Montgomery development news

[Brown Duckz]

Tourist trade: Montgomery rates high with visitors
By Kym Klass • May 29, 2008

Golf is king and the zoo brings in the families, but it's the new convention center downtown that the state's top tourism official is convinced will put Montgomery at the top of the list with visitors.

Last year, those visitors numbered 22.3 million statewide and they dropped big money -- more than $9.3 billion. Montgomery County's share was $542 million. Only Baldwin, Jefferson, Madison and Mobile counties got bigger pieces of the pie.

Still, that money is only a fraction of what Alabama tourism director Lee Sentell thinks the county will generate with the help of the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. He won't put a dollar figure, though, on how much the complex will bring in.

"This is going to directly increase numbers for the various attractions because the conventions are bringing several hundred people per night to the downtown area," Sentell said. "The Renaissance is changing the face of downtown Montgomery, as much or more as anything I can imagine."

Sentell called the hotel itself a destination, for couples to enjoy a night on the town -- the complex has a performing arts center, a bar and fine dining -- or a weekend getaway with a stop at the spa.

And both out-of-towners and locals will leave the hotel with a completely different impression of the city, he said.

"This hotel will do exactly what the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has done statewide, which is attracting people for a specific reason and it requires them to sample a portion of the state," Sentell said.

Within blocks of the convention center are three civil rights attractions known nationwide -- the Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage and the Civil Rights Memorial.

Together, the three attractions draw healthy crowds; civil rights attractions statewide, though, struggle.

"When you're dealing with groups and people coming in from out of state, they are not going to just the Rosa Parks Museum, they'll also go to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage," said Brian Jones, a regional director for the state tourism department.

Animals, on the other hand, are a huge draw in just about every city. Montgomery's zoo ranked eighth in the state's top 10 paid attractions for 2007 in no small part because of the births of Rocky the rhino and Makena, the first African elephant born in Alabama.

"Pretty much anytime you have a big birth, it draws people in," said Steven Pierce, the zoo's program services manager.

The Montgomery Zoo reaches out to the public through special events -- Zoo Weekend, the Christmas lights display, Zoo Boo and charity weekends in partnership with the American Cancer Association and the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens. This year, the zoo has a new River Otter Exhibit.

"We try to do a lot of cross promotion -- a lot with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival."

The wildlife federation opened a 4,000-square-foot outdoor pavilion last year at its headquarters in Millbrook along with five miles of trails and boardwalks and three regions for walks and hikes. And there's more to come.

In all, more than 10,000 nature lovers dropped by to take in the wildlife federation's amenities. They came from all around -- mostly from throughout central Alabama.

"It's what we have to offer on the weekends," said federation spokeswoman Kim Moon. "And it's just a beautiful place."

The museum ranked third in Alabama's free attractions. Just across the way, in Blount Cultural Park, is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, ranked 10th in the state's paid attractions.

"The museum and Shakespeare Festival feed off of each other very well," said Lara Lewis, museum spokeswoman. "We collaborate in many arenas."

The two attractions are working together this fall and throughout 2009 on an exhibition called "The Art of the Theatre," which will include art and artifacts from William Shakespeare's "War of the Roses" trilogy.

The museum hosted a reception a few weeks ago for several hundred black meeting planners, who had a conference at the Renaissance.

"This is probably the most important constituency that Montgomery could possibly attract," Sentell said. "They took a tour of probably half a dozen attractions that will become what we call 'spouse tours.' ... There will be more visits by spouses than the convention delegates themselves. An exception to that is an off-site social function."

Had the museum not hosted the reception, he said, the meeting planners might not have been aware of the museum as an "option for a very elegant welcome party for future conventions."

Any convention that Montgomery can book for several years virtually guarantees a multiplier effect. The convention-goers have fun, enjoy any number of Montgomery's attractions and leave with a thirst for more.

"It gives people a taste of the city," Jones said, "and they return later."

[thoraudio]

Article from the Montgomery Advertiser about the proposed state house, with pics. Laird standing in the way, still.

Local officials' plan for new State House ready, waiting

County and city officials say they are ready to make their complete proposal to the legislative committee studying the pos­sibility of rebuilding the Alabama State House -- a proposal to build it at the oppo­site end of Dexter Avenue than the Capitol.

The proposal has been evolving since word got out that the Legislature was ex­ploring the possibility of building a new leg­islative building instead of renovating the existing structure, originally the state high­way department building.

Now, local officials say they are now just waiting for the nod from the legislative com­mittee. That may not be easy to get. The committee's chairman has expressed inter­est in keeping the State House close to the Capitol. A meeting has not been scheduled at this time.

"The proposal centers around 'why now,' " said Montgomery County Commis­sion Chairman Todd Strange. "That is the essence of our proposal -- to show how we propose to do it now and to have as little im­pact on the state as possible."

Strange said local partners have been meeting for several months to discuss ways to minimize the cost for the state and make the arrangement beneficial for everyone.

Moving the State House to the other end of Dexter Avenue would cost about $8 mil­lion to $10 million more than rebuilding it close to where it is now, but Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright said the city and coun­ty are willing to work together to cover that additional cost.

Conceptual drawings were created by Dover, Kohl and Associates, which is the same firm that created the city's downtown master plan last year, and those renderings have been presented to members of the leg­islative committee.

The renderings are part of a scaled-down version of the proposal that has been given to the members, but the local partners are still waiting for a chance to present the pro­posal in its entirety.

Strange said the main purpose of the ren­derings was to provide perspective and place as well as give legislators ideas to con­sider.

Bright said he understands that legisla­tors are currently preoccupied with the spe­cial session, but when the time comes he said he wants state lawmakers to at least consider the proposal. He also said that the struggling economy shouldn't keep the state from looking ahead.

"You can start planning even in a bad year so when the good years get here, you can make it happen," Bright said Thursday.

Building the State House down the street from the Capitol would give the Capitol Complex a sense of grandeur and would revitalize the stretch of Dexter Avenue that would connect the two facilities, Bright said.

Building the State House on lower Dexter Avenue also would further help with the develop­ment of downtown. Proponents of this proposal say the State House would complement the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, the baseball park and the river­front.

State Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, and Rep. Richard Laird, D-Roanoke, said they have seen the tentative render­ings of the exterior of the pro­posed location on lower Dexter Avenue.

"I don't like them," said Laird, chairman of the legisla­tive committee looking at sites for a possible State House. "I don't like the location."

Laird is opposed to moving the State House several blocks from its current location to low­er Dexter Avenue, which would create a need to bus schoolchil­dren and other visitors between the proposed site and the Capi­tol.

Laird said members of the committee have seen tentative renderings from the city of Montgomery and from the Re­tirement Systems of Alabama, which is pushing for adding a legislative wing to the current Capitol. He said the drawings are conceptual and do not in­clude depictions of what meet­ing rooms will look like or the size of the building.

The committee hired archi­tects to look at how feasible it would be to build a new State House or renovate the current building. The architects sug­gested building the wing onto the Capitol, Laird said. "That is the best one," he said of that pro­posal.

Bedford said no decision has been made. He said the current facility requires $2 million for repairs to the leaking roof and both the heating and air-condi­tioning systems. The senator said the move to the current State House, which was built as a transportation building dec­ades ago, was intended to be temporary.

"The people of Alabama de­serve a better State House," Bed­ford said.

A new State House should be more accessible for the disabled, Bedford said, and it should in­clude two-way video conferenc­ing to allow lawmakers to com­municate with students and constituents.

Bedford said he expects com­mittee members to meet again after the special session is over.

Laird said in the latest pro­posal that the city was offering to give the state the block of property, which the legislator said has a value of between $25 million and $30 million.

He said that is a "big tax bite" for the residents of Montgomery since the state already owns the property proposed for the site behind the Capitol.

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright said the proposal would create a governmental mall sim­ilar to the one in Washington, D.C., and in other states, such as Maryland.

Possible renders from Dover Kohl.

[rbp]

I know these renderings are very general, but is there really room on that site to take what is currently in 7~8 stories and put it into what looks like 3~4? And there is a comment that there's no indication of size in the renderings the legislature has, but don't you think they'd have a pretty good idea of the size the building needed to be if they can estimate costs?

[thoraudio]

The city's proposal would include the entire block.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...cl=1&encType=1

[hiijakd]

i actually sat with ken groves the other day and looked at the entire presentation. those renderings were three of many many slides. The plan is to build a building facing Dexter that would house the ceremonial parts of the state house. that way it would stay in scale and character of the block, something some others in town refuse to consider, but i'm not mentioning names. The rest of the offices and administrative needs would be taken care of in a building built behind that one.
if Laird is worried about school children and buses, why not let them walk. oh wait, they aren't allowed to have PE classes any more since all the funding for those extravagancies is no longer there. Lord knows we wouldn't want them to get any exercise (the students or the Legislators )

[hiijakd]

they didn't show the rendering i liked the most. it has a dome but it is truncated so as not to be too overpowering.

[EXbubba]

Wouldn't a major building like this have to have its own parking deck. Doesnt the old Pizitz building have a good deck. Would that be kept? One would hope they keep the scale according to the Dover Kohl drawings if this actually occurred. I, for one think all the criminals should be kept up on the hill.

[Capital Heights]

Originally Posted by EXbubba

Wouldn't a major building like this have to have its own parking deck. Doesnt the old Pizitz building have a good deck. Would that be kept? One would hope they keep the scale according to the Dover Kohl drawings if this actually occurred. I, for one think all the criminals should be kept up on the hill.

But is it practical to have the Republicans on Goat Hill and the Democrats down at Court Square?

[neilson]

Originally Posted by Capital Heights

But is it practical to have the Republicans on Goat Hill and the Democrats down at Court Square?

I didn't realize that Senators Barron, Guin, and Bedford switched parties?

[OldCloverdale]

Rep. Richard Laird, on the floor of the AL House, said it will take $168 million to renovate the current State House.
He said it will cost $138 to add a wing onto the Capitol. This is clearly David Bronner's favorite plan ... and Laird's.

He said the city plan would take $28 million more than the Capitol wing.


Then, Montgomery's own Greg Wren got up and talked about the eight more planned roundabouts for our city. He called them "useless pieces of engineering marvels," and told of an 18-wheeler driving through the middle of the new one (behind the State House) recently. Greg Wren is a clown.

[RSAHort]

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

Then, Montgomery's own Greg Wren got up and talked about the eight more planned roundabouts for our city. He called them "useless pieces of engineering marvels," and told of an 18-wheeler driving through the middle of the new one (behind the State House) recently. Greg Wren is a clown.

But he is right about big trucks having a hard time getting around them. We pull an 16 foot trailor behind our crew cab. My guys have told me the roundabout at Ripley and Washington is hard for them to get the trailor around them without running over the sidewalk portion. I'm not saying they are a bad thing...as a matter of fact I kinda like them. Just saying Mr. Wren is right about very big vehicle having a hard time navigating.

[OldCloverdale]

Originally Posted by RSAHort

But he is right about big trucks having a hard time getting around them. We pull an 16 foot trailor behind our crew cab. My guys have told me the roundabout at Ripley and Washington is hard for them to get the trailor around them without running over the sidewalk portion. I'm not saying they are a bad thing...as a matter of fact I kinda like them. Just saying Mr. Wren is right about very big vehicle having a hard time navigating.

If the city's "No Trucks" signage is not in place in that area, they should erect them ASAP.

[nayrlladnar]

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to mention this, but I stumbled across you guys while searching for some information about downtown Montgomery projects and, after reading about a dozen pages from this thread, I felt compelled to sign up and say hello. So, hey!

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by nayrlladnar

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to mention this, but I stumbled across you guys while searching for some information about downtown Montgomery projects and, after reading about a dozen pages from this thread, I felt compelled to sign up and say hello. So, hey!

I joined in a similar fashion... while researching the proposed (at the time) RSA Judicial Building here in downtown.

WELCOME ABOARD!

[nayrlladnar]

Originally Posted by OCA REP

I joined in a similar fashion... while researching the proposed (at the time) RSA Judicial Building here in downtown.

WELCOME ABOARD!

Thanks! It's kind of interesting to hear local folks ramble on about the craziness in our quaint little river town.

[RSAHort]

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

If the city's "No Trucks" signage is not in place in that area, they should erect them ASAP.

I drove by on my way home and they are in place. I just never noticed them before.

[hiijakd]

one of the problems with the "wing" is that it will close off a street, one of the quickest ways to kill vibrancy.

i am so tired of bronner and the politicians trying to strong arm their desires.

and about the roundabouts, i love them, but nobody in montgomery understands the vehicle in the circle has the right of way and those entering the roundabout must yield. I almost crunched a honda today with my truck because the girl just drove right in front of me.

the one on ripley is a tad small, and i am driving a dodge 2500 LWB.

hey has anyone noticed bright was leading in the polls for district 2.

if he wins i am running

berry for mayor
"he isn't a politician"
how does that slogan sound?

[thoraudio]

you got my vote....


oh.... wait....

[hiijakd]

oh wait what? you can't say that

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by nayrlladnar

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to mention this, but I stumbled across you guys while searching for some information about downtown Montgomery projects and, after reading about a dozen pages from this thread, I felt compelled to sign up and say hello. So, hey!

Hello, nayrlladnar!