Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

Monaco Theater/Bridge Street updates, soft opening next week
Blalock photos





blue lights


Old Navy, Ulta, DSW store fronts



Parking deck

[HSVTiger]

Wonder if there will be a name change for Biscuits & Blues Café at Bridge Street. This not the same as the one in San Francisco or Natchez MS.

[HSVTiger]

The new Apple Store at Bridge Street may possibly be opening January 19th 2008

[DruidCity]

Thanks for the photos, guys. Stating the obvious, Huntsville has a lot of stuff going on. I bet Big Spring Park, Monte Sano, Tennessee River, and so forth are looking great right now with the fall colors.

[gkcooper]

Hello, A lurker here deciding to post for the first time. I just wondered what is going up on 72 in Madison between Lowe's and Home Depot?

Also, I live out in Harvest and I have it directly from Dale Strong that there will be a traffic circle installed at the intersection of Triana, Harvest, and Old RR Bed. This is great because I live very near this intersection and it is a death-trap.

BTW, what is going up on Jordan/53 just north of Burwell?

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by gkcooper

Hello, A lurker here deciding to post for the first time. I just wondered what is going up on 72 in Madison between Lowe's and Home Depot?

Also, I live out in Harvest and I have it directly from Dale Strong that there will be a traffic circle installed at the intersection of Triana, Harvest, and Old RR Bed. This is great because I live very near this intersection and it is a death-trap.

BTW, what is going up on Jordan/53 just north of Burwell?

welcome gkcooper.

yeah the roads in that area can't handle what's going on.
let's see probably what you are asking about is a very nice Publix shopping center on Jordan and in between Home Depot and Kohl's (HSV city limits)
is Heritage Square which will have TJ Maxx, Boaters World and some others. Between Lowes and Home Depot
It might be a center called Irwins' Square a 15 store retail strip.

Speaking of Publix, a sign in front of the one in Meridianville says it will open in 6 days.

[gkcooper]

Thanks HSVTiger, but what I am asking about in Harvest is literally (just) north of Burwell, not Publix. A crane (drilling equipment?) is visible as well as some heavy construction.

The traffic circle has already had some money appropriated according to Dale Strong's office. I have lived there seven years and seen have seen several deaths.

[HSVTiger]

From top of one of the cranes building the parking deck expansion at
Huntsville International...hold on!


Parker Construction

[Bama_Bull78]

Originally Posted by gkcooper

Thanks HSVTiger, but what I am asking about in Harvest is literally (just) north of Burwell, not Publix. A crane (drilling equipment?) is visible as well as some heavy construction.

The traffic circle has already had some money appropriated according to Dale Strong's office. I have lived there seven years and seen have seen several deaths.

Over there on Burweel road u speaking bout. IS the sewer System That monvria water board is trying to setup this one will be the biggest on that the system will run. And handle the publix's sewer system. And will go with the res. Development to go with it in the future.

And bout the Traffic circle I don't know but in the paper a couple of weeks or month ago they was talking bout the WAll triana and nick davis and Nick Davis and jeff gettin lights first then county/OLD RR BED getting it right afterwards. but with loc it is in it might get the states help to build it.

[mlog]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

a favorite eatery closes

Green Hills Grill closes

A spokesperson for Specialty Restaurant Development in Maitland, Fla., says Green Hills Grill on Huntsville's west side is closed permanently. The company had bought this restaurant in 1999 and operated three others by this name.

Owners recently decided to close Green Hills here and in Brentwood, Tenn., according to the spokesperson. They kept restaurants in Nashville and Knoxville open. The company also has 16 Applebee's franchises across Florida.

That's a shame. I liked Green Hills Grill. Just ate there a little over a month ago.

In regards to Bridge Street, wasn't there supposed to be a Bravo Cucina Italian restaurant there? I haven't heard anything recently about it.

[HSVTiger]

well that didn't last long

Allegiant Air to end non-stop flights to Las Vegas
Posted by HSV Times Staff reports November 10, 2007 1:36 PM
Low-cost airline Allegiant Air announced today it will end its much publicized non-stop flights between Huntsville and Las Vegas, citing escalating fuel costs.

The carrier will end its Las Vegas service from Huntsville Dec. 10, according to a company news release. Customers with reservations beyond Dec. 10 will be contacted directly by Allegiant to make new accommodations.

"Unfortunately, due to escalating fuel costs, we will end our Las Vegas service from Huntsville," Maurice J. Gallagher, Allegiant Air president and CEO, said. "We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. We greatly appreciate the support the community and the airport's management team have shown us. Our flights to both Orlando and Fort Lauderdale remain unaffected by this announcement."

Allegiant began low-cost service from Huntsville International Airport with nonstop flights to Las Vegas Sept. 21, 2007. Allegiant Air will begin low-cost flights to Orlando Nov. 8 and to Fort Lauderdale Dec. 13., the company said.

[HSVTiger]

Parking Deck

The five- or six-level parking deck will be built on land bordered by Holmes Avenue, Green and Lincoln streets across from the old Times building and the 301 East condominium tower. That's the site of the city's 130-slot Lot D surface parking lot. The ground floor would be enclosed and available for lease.

Tommy Brown, director of Parking and Public Transit for Huntsville, said the city is considering a structure with 450 to 500 spaces and retail opportunities on the ground floor. A special tax district approved last year to help build a new Lee High School included $4 million for the parking deck.

City Planning Director Dallas Fanning said Friday the parking garage will help ease a shortage of parking downtown while luring more downtown development. "We're trying to encourage mixed use," Fanning said of the commercial space. "This is an effort to serve the demand as well as create some incentive for more growth. When we get that garage built, I think you'll see some office development on that north side of downtown."

The commercial space in the garage will be about 10,000 square feet, he said.

The project is not far enough along to lock in tenants. Fanning said officials have talked to several would-be proprietors: a sandwich shop, a dry cleaners and a small market that sells grocery items.

The City Council moved a step closer on the garage project Thursday night with the awarding of a contract to an environmental firm for soil testing. The $8,800 contract with OMI Inc. is needed to analyze the property's suitability for a multistory parking deck.

HSV Times

[g-man435]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

well that didn't last long

Allegiant Air to end non-stop flights to Las Vegas
Posted by HSV Times Staff reports November 10, 2007 1:36 PM
Low-cost airline Allegiant Air announced today it will end its much publicized non-stop flights between Huntsville and Las Vegas, citing escalating fuel costs.

The carrier will end its Las Vegas service from Huntsville Dec. 10, according to a company news release. Customers with reservations beyond Dec. 10 will be contacted directly by Allegiant to make new accommodations.

"Unfortunately, due to escalating fuel costs, we will end our Las Vegas service from Huntsville," Maurice J. Gallagher, Allegiant Air president and CEO, said. "We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. We greatly appreciate the support the community and the airport's management team have shown us. Our flights to both Orlando and Fort Lauderdale remain unaffected by this announcement."

Allegiant began low-cost service from Huntsville International Airport with nonstop flights to Las Vegas Sept. 21, 2007. Allegiant Air will begin low-cost flights to Orlando Nov. 8 and to Fort Lauderdale Dec. 13., the company said.

The exact same thing happened here.

[HSVTiger]

By GINA HANNAHTimes Business Writer gina.hannah@htimes.com
Hampton Cove,Jones Valley anddowntown eyed

Huntsville has seen a nearly 15 percent increase in the number of hotel rooms during the past two years, and more are coming, a local tourism official said Friday.

Since 2005, 720 hotel rooms have been completed in the Huntsville market, bringing the total of rooms available to business and leisure travelers from 4,900 to 5,620, said Charles Winters, vice president of marketing for the Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. He said another 670 rooms are under construction in the area now, including the Westin at Bridge Street Town Centre in Cummings Research Park.


And there are plans for more: Developer Scott McLain plans two hotels for his Constellation development downtown, and Hampton Inn is reportedly looking to build a hotel in Hampton Cove near the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Winters said. He said developers have not shared specific plans about that hotel, which would be the first to locate near the residential development.

In addition, several developers have expressed an interest in building a hotel in Jones Valley, he said.

Winters spokes to a lunch group of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County. The program was part of a retail and tourism update.

The Huntsville market could have nearly 7,000 hotel rooms by 2010, he said. Many of those new rooms will be high end, which will appeal to business and government travelers, and those moving to Huntsville with Pentagon job transfers during the next few years.


Winters said the increase in the number of hotel rooms is just one facet of the area's growing tourism industry. Huntsville International Airport now has nonstop flights to 14 airports across the U.S., including , New York and Orlando. Flights from Huntsville to Fort Lauderdale will allow local travelers to fly directly to a port city and get aboard a cruise ship, he said.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by g-man435

The exact same thing happened here.

Their load factors were good so fuel costs may be the case.
Other cities affected include Lansing, Champaign, IL; Springfield, IL; Marion, IL; and Gulfport, MS.

[HSVTiger]

We are the Rocket City and sent man to the moon(and will again) but biotech is huge in our future..

By BRIAN LAWSONTimes Business Writer brian.lawson@htimes.com
First 12 biotech companies headed for institute spark excitement

To the passerby, Friday's opening ceremony for the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology looked like most such events, but it was different.

The focus wasn't really about the state-of-the-art facility in Cummings Research Park and its fine labs, but what could take place inside.

It was about hope.

During his remarks to several hundred people, HudsonAlpha President Jim Hudson conveyed his excitement about moving in 12 biotech companies in the affiliate's wing over the coming months.

But he also spoke movingly about a family illness. His wife has been hospitalized since Wednesday night with an infection, and with current testing technology doctors still don't know the cause.

Hudson said the institute will house a company, Theragnostix Reference Laboratories, with emerging technology that can turn such days of frightening uncertainty into a rapid diagnosis. Current tests take between 48 hours to five days for results, while the technology developed by Genaco founder Dr. Jian Han, now an institute principal investigator, takes four hours.

Gov. Bob Riley, called biotechnology's best friend in Alabama by Hudson, hailed the growth of the institute's company list from an expected six to eight to the current 12, with two more knocking on the door. Riley pledged to help expand the just-opened institute as needed, advising state Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, that there's more work to be done on the institute's behalf.

About 200 employees will move in with the companies in next few months. Another 100 or so researchers will move into the institute's nonprofit research side next year.

Riley said Alabama's future and reputation can be redefined by work at the institute - an Alabama one day known as the home of the company that cured ovarian or breast cancer.

[Huntsville_secede]

Finally I still would like to see a walmart or Target in this area

http://www.al.com/business/huntsvill...l=1&thispage=1

Shopping complex to include park areas
Sunday, November 11, 2007
By MARIAN ACCARDI
Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com

Harris Hill development will be at U.S. 72, Moores Mill

After two years of planning and research, developers are poised to start a park-like commercial project at what they call the main intersection for northeast Madison County and northeast Alabama traffic coming into Huntsville.

Harris Hill, a development at U.S. 72 East at the Moores Mill Road extension, would include a hotel, shops, restaurants and office space. In all, the project would include about 600 acres, with 200 acres set aside for parks, greenspace and trails.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Huntsville_secede

Finally I still would like to see a walmart or Target in this area

http://www.al.com/business/huntsvill...l=1&thispage=1

Shopping complex to include park areas
Sunday, November 11, 2007
By MARIAN ACCARDI
Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com

Harris Hill development will be at U.S. 72, Moores Mill

After two years of planning and research, developers are poised to start a park-like commercial project at what they call the main intersection for northeast Madison County and northeast Alabama traffic coming into Huntsville.

Harris Hill, a development at U.S. 72 East at the Moores Mill Road extension, would include a hotel, shops, restaurants and office space. In all, the project would include about 600 acres, with 200 acres set aside for parks, greenspace and trails.

This sounds like it could really be nice with the heavy tie in with parks, trails etc.
"Our goal is to start phase one in '08," with site work starting possibly in the spring, Walker said. "For the first phase, in addition to a hotel and retail, we expect to have a heavy focus on restaurants because we continue to have a lot of interest from people in that area for sit-down restaurants." Mainly fast-food restaurants are in the area now. "

[HSVTiger]

Monaco Pictures theaters at Bridge Street. It is different for sure

http://www.monacopicturesusa.com/

[daveyp]

who the hell thought up this BONEHEAD parade route?

i love veterans and have many of them in my family. i remember them every day, not just on veterans day, so please understand that i have respect for them. BUT, this is the stupidest thing i've ever seen. downtown huntsville became an island today and was completely cut off. i realize a lot of people have veterans day off from work, but i think the vast majority of us still have to be able to get places. (i still had class and work).

can anyone shed some light on this? one of the police officers who was blocking the streets said they use the same screwed up route for the xmas parade! can they not leave at least one street for those of us who don't have time on a monday to sit on the sidewalk and gawk at hummers? who do i write to about this?