the deal is off for now, he is optimistic.

“I have no doubt it will happen at some point in the future,” he said. “It’s just too good of a location.”

He said he is not sure if future negotiations would include the same anchor. “Who knows what the future holds?” he said.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Yea, it's sad that city leaders didn't more actively pursue getting this thing through. It will be developed eventually, though.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Chicago steel company to occupy former Delphi plant

The company will take up 300,000 sqft in plant 22 at the former auto parts manufacturer.

The investment will be near $11 million. The company plans to hire 45 workers over the course of about 3 years.


Great news. My mom worked at that plant for about a decade. So many people lost their jobs when it closed, so it's nice to see those buildings being put to good use. It's prime real estate, and at the moment Carpenter Steel is the only company that has used any of the buildings.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Welp, here we go again.

City confirms Bass Pro deal, bridge over Alabama 20

March 10, 2014
Eric Fleischauer
DecaturDaily

Mayor Don Kyle today confirmed a proposed development project in the Decatur-annexed portion of Limestone County would be anchored by a Bass Pro Outdoor World, to be located at the southwest corner of Interstate 65 and I-565.

The City Council will vote March 17 on an incentive package that includes $35 million for the Bass Pro. If, within three years of opening the Bass Pro, the developer builds a hotel, the city would be obligated to contribute up to $14 million in additional tax abatements and incentives. Other incentives for secondary commercial development could add another $10 million to the city’s incentive package.


The city would be obligated for a maximum of $65 million in incentives, available to either Bass Pro, the developer or other tenants.


Included in the project is a mile-long boulevard west of I-65 and south of Alabama 20. The development also will include a $10-million bridge over Alabama 20, just west of I-65. The city will share the cost of the bridge construction — which would open land on both sides of Alabama 20 to development — with the Alabama Department of Transportation.


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The initial draft of the agreement between the city, Bass Pro and developer Genesis USA does not specify a date at which the Bass Pro must open. Kyle said the parties are trying to finalize that date, but it will depend in part on when the bridge can be built.


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The first phase of the project, Kyle said, would create 400 jobs. Later phases could bring the job total to 4,000, he projected.

I guess we'll see if this go-round gets any traction. That intersection is probably one of the top 5 most visible in the state for both commuters (about 60-70,000 cars a day) and travelers on I-65. This is the kind of development that could completely change Decatur's economy.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

ALDOT proposes toll bridge

Eric Fleischauer
Decatur Daily
April 4, 2014
LINK

If an ALDOT concept comes to fruition, within seven years a toll bridge could provide a third route to cross the Tennessee River from Decatur — and Alabama 20 east of Hudson Bridge could become a toll road.

The south end of the new bridge would connect to Wilson Street Northeast just east of Ingalls Harbor.

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The goal is a third Decatur river crossing that improves the capacity of Alabama 20 to Interstate 65, Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper said Friday.

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The redesigned Alabama 20 would have six lanes, plus two-lane access roads to the north and south.

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The project would cost about $500 million, Cooper said, which led to the toll concept.

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If deemed feasible, he estimated construction could be complete five or six years after that.

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Hellums said the preliminary concept also would mean drivers traveling from Huntsville or I-65 to Hudson Bridge would have to use the service road or pay a toll to use Alabama 20.

The Sweetwater development — to be voted on Monday by the City Council — and general expectations of retail development in Decatur-annexed Limestone County affected ALDOT designs, Cooper said.

It would include a bridge across Alabama 20 for access road traffic at the proposed Bass Pro-anchored Sweetwater development site, which Teague said could be built before the rest of the project.

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The toll project would not change plans for a redesign of the intersection of Wilson Street and Sixth Avenue, Brown said. He expects utility work to begin this summer and take six months......

Below is the map of the concept, produced by ALDOT:



I don't know if any of you have ever tried to drive into Decatur from Huntsville around 5:15 or 5:30 on a weekday, but traffic can easily become backed up from the 6th Ave/Wilson St intersection all the way to the I-65/I-565/US 72/AL 20 interchange. That's about 4 miles. As it is, there are only 4 lanes in each direction that cross the river between the city and the Limestone side.

[HSVTiger]

Wonderful, this is how aldont get's out of doing nothing..propose projects that will take twenty years. What happened to extending I-565 to Highway 31?
The key wording is if deemed feasible..just do something. Good luck Decatur hope it comes about but remember Huntsville has been trying to get a simple overpass built for twenty years and it's already funded.
aldont is the biggest obstacle to economic development in this state.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Wonderful, this is how aldont get's out of doing nothing..propose projects that will take twenty years. What happened to extending I-565 to Highway 31?
The key wording is if deemed feasible..just do something. Good luck Decatur hope it comes about but remember Huntsville has been trying to get a simple overpass built for twenty years and it's already funded.
aldont is the biggest obstacle to economic development in this state.

Well, this project would make AL 20/ALT 72 6 lanes to the 65/565 interchange, so this would essentially extend 565. But yea, that's a very good question. The city and state said over ten years ago that the extension of 565 would happen soon, but like many things it never happened.

I actually like this idea better because it allows the big trucks to bypass downtown, which has been a big roadblock for truly joining the Bank St district and the riverfront.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Decatur council approves Sweetwater incentives

Eric Fleischauer
Decatur Daily
April 7, 2014
LINK

Decatur City Council approved an incentive agreement for the Bass Pro Outdoor World-anchored Sweetwater development by a 3-2 vote tonight.

The deal would provide up to $61 million in incentives, most in the form of tax rebates, to Bass Pro and the developer. The 100,000-square-foot store would be located at the southwest corner of Interstate 65 and Alabama 20, in the Decatur-annexed portion of Limestone County. Bass Pro would have to complete construction by April 2016.

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This combined with the news of the toll bridge/controlled access extension are great news for the city, and CSA. It's about time the city reaped benefits from the land it long ago annexed in Limestone County.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by tascalisa

ALDOT proposes toll bridge

Eric Fleischauer
Decatur Daily
April 4, 2014
LINK



Below is the map of the concept, produced by ALDOT:



I don't know if any of you have ever tried to drive into Decatur from Huntsville around 5:15 or 5:30 on a weekday, but traffic can easily become backed up from the 6th Ave/Wilson St intersection all the way to the I-65/I-565/US 72/AL 20 interchange. That's about 4 miles. As it is, there are only 4 lanes in each direction that cross the river between the city and the Limestone side.

Quite genius at work

Alabama Department of Transportation director John Cooper made the presentation himself Friday afternoon, saying 38,000 vehicles a day already cross the Tennessee River at Decatur. Cooper says that number is only expected to grow.
“I think this is rapidly becoming the primary east-west commercial corridor across north Alabama,” said Cooper. Really? 25 years too late bubba.
The proposed new highway would begin essentially at the end of I-565 and would include the new access to the proposed Sweetwater Development site.

The price tag, according to Cooper, would be about 500 million dollars. He says making it a toll road would relieve taxpayers of that burden.

In the next phase of the project, workers will install traffic monitoring cameras in Madison, Limestone and Morgan Counties that will track the flow of traffic for miles leading to and away from the proposed new highway.
Cooper says it’s a 7-year project and he expects the toll to be about two dollars.Dream on, why not just finish whats been in the planning stages for decades
Highway 20 would remain in place, along with the current river crossing, for local motorists who choose not to pay the toll. (Which would be the majority)