Montgomery development news - Page 161

OCA REP · #**3201** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 2:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

city park coming in front of Embassy Suites, Union Station

I think this will be moved there --

Riverwalk observation tower still in the plans ... to be bid this week (?)

I see I was not the only one listening to the Mayor on sports radio this morning. I think he made a lot of good points and I appreciate you bringing this up and sharing the ones you did.

Among other things I liked hearing:

I knew about the plans for the park in front of the Embassy Suites and Union Station, but this morning was the first time I heard it was going to be a Memorial Park and the police memorial was going to be relocated. I think that is great and the new green space will fit in well there.
Something does need to be done about Crampton Bowl. The Mayor mentioned a partnership type arrangement between the city, county, and schools/colleges that use the facility, would be required to get it renovated and up-to-date. I had no idea that the city shoulders the financial burden alone. None of the colleges that play there pay anything towards upkeep, etc. That seems surprising to me, but the Mayor should know what he is talking about... right?
I too will welcome the day when the riverwalk is complete and it is possible to walk all the way from downtown out to Maxwell AFB. As things along Bell Street are cleaned up, this should offer additional developemnt potential.

Glad I turned XM off on the drive in to work this morning to hear the last few minutes of the interview. And to think I was just tuning in to grab the final score from last night's All Star game. I crashed before the game was over and the Montgomery Advertiser obviously faced their deadline before the game wrapped too.

| BRAVO | · #**3202** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 2:24 PM**

That looks sharp.

Brown Duckz · #**3203** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 2:53 PM**

Can we get a rehost of the city park picture!

ExpatBaman · #**3204** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 3:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

city park coming in front of Embassy Suites, Union Station

Great to hear that the public square is still planned. This is a critical location and it has to be turned into a top-quality public space that people will find attractive and actually use. I just hope the city doesn't do it on the cheap. A mixed-use development would be better there than a lousy, poorly designed greenspace.

Ideally, the city will get the Project for Public Spaces involved in the project, and turn it into a well-used and well-loved public space, rather than an empty and lifeless wasteland that no one cares about.

Some informative links from the Project for Public Spaces:

Squares

Waterfronts

Why Many Public Spaces Fail

It would really be nice if the city would bring in PPS to help design this square and make recommendations for improvements to all the public spaces downtown.

thoraudio · #**3205** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 3:40 PM**

I think its a picture of the police memorial that is next to the police station now.

Montgomery has a smattering of neat memorials downtown that hardly anybody knows about. I'll bet 99.99% of the city couldn't find the WWI memorial if they ran over it on the way to get a smoothie

Brown Duckz · #**3206** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 3:54 PM**

^^but it's a good smoothie.

OCA REP · #**3207** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Can we get a rehost of the city park picture!

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoraudio

I think its a picture of the police memorial that is next to the police station now.

It is a picture of the Police Memorial at the police station. Is it not displaying? I can see it OK.

Off topic, but of a similar vein. Prior to the construction of the new convention center and corresponding parking garage, etc., there was a plaque at the corner of Bibb and Commerce that dealt with the Confederacy and displayed the different flags that were flown, etc. I remember Mayor Bright saying (at some function or meeting) that this sign would be re-displayed once construction was complete. Does anyone remember this and know the status of this plaque.

Thanks.

Brown Duckz · #**3208** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 5:20 PM**

A little off-topic. A picture of the Bright girls at Riverwalk!

Seems fitting, lol... caption "My daddy built this!"

thoraudio · #**3209** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 5:37 PM**

they're obviously members of the Bright/Clardy/Wallace/Capone Dixie Mafia.

Brown Duckz · #**3210** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 5:43 PM**

I'm probably too young to understand all that^^, but the young one's middle name is Clardy.

I'm friends with Lisa on the right.

thoraudio · #**3211** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

I'm probably too young to understand all that^^, but the young one's middle name is Clardy.

I'm friends with Lisa on the right.

Neilson and some of his buddies over at AL claim that the Bright/Clardy/Wallace mafia is responsible for all the ills in Montgomery. Clardy is his wife's maiden name.

Brown Duckz · #**3212** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 6:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Neilson and some of his buddies over at AL claim that the Bright/Clardy/Wallace mafia is responsible for all the ills in Montgomery. Clardy is his wife's maiden name.

Well I think it's all Neilson's fault. Ever since he stopped posting in this thread Montgomery has been rolling.

OldCloverdale · #**3213** Posted **Jul 16, 2008, 7:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

A little off-topic. A picture of the Bright girls at Riverwalk!

Seems fitting, lol... caption "My daddy built this!"

I'm getting the old red X.

bystander1 · #**3214** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 12:28 AM**

I'm glad to hear the plans for the civic park are still moving forward, I just if it would be appropriate to have a "solemn" police memorial park in an entertainment district. Maybe another space may be more appropriate for it.

Brown Duckz · #**3215** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 12:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

I'm getting the old red X.

You're at work or on a network blocking the host site.

neilson · #**3216** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 3:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Well I think it's all Neilson's fault. Ever since he stopped posting in this thread Montgomery has been rolling.

Forget that. The biggest enemy to Montgomery isn't even living there. He's in North Carolina and his name is Haywood Whichard. Just the name makes me cringe with what he's put other cities though(like St. Louis, most famously).

Anything I said previously pales in comparison to the arrogence that Whichard shows. We can all agree that this is one guy who is a dead mall slumlord and doesn't give a damn because to his company, it's all about the land.

Brown Duckz · #**3217** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 5:15 AM**

I promise you Montgomery Mall won't be our city's downfall or uproar!

OCA REP · #**3218** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 2:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bystander1

I'm glad to hear the plans for the civic park are still moving forward, I just if it would be appropriate to have a "solemn" police memorial park in an entertainment district. Maybe another space may be more appropriate for it.

This thought crossed my mind too, but I think if it is handled correctly it should fit fine.

I took some time and reviewed the Project for Public Spaces site that ExpatBaman shared with us and forwarded the link to the Mayor's office. The city may already have a plan for the park (possibly from Dover Kohl) but I wanted to stress the importance of how the memorial park was designed.

I am just glad some more green space is being added to downtown...

neilson · #**3219** Posted **Jul 17, 2008, 2:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

I promise you Montgomery Mall won't be our city's downfall or uproar!

Didn't say it would, I just made a point that guys like Haywood are unwelcome in any capacity with regards to sitting on a piece of property. To a much smaller capacity, weren't there some complaints about local ppl in MTG that own buildings near downtown that for all intents and purposes doing the same thing? There's nothing progress or profit about just holding onto a building or piece of land. Let it be developed into something productive, useful, aesthetically pleasing.

OCA REP · #**3220** Posted **Jul 18, 2008, 5:32 PM**

From www.montgomeryadvertiser.com:

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/...14/1007/news01

Montgomery Starbucks staying open
July 18, 2008

The company announced 12 stores in Alabama will close, including five in Mobile and two in Birmingham.

Starbucks will close about 600 stores nationally by the middle of next year.

-- Cosby Woodruff

Good to hear. While they are somewhat expensive, I do enjoy splurging from time to time...