Tuscaloosa Development

[cityscapes]

Is there something being built between the two Lurleen Wallace ramps in and out of downtown? After checking out the new street view imagery for Tuscaloosa I noticed that the buildings on that site have been demolished since I moved away.

It's amazing how much has changed in town so quickly. The new map scans make it much easier to contextualize. I just wish some of the new architecture was more diverse / better. The new zoning codes make a lot of the buildings more urban in form but a lot of the colors used are so drab. Also, that city center lofts project looked a lot better in the renderings than how the finished product looks thus far. Hopefully the retail section will turn out nicely.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by cityscapes

Is there something being built between the two Lurleen Wallace ramps in and out of downtown? After checking out the new street view imagery for Tuscaloosa I noticed that the buildings on that site have been demolished since I moved away.

It's amazing how much has changed in town so quickly. The new map scans make it much easier to contextualize. I just wish some of the new architecture was more diverse / better. The new zoning codes make a lot of the buildings more urban in form but a lot of the colors used are so drab. Also, that city center lofts project looked a lot better in the renderings than how the finished product looks thus far. Hopefully the retail section will turn out nicely.

It's supposed to be a new bank branch. I think for Renasant Bank. Google Earth has some pretty fresh satellite images of the city, btw.

[TheCapstone]

Finally!

Major retailers coming to Tuscaloosa

The major tenants of a proposed retail shopping center in Tuscaloosa have been revealed.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Fresh Market, PetSmart and DSW Shoes are coming with the completion of the Shoppes at Legacy Park, a $62 million, 250,000-square-foot shopping center under development by Alumni Development & Construction LLC of Clanton.

Bed Bath & Beyond and Cost Plus World Market already have been announced as tenants for the project and they will be the featured stores in a new retail development planned for a 16.25-acre tract in the former Cedar Crest neighborhood at the corner of McFarland Boulevard and 13th Street.

"We're excited to have them in the market and excited to bring new retailers to Tuscaloosa," said developer Keith Owens of Alumni Development. "We believe they will enhance the atmosphere of shopping in the city."

Owens said construction is expected to begin within the next 30 days with an expected 2015 opening.

On Friday, Alumni Development is hosting a contractor fair at the city's new Environmental Services Departmentfacility forcompanies who may be interested in working on the project.

Theinvolvement of local contractors is a requirement in the $16.57 million incentive package that the City Council is set to vote on today.

The council approved the incentive package in principle earlier this year.

"January was the authorization for the mayor to continue negotiations (with Alumni Development)," said City Attorney Glenda Webb. "Negotiations are completing and we are moving to execution."

Once completed, the retail development is projected to create up 500 new jobs, at least $37.2 million in annual sales taxes, up to $120,000 in new yearly business license fees and generate property taxes of more than $160,000, which will increase each year for the next three decades.

Of the $16.57 million in city-based incentives, City Hall will rebate to Alumni Development 78 percent of the sales taxes generated from the six anchor stores it plans to bring over 15 years or for a total of $9.8 million, whichever milestone comes first.

Additionally, the city will rebate property taxes from the project for the next 30 years or for a total of $6.77 million, whichever comes first.

The agreement also contains stipulations requiring Alumni Development to use a certain percentage of developers from the Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County area along with disincentives should an existing Tuscaloosa retailer relocate to the new shopping center, thereby eliminating some of the new sales tax generation.

Property taxes for city schools, which will not be affected by the incentive package, are estimated to reach $430,000 a year, or $12.9 million over a 30-year span.

The incentives were based on data and information compiled by Retail Strategies, a Birmingham-based consulting firm that performs market research, analysis, strategic planning and retail recruitment services for cities across the country.

Retail Strategies has been contracted by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama to assist in its economic recruitment efforts and Robert Jolly, principal for Retail Strategies, presented an in-depth report to the City Council's Finance Committee last year that indicated there was a significant retail spending shortfall — known in market terms as a "gap" — in the Tuscaloosa area.

Using data compiled from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census and estimates from the developer and its own internal resources, the retail gap for the types of stores Alumni Development is proposing to bring to the Tuscaloosa market totals at least $276.9 million, Jolly said.

But if the development is complete, the shopping center could offset this retail shortfall by $49.6 to $67.2 million.

"All of us have a vested interest in Tuscaloosa in one way or the other," Owens said of his Alumni Development partners. "This will keep people from having to go outside the Tuscaloosa city limits and allows them to spend money in town without having to travel long distances.

"It keeps that money in the market."

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...1291?p=1&tc=pg

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Gah, it's about damn time. It'll be nice to have these retailers right in the middle of town.

[TheCapstone]

And its approved.

Incentive package for Tuscaloosa shopping center project approved

An incentive package of $16.57 million in tax rebates for a Clanton-based developer was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Tuscaloosa City Council.

Alumni Construction & Development Co. will get the tax rebated for its the $62 million shopping center it will build at the corner of 13th Avenue and McFarland Boulevard — the site of the former Cedar Crest neighborhood that was destroyed by the April 27, 2011, tornado.

The 217,500-square-foot development will bring six new anchor stores — Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fresh Market, PetSmart, DSW Shoes, Bed Bath & Beyond and Cost Plus World Market — to the area with the completion of the Shoppes at Legacy Park.

With approval of the incentive agreement came an update on the project’s timeline. Alumni Construction is now required to begin construction by Oct. 1 and developers expect the project the be finished by October 2015.

“Come next Christmas, there will be a new place to shop in Tuscaloosa,” said Keith Owens of Alumni Construction & Development. “I believe Alumni Development has delivered on its promise to the city of Tuscaloosa.

“We’re doing everything we can to get the community energized about what’s coming.”

Prior to Tuesday night’s meeting, Jim Page, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, said he supported the incentive package not only for the benefit of Alumni Development, but also for the future of the Tuscaloosa retail market.

“These new-to-the-market tenants will not only help keep sales tax dollars at home, but they will make the Tuscaloosa market more attractive” to retailers not currently here, Page said.

Essentially, Tuscaloosa has suffered from a misrepresentation of its demographics, meaning more retail store companies have not seen it worthwhile to invest here, he said.

Now, college students — and the money they can spend — are part of the equation. And with the six new anchor tenants now announced, it will make other companies see the area as desirable, Page said.

“Momentum breeds momentum,” he said. “There’s going to be other retailers (asking): ‘Why aren’t we in that market?’”

Once completed, the retail development is projected to create up to 600 new jobs, at least $37.2 million in annual sales taxes, up to $120,000 in new yearly business license fees and generate property taxes of more than $160,000, which will increase yearly for the next three decades.

Of the $16.57 million in city-granted incentives, City Hall will rebate to Alumni Development 78 percent of the sales taxes generated from the six anchor stores it plans to bring over 15 years or a total of $9.8 million, whichever comes first. For the remaining stores, the city will collect all the sales taxes.

Additionally, the city will rebate property taxes from the entire 16.125-acre tract for the next 30 years or for a total of $6.77 million, whichever comes first.

The agreement contains stipulations requiring Alumni Development to use a certain percentage of contractors from Tuscaloosa County.

Property taxes for city schools will not be affected by the incentive package. Those taxes are estimated to reach $430,000 a year, or $12.9 million over a 30-year span.

Also included in the agreement is a “New Business Marketing” provision that requires Alumni Development to fill 90 percent of the retail space with businesses and stores that are new to the Tuscaloosa market.

For the remaining 10 percent of space or about 22,000 square feet, Alumni Development will face additional limitations for three years after its grand opening.

During that time, Alumni Development cannot recruit existing businesses unless the relocating tenant is moving into a larger space or it signs a longer lease in the Alumni Development project than it has with its current landlord.

The limitations are not enough, according to at least one Tuscaloosa-based development company that is concerned about losing tenants from its current and future shopping sites.

Pate Companies attorney Cam Parsons told the City Council that the New Business Marketing provision did not do enough to protect existing property owners from having their tenants poached by the Shoppes at Legacy Park.

“How much of that total shop space are you going to allow to be taken from other landlords?,” Parsons said. “On behalf of those who have been developing here for decades, we’re concerned about the competitive advantage (of the incentives).”

Parsons, who first brought his concerns to the council members during its pre-

council meeting, succeeded in getting the 36 months from the grand opening provision added to the incentive package. Initially, it was for 24 months starting from the moment construction began.

Still, the change was not enough, he said, asking for a five-year window from the time the retail center opened.

“I still don’t think this provision, as drafted, does what it’s intended to do,” Parsons said.

Associate City Attorney Tom Bobitt, who authored the final incentive package, said the agreement allows the City Council to revoke any or all tax rebates if Alumni Development does not fulfill all of the detailed rules and regulations.

“If the developer defaults on any part of the agreement,” Bobitt said, “the developer could lose their incentives.”

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...news?p=1&tc=pg

[TheCapstone]

Demolition work for new ballfields at Bowers Park

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...40809850?tc=cr

[TheCapstone]

Council approves downtown projects; Plans include upgrades to Kress building and demolishing building for new bank

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...NEWS/140809933

[TheCapstone]

Hotel Indigo coming to T-Town also, as well as Austin, El Paso, Orange Beach AL, and other

[TheCapstone]

Ceremony marks Home2 Suites project downtown; 113-room hotel being built just west of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South

The redevelopment of Tuscaloosa’s downtown attracted Harrell and his fellow investors, who include Cohen Investments of Memphis, Tenn., which is headed by University of Alabama alumni Eliot and Stuart Cohen.

“We have been in this market looking for a long time. ...The downtown setting is the perfect spot,” Harrell said. “There has been a lot of focus in developing the downtown’s nightlife and restaurants and entertainment. ...We wanted to be near other demand generators — the university, the downtown restaurants and there’s a lot of entertainment venues.”

[TheCapstone]

Auto supplier to break ground on $50 million plant in Tuscaloosa

Auto supplier Bolta US Inc. will break ground Thursday on a $50 million plant in the Tuscaloosa Airport Industrial Park that will produce chrome-plated plastic parts.

The company plans to employ more than 350 people at the facility, its first in the U.S., by 2018. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2015, with operations starting by the end of that year.

The plant will cover nearly 180,000 square feet, with injection
molding departments, a chrome plating line, a paint line, quality & logistics areas and administrative offices.

Initial customers will be Mercedes‐Benz in Tuscaloosa County and the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The project, announced last September, was supported by the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, the city of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County and the state of Alabama.

According to The Tuscaloosa News, the incentives package included $1.6 million in cash and assistance from the Alabama Industrial Development Training program. The Tuscaloosa city and county governments also are providing an additional $250,000 each, with the city making $1.7 million in sewer system improvements at the industrial park.

Gov. Robert Bentley and other state and local officials are expected to attend Thursday's groundbreaking.

"TCIDA is pleased to add Bolta as the newest member of Alabama's largest
automotive cluster," Dara Longgrear, executive director of the TCIDA, said in a prepared statement. "They are an industry leader and could have been anywhere in the United States and they chose to be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama."

Bolta, with more than 1,800 employees worldwide, is headquartered in Germany.

[TheCapstone]

Construction delays prevent move ins at new apartment complex at the Riverfront Village

Sucks for the students who were moving in. Classes start this upcoming Wednesday and I'm sure they're anxious to get in.

[TheCapstone]

Tuscaloosa City Schools expecting to end year with $14 million

The end of fiscal year 2014 is fast approaching, and the ending balance for the Tuscaloosa City Schools budget is looking better than anticipated.

“We ended up with $14 million in the bank, and we thought we were going to end up with $11 million,” said Ed LaVigne, chief financial officer for the city schools. “I would say that's good news.”

At a budget hearing Thursday, LaVigne said the system started the fiscal year with a general fund — the system's main operating fund — balance of $19.6 million and a budget for the year of $86.2 million. But with only $78.3 million in revenues, the system was expected to blow its budget by about $7.9 million.

However, thanks to cost-saving measures such as hiring fewer employees and cutting down on services at programs like summer school, system officials were able to reduce overspending by about $3 million.

But the fiscal year is not over — it ends Sept. 30 — and LaVigne said he hopes to make a few more cuts before they close the books.

“That $14 million (2015 fiscal year) beginning balance could be $14.4 million,” he said. “That's why I'm trying to reduce spending still.”

In the 2015 fiscal year, LaVigne estimates that the system will continue to spend more than it receives in revenues — and by doing so continue to whittle down its reserve — but the amount that's overspent is estimated to be reduced further than it was in the current fiscal year.

“Next year we'll end with $9.5 million,” LaVigne said.

The system's proposed budget for the 2015 fiscal year is $85 million. Revenues are expected to come in at about $80 million.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by TheCapstone

Construction delays prevent move ins at new apartment complex at the Riverfront Village

Sucks for the students who were moving in. Classes start this upcoming Wednesday and I'm sure they're anxious to get in.

Yea, that's the reason I never had a desire to move into an apartment community that was under construction. You never know how the summer before completion is going to go.

[TheCapstone]

Downtown is getting a new Japanese restaurant.



New sushi restaurant approved for downtown

[TheCapstone]

City/University of Alabama corridor studied

Improved pedestrian and bicycling options and slower traffic are the highlights of a preliminary plan for revamping the University Boulevard corridor between downtown Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama.

The plans were unveiled Thursday by the consultant and architects for a task force formed about a year ago to study ways to better connect downtown and the university. The study is jointly funded by the city and the university.

“This is your best chance to have a great corridor in Tuscaloosa,” said Jeff Speck, the Washington D.C.-based planner who was brought on as consultant for the plan.

Speck is the author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time,” a book that’s been heralded in planning circles as a practical approach to revitalizing urban areas.

He outlined the UA/Downtown Tuscaloosa Connectivity Plan, which relies heavily on the addition of bicycle paths on University Boulevard and other parts of downtown. The bike paths would shrink the size of the current traffic lanes, slowing vehicular traffic and creating a more

pedestrian-friendly area.

Some options outlined by Speck and Allen Maxwell, manager of the civil and environmental engineering department of Almon Associates of Tuscaloosa, would require no more than re-striping current streets. This would work for areas of University Boulevard between Queen City Avenue and the Strip where the street width and existing rights-of-way already are ample.

Other options include re-striping as well as some level of construction, such as the installation of bike tracks — two-way bicycle paths on the sides of streets protected from cars and pedestrians by a small median and a vegetative buffer.

[ttownfeen]

I like Jinsei's design. I don't agree with the dissenting neighbors: it's not a bad thing for pleasantly contrasting architecture to exist. As the sole commenter on the T-New story (as I write this) pointed out: who wants an authentic sushi restaurant to look like antebellum plantation?

[TheCapstone]

Downtown projects gain T-Town City Council approval

Two downtown projects gained unanimous approval Tuesday night from the Tuscaloosa City Council.

The largest and most visible is a planned two-building, $25 million mixed-use project at 2140 Fourth St.

Dubbed “Rosewood on Fourth,” the project will feature a four-story building fronting on Fourth Street with a five-story building directly behind it. The exterior of each will primarily consist of brick, masonry and glass.

Developers First Paramount LLC and Ford Waters & Associates are designing the bottom floor of the four-story structure to house more than 13,000 square feet of office and commercial space.

The remaining floors in both buildings will have 10 two-bedroom apartments each for a total of 80 apartments and 160 bedrooms.

Parking for the residents will be in a 143-space, two-level parking deck built partially into the hillside. A pool for tenants and guests will be placed just west of the four-story building.

The second project approved by the council was for a

balcony-like structure at Catch 22 bar at 2328 Sixth St.

According to design drawings, the structure will be similar to that of the Shirt Shop and 5 restaurant, which are located on either side of Catch 22.

Both projects fall under the regulations of the Downtown/Riverfront Overlay District, which calls for approval by an administrative review committee, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council.

[TheCapstone]

Been gone for a while, but now I'm back.

A lot of interesting development going on, including the project on McFardland Blvd. Across from the Lofts where the tornado went through, they've started breaking ground for the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fresh Market, PetSmart, DSW Shoes, Bed Bath & Beyond and Cost Plus World Market.

As far as downtown goes, this is the only thing I've seen recently.

2 more downtown projects approved

Two downtown projects have gained the Tuscaloosa City Council's unanimous approval to proceed.

The most publicly accessible of the two projects likely will be the new headquarters for First United Security Bank, which is planning to renovate the former offices of accounting firm JamisonMoneyFarmer at 2619 and 2621 University Blvd.

Philip O'Leary, deputy director of the city's Department of Planning and Development Services, told the City Council that the developers behind the new bank intend to demolish the single-story building at

2621 University Blvd. and renovate the two-story building at 2619 University Blvd. into a local branch and commercial lending office.

The design calls for stucco, brick and composite columns, among other design elements, for the exterior.

Inside, the renovated bank is expected to have retail tellers, a drive-through window on the west side of the building, typical bank operations on the ground floor and office space on the second floor.

The overall investment into the site is unknown. Ellis Architects, which oversaw the approval process for the bank, declined to disclose the total, and a bank representative could not be reached Wednesday afternoon. Parking for the new bank is designed to have 15 new off-street parking spaces and five new on-street spaces.

[TheCapstone]

Alberta Parkway project approved by Tuscaloosa City Council committee

City Engineer David Griffin said the work will involve the relocation and installation of the city's storm and sanitary sewer, water line and fiber optic networks between 26th Avenue and the Alberta School of Performing Arts and near the Alabama Power substation on 25th Avenue East (between Fire Station No. 4 and Seventh Street).

[TheCapstone]

This looks amazing and I hope it comes to fruition. Would be amazing for downtown.

Downtown Tuscaloosa project goes to planners

It's taken about five years, but developer Wesley Spruill is ready to move forward with a plan to renovate a downtown block for a new retail, restaurant and residential development.

Spruill, through his company Rock Point Estates LLC, has amassed six lots at the southeast corner of the intersection of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard South and University Boulevard, the last one within the past year. He plans to demolish the existing structures, including the home of Black Warrior Printing and Imaging — "Home of the 39 cent color copy" — and rebuild a three-story building of about 22,500 square feet.

In the nearly $3 million investment, Spruill plans to add a retail shop, coffee shop and restaurant with a formal outdoor courtyard in what he anticipates to be the city's largest outdoor eating area.

"It's basically the busiest corner downtown. It's sort of the entrance into the city from the north," said Spruill, who also works as the medical director of the DCH Health System's SpineCare Center on Ruby Tyler Parkway. "Ideally, what we'd like to have is an upscale restaurant that would work in that space."

Planned for above the restaurant, retail shop and coffee shop is two stories of 2-bedroom loft apartments with six per floor, for a total of 24 bedrooms.

Spruill said they're designed as true loft apartments inside a fully bricked building with big balconies.

Spruill and Rock Point Estates still have some bureaucratic hurdles to clear, which could push the upcoming demolition back at least six months and possibly up to a year. But once the project gets under way, Spruill said, construction could be complete within eight months or so.