Montgomery development news

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Have you got the pics yet?

Yes, it is kind of a difficult angle to take pics, but maybe that will improve when most of the trees are cleared to make way for "Gateway park II" on the peninsula along I-65.

remove the trees, so they can plant some sticks. Wouldn't it be neat to see a development where the project was designed around the existing trees as much as possible. Very rare indeed

[bystander1]

All of the trees will not be removed--mostly the dead and fallen trees and underbrush will be cleared to make room for a couple of open spaces. And there won't be any major development there anytime soon because it is in a floodplain. That's why a nature park would make the best use for it right now.

[thoraudio]

a pair of crappy pics from the Northern Bypass... that's what you get with foggy/hazy mornings, and taking the picture out the passenger window of the car at 60 mph





even though only 8-10 stories high, it's going to add to the skyline.

[thoraudio]

Aritcle on downtown lofts.... demand has been soft... not non-existant, but they haven't been pre-selling out either.

Downtown lofts redefine 'hip'

By David Irvin
Montgomery Advertiser



City Loft Corp. unveiled its newest creation Tuesday, a renovated 19th century industrial building that may well redefine the word hip in Montgomery.

Dubbed 246 Lofts because of its address at 246 North Court St., just blocks from the baseball stadium, the new apartments have 25-foot ceilings, century-old trusses, real wood floors and modern plumbing and amenities.

This is actually a very unique building, because it was a 19th century produce warehouse, said Anna Lowder, co-owner of City Loft Corp, which partnered with The Colonial Company to do the deal. When we found it, it was just one huge open space, and we were able to come in and say, Great, what can we do with this? she said.

What they were able to do was completely renovate the structure and enclose the open spaces with modern materials, while leaving intact the historic, rustic feel of the old building.

Managing the $2.7 million project was up to Ronnie Poole, who works for Lowder Construction.

Many old industrial buildings in downtown Montgomery are being renovated today. These kinds of renovations pose certain problems, however.

You really have no idea what you are going to find until it is cleaned, exposed and you know what you are going to deal with, said Poole. You must be flexible, and its very labor intensive. It takes a lot of time.

Construction on the project began in January 2005, just eight months after Lowder and partner, Harvi Sahota, found the building.

After the couple advertised they were working on the project, they were able to reserve all the lofts within a month. However, as time went by, a number of the potential tenants bowed out, leaving half unclaimed today. Most of the units average about 1,100 square feet.

Two lofts designed by famous architect and urban theorist Andrew Duany, will rent for $1,550 a month.

Others are listed to sell for about $200,000.

Lowder and Sahota are also developing lofts and commercial space where the A&P Grocery building once stood in Cloverdale and an entirely new smart code development called Hampstead

[DruidCity]

the new apartments have 25-foot ceilings,

Wow

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

even though only 8-10 stories high, it's going to add to the skyline.

Thanks to the fact that it is on a hill is the only way this building may have some effect on the skyline near the capitol. It will probably be about equal in height to the Alabama Center for Commerce bldg. to the right of the RSA tower in the pic above.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

After the couple advertised they were working on the project, they were able to reserve all the lofts within a month. However, as time went by, a number of the potential tenants bowed out, leaving half unclaimed today. Most of the units average about 1,100 square feet.

Last year I talked to one man during an urban design show by some AU students at the old icehouse building, and he told me that he had signed up early for one of the lofts, but later changed his mind because he had heard that some new condos were going to be built near that area with more space and amenities for about the same price.

I haven't heard anything concrete about these "new condos" he talked about as of yet... unless he's talking about the Cottage Hill condo project (?)

[thoraudio]

My understanding is that the Cottage Hill condo's are on hold... mainly because of the modest demand for the Court Street units.

Firm selected to shape city's downtown growth

By David Irvin
Montgomery Advertiser

Montgomery is bringing in a world-renowned urban planning firm to orchestrate the redevelopment of its downtown.

Mayor Bobby Bright gave the go-ahead a couple of weeks ago to a deal with Dover Kohl and Partners that had been in the works since January. The Florida-based firm will be paid up to $310,000 out of the general fund.

The long-term strategic plan will encompass at least the Tax Incremental Financing District, which includes much of downtown, areas west of Interstate 65 and north of Pollard Street.

Just how large the final area will be -- and how much Dover Kohl will be paid -- will be determined after company officials make their initial visit to Montgomery in late June.

Dover Kohl and Partners is known throughout the development industry for its town revitalization plans, including ones for Miami; Antigua, Guatemala; and Fayetteville, Ark.

Company officials will hold a weeklong planning meeting in September for city officials, developers and business and building owners.

Dover Kohl will use information from the meeting to develop schematics, renderings and a master plan, according to project manager Margaret Flippen.

"We are looking to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment, where you can live close to where you work and have everything right there," Flippen said.

The key to making downtown development work, city officials said, is convincing private developers to follow through with the plan.

A riverfront development plan has yielded a $2.5 million amphitheater, a $26 million baseball stadium, a $15 million intermodal bus terminal and a $157 million convention center complex that includes a four-star hotel.

"This city has really been doing some of the right things," planning director Ken Grove said. "The Dover Kohl plan will give us the tools we need to get the private market heavily engaged in doing their part.

[bystander1]

^^ So I take that to mean that the Facility Group's development plan has been abandoned. Can't say I blame the city too much. Maybe now the city will update those very outdated redevelopment plans on its website.

[thoraudio]

Montgomery's having a Jazz and Blues festival this weekend, and is opening the Ampitheater and some of the Riverwalk area. I walked down there today and happened upon some kinda ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Bright. Ampitheater looks good, still lots of work to be done on the rest though.




















Also drove by the hotel/civic center sight. Looks like they won't be using a tower crane, just this massive manipulated crane.

[bystander1]

I saw the hotel crane today. I thought there would be a tower crane too, but they obviously are going to add other one on the other side in order two build the deck; the current crane doesn't reach over far enough.

[thoraudio]

More info on the firm doing the downtown study.

Partners in progress

By David Irvin
Montgomery Advertiser

Seeking to propel downtown Montgomery into the future, city officials gave the thumbs-up this month to a Florida-based development firm skilled at clearing out pockets of urban decay and replacing them with vibrant cultural centers.

This week's announcement that Montgomery would hire Dover Kohl and Partners, which uses new urbanism concepts for redevelopment, created a stir of excitement in the local development community.

What the firm will produce is yet to be seen. A weeklong planning charrette is scheduled for September, when stakeholders from across the area will convene to consider downtown redevelopment. The results of that meeting will depend, in large part, on the participation of Montgomery developers.

But there may be some clue as to the shape of Montgomery's future by reviewing the case of Fayetteville, Ark., a rapidly growing cultural center at the base of the Ozark Mountains that secured Dover Kohl's services two years ago.

The Arkansas town was so pleased with Dover Kohl's services -- which cost them $200,000 -- officials hired the firm a second time for a more comprehensive redevelopment plan.

Montgomery and Fayetteville have several similarities: Both have experienced downtown residential growth, parking problems and an abundance of one-way streets.

When Dover Kohl set up the Fayetteville charrette in 2004, more than 500 people showed up for the weeklong planning session. According to Fayetteville's Mayor Dan Coody, on a number of issues "common ground was found for the first time" during that charrette.

To temporarily solve parking problems in Fayetteville, on the advice of Dover Kohl, the town established more on-the-street parking and began looking at ways to build parking decks.

Karen Minkle, the city's long-term planner, said the ultimate key to solving traffic and parking problems in their downtown is to "cut down the vehicle miles driven every day" by making driving unnecessary. "If someone can walk to work," she said, "that's sort of the icing on the cake."

To make walking safer, Dover Kohl said the town's one-way streets had to go. Making the area more pedestrian friendly was a major strategy for developing sustainable development in downtown Fayetteville, along with creating mixed-use pooperties where people can live and work in a small area.

Some of Dover Kohl's suggestions for Fayetteville already have been implemented in Montgomery, such as establishing a Tax Incremental Financing district and passing a smart code to aid mixed-use development.

For Fayetteville, these ideas constituted the "meat" of the plan.

Other suggestions for Fayetteville:

# Acquiring land to create a downtown park

# installing and planning streetscape and intersection improvements

# opening of a trail linking a $22 million public library to downtown neighborhoods and other parts of the city.

Though many people were involved in developing the downtown Fayetteville plan, getting it done is still the biggest trick of all, city officials admit.

"The implementation is the tough part. Everyone likes the ideas, the planning and the concepts, but putting it into three-dimensional reality is where the rubber hits the road," Coody said.

Montgomery officials -- who set aside $310,000 for the deal -- have similar concerns, and hope private property owners will be happy to follow through with the plan once complete.

This week, Jeff Downes, executive assistant to Mayor Bobby Bright, said past downtown plans have provided "architectural renderings and a nice vision for the future, but (have not) produced the codified document that can lead us into the future. And that's what we are looking for Dover Kohl to do."

A look at two Southern towns trying to revive their downtowns.

FAYETTEVILLE
Population: 62,000
Major downtown industry: Education, at the University of Arkansas
Downtown issues: Many one-way avenues, parking congestion; working on establishing Tax Incremental Financing district; smart code being reviewed at city level
Paid Dover Kohl and Partners about $200,000 for services in 2004.

MONTGOMERY
Population: 200,000
Major downtown industry: Government
Downtown issues: Historic streets, one-way avenues, parking congestion; Tax Incremental Financing district established in 2004; smart code in effect
Budgeted about $310,000 for Dover Kohl services for this year.

[bystander1]

Whoa, we almost posted this story at the same time.
This article pretty much confirms the fact that the city wasn't fully pleased with the Facility Group's plan, although many of their suggestions were implemented.

[bystander1]

This firm (Dover Kohl and Partners) is said to be world-famous, but unfortunately, I don't know much about their work. And Fayettville AR is not a city I know much about nor talked about much on this forum.

I would love to know how Fayettville is doing with its plan.
Perhaps someone who knows more about that city will give us some info about them.

[bystander1]

Another story on the new development plans from WSFA...



Montgomery Hires Consultants for Downtown Redevelopment
April 30, 2006 10:55 PM CDT

New life along Montgomery's riverfront is just the beginning. Plans to revitalize the Capitol City's downtown business district and surrounding neighborhoods are now in the works.

Tammye Jackson always has her hands full. As the owner of Trade 'N' Books on Madison Avenue, she offers a unique product.

"When books are out of print, you can't find them at Barnes & Nobles and Books-A-Million," says Jackson.

Her store is located in a section of town with a unique challenge ahead. Resurrecting historic downtown Montgomery into the vibrant hub of commerce it once was will require investors.

Mayor Bobby Bright says he has a plan to attract developers. Friday, Bright announced the city hired a specialized consulting company to help design a new and improved downtown Montgomery.

Bright says, "This organization comes in with not just a plan, but a way of implementing that plan."

That's welcome news for downtown business owners and their loyal customers. "I'm extremely excited about the revitalization of downtown," says Mary Moyers.

Moyers grew up in downtown Montgomery, but lived in Memphis, Tennessee for many years where she saw up close how that city transformed it's downtown district.

"I would like to see more private housing downtown, condos, for people who live out east but work downtown," says Moyers.

Running her business there-- right off the busiest stretch of roadway hugging the boarder the historic downtown district and Capitol Heights-- for several years has given Jackson ideas as well.

"I think the city should offer incentives to the businesses that are trying to stay here and be prosperous," says Jackson.

However, if all goes according to plan, the boom in retail and entertainment may be all the incentive that's needed.

"I have a lot of people encouraging me to stay because of the growth downtown," adds Jackson. "You know, they're like, 'Just wait and see. It's going to grow and it's going to be a great location.'"

The consulting firm, Dover Kohn, will perform evaluations for several months then present its recommendations to the city. Ideas range from opening some one-way streets to two-way traffic and deciding which downtown blocks would be best for retail space.

The city is paying the consulting firm $310,000 to conduct the initial survey.

Reporter: Theo Travers

[thoraudio]

the city is seeking developers for a couple of downtown projects.

Requesting Qualifications [Coosa Street]
The Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 corporation is requesting qualifications for a private sector developer partner with experience in urban mixed use development to design, develop, market, and lease a mixed-use project above the proposed new City of Montgomery Coosa Street Parking Deck. CLICK HERE

Requesting Qualifications [Dexter Avenue]
The City of Montgomery is seeking qualified firms or teams with appropriate expertise to undertake planning, design, and preliminary engineering work for a streetscape master plan for Historic Dexter Avenue and adjacent areas from Bainbridge Street to its terminus at Court Square.

[bystander1]

I think it's great to see that a residential and mixed-use development is planned above the Coosa Street deck. It would be a very good use of space and a perfect location being right across the street from the baseball stadium, the brewpub, next to the "alleyway", and near the amphitheater and riverwalk. Seems like a lot to take advantage of.

[bystander1]

Here's a good article on the popularity of the amphitheater downtown...


Riverwalk Amphitheatre aims to become Montgomery's hot spot for concertgoers

By Darryn Simmons
Montgomery Advertiser


Fans watch last week's Riverwalk Jazz and Blues Festival at the Riverwalk Amphitheatre.
-- Advertiser

Upcoming Events

Here is a schedule of events upcoming at the Riverfront Amphitheatre:

Thursday — Blues on the River with John Mooney and Bluesiana and Oteil and the Peacemakers
May 26-28 — Jubilee CityFest with artists like the Neville Brothers, Billy Currington and Sara Evans
June 8 — Summer Film Festival Series
June 22 — Summer Film Festival Series
June 24 — Kinsfolk Records Jazz concert
July 6 — Summer Film Festival
July 20 — Summer Film Festival
July 22 — Pure Prarie League and Poco
July 31 — Stars on the Riverfront
Aug. 19 — The Commodores

With the closing of the Carmichael Center and the Civic Center -- at least for the forseeable future -- music lovers in Montgomery have been left craving a popular concert venue. The replacement may just be the Riverwalk Amphitheatre, thanks to some improvements and some good-sized events on the way.

In the amphitheater's favor: The recent success of the WBAM 98.9 Birthday Bash; the announcement of several older acts (but still big draws) like the Commodores coming this summer; and the return to the river of Jubilee CityFest.

"It's 150 percent better than it was a year ago," said Lance Houston, program director at WBAM. "The addition of the restrooms and more concrete has really helped."

Branch Kloess, director of facilities for the downtown riverfront, called this the first really big year for the venue.

"We've worked on the bathrooms, the concrete, repaired and repainted the stage," he said. "It's an improvement not just aesthetically but for safety as well."

Restrooms being added to the venue, which opened in 2003, is probably the biggest improvement, but the additional concrete has also played a role because it gives options after a rain, Houston said.

"It's not guaranteed to be a mudbath whenever it rains," he said.

Local concert promoter Royce Richardson, who is putting together the Commodores and other shows, said that the amphitheater has great potential to be the concert spot in Montgomery.

"It's in a good location and hopefully it'll be good weather throughout the summer," he said. "All it needs is Montgomery to come out and support the shows there."

Richardson announced a five-concert series that begins with a July 22 show that will feature Poco ("Crazy Love" and "Nothing To Hide") and Pure Prairie League ("Amie," and "Let Me Love You Tonight").

On Aug. 19, the Commodores come to town.

Richardson isn't the only one looking to bring acts to the amphitheater. According to Michael Long, program director at WZHT Hot 105, there are plans for a show featuring soulful crooner Anthony Hamilton at the amphitheater next month.

Long is not involved with the show. Kloess said he's still negotiating for that show and others as well.

"We get calls practically every other day from agents, promoters and the artists themselves," he said. "People know it's a great venue."

Kloess made it clear he's not just looking at one genre of music. He hopes to make the amphitheater all-inclusive, with music of every kind.

"It's going to take money, but the goal is to make it happen," he said.

Marianne McLeod, executive director of Jubilee CityFest, said that there are a lot of advantages at the amphitheater location. Jubilee returns to the riverfront this Memorial Day weekend with popular artists like the Neville Brothers, Billy Currington and Sara Evans performing at the amphitheater.

"The bathrooms are definitely a big part," she said. "The close proximity to the Biscuits (Riverwalk) stadium helps too, as there are more opportunities for shade there when it gets too hot."

McLeod said the shade would definitely play a part of Jubilee this year, since KidsFest will be at the stadium on Saturday during the festival.

But local concertgoers aren't the only ones who benefit from the amphitheater's success. Area businesses are hoping to reap the benefits as well.

"With places like us, the Brew Pub and Sous La Terre, hopefully people will realize they don't have to leave the downtown area after the show is over," said Chris Rambo, owner of Off the Wagon at 62 Dexter Ave.

Rambo said he hasn't yet noticed any difference in his business with the amphitheater, but that he wouldn't rule out that changing in the coming months.

"It seems like they have more shows planned this summer than they did last year," he said. "That's going to being more people downtown."

George Traywick, owner of Sous La Terre and La Salle Bleu, said he was also looking forward to drawing more people downtown.

"Over the years, Jubilee has been pretty good for business and so has the Biscuits," he said. "Hopefully more shows at the amphitheater will have the same effect."

If there is any complaint about the amphitheater, it's that, while the view is great, the air isn't always so pleasant.

Walker Jones of Montgomery, who attended the WBAM show, said that there was a lot of smoking going on and it took away from his enjoyment of the show.

"The city regulates the place, (so) it should be non-smoking or at least have a spot designated across the train tracks for it," he said.

The Riverfront Amphitheatre is a city-owned facility and city facilities are non-smoking. Kloess said he's looking at options right now.

"We don't know exactly what we're going to do now," he said.

Once the smoking situation is determined, all indications are that the amphitheater will be a pretty popular spot in Montgomery for years to come.

"It's pretty much the only decent concert spot in Montgomery," Jones said. "They've got bathrooms now; hopefully they'll add some more shaded areas next."

[neilson]

How successful is the Carmichael Center BTW?

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by neilson

How successful is the Carmichael Center BTW?

I think it's the DEA center now

It was actually moderately successfull for local R&B and HipHop groups on the West side.