Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Constructiuon at Harris Hill..hotel maybe. Site work is underway.

Looks like it may be 24/7 gym health center, they are currently on Winchester Rd.

[HSVTiger]

Nice addition to Bridge Street
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is opening at Bridge Street Town Centre in October.

The Florida-based fast-casual restaurant will be located near Connors Steakhouse. The company website lists Oct. 5 as the opening date. This will be the first location outside Florida, publicists said.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Nice addition to Bridge Street
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is opening at Bridge Street Town Centre in October.

The Florida-based fast-casual restaurant will be located near Connors Steakhouse. The company website lists Oct. 5 as the opening date. This will be the first location outside Florida, publicists said.

I wonder if this will be the old Dolce spot. Is this like a Chipotle or Qdoba?

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

I wonder if this will be the old Dolce spot. Is this like a Chipotle or Qdoba?

Qdoba I would guess and or http://www.salsaritas.com/ on South Parkway at Drake
http://www.limefreshmexicangrill.com/#get-fresh-4c53c7

[HSVTiger]

Dunkin a few steps closer, downtown may be one of those locations.

Dunkin' Donuts has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with the Robinson Family and Southern Food Services Inc. for four new restaurants in Northern Huntsville, Ala. The first restaurant is slated to open in 2012 and the remainder by 2016.

"We are excited to bring Dunkin' Donuts' to Northern Huntsville and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," said Blake Robinson, vice president, Southern Food Services Inc. "We have a passion and loyalty for the brand and look forward to the opening of our restaurants in the years to come."

Franchise opportunities are still available in Alabama, specifically in Birmingham, Dothan, South Huntsville, Guntersville, Decatur, Athens, Scottsboro and Muscle Shoals.

[David1502]

There is a Watercress sign (with their green logo) over the former Dolce location at Bridge Street. I guess they decided that Bridge Street would be a better location than their present Fountain Row location downtown. In a way, they are following The Heritage Club in leaving downtown and moving to Bridge Street. This would seem logical as business travelers to HSV are who keeps the higher priced restaurants in business in this area. Restaurants can't make it just on weekend business from locals and the business travelers are for the most part staying in western Huntsville. They will now be able to get some of Connor's overflow and will be just steps from The Westin.

Until Downtown Huntsville gets more hotels than the Embassy Suites and the old dumpy Holiday Inn, downtown restaurants will struggle. Bridge Street has become in effect the "downtown" for business travelers.

[HSVTiger]

Doubletree hotels coming to Huntsville..sort of.
Radisson Suite Hotel is scheduled to be re-flagged as a DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in February 2012.
This would be the Radisson on South Parkway
http://www.radisson.com/huntsville-h...35802/huntsvil

Doubletree could really make a strong statement downtown with a nice high rise, but maybe someone else.

[HSVTiger]

747 Dreamliner Cargo Freighter at Huntsville International
this thing is Huge!






Pictures courtesy Huntsville International Airport

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Qdoba I would guess and or http://www.salsaritas.com/ on South Parkway at Drake
http://www.limefreshmexicangrill.com/#get-fresh-4c53c7

As long as the quality is good, this should do very well there.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

747 Dreamliner Cargo Freighter at Huntsville International
this thing is Huge!

Pictures courtesy Huntsville International Airport

Wow. What was it there for? Just to show off?

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

Wow. What was it there for? Just to show off?

It is part of Atlas's cargo fleet which has daily 747 service to Huntsville. It will be used mainly for shipping parts for Boeings new Dreamliner aircraft. Huntsville International is one of the few airports in the United States that is approved to handle the giant. It may have been here for local Boeing officials to have a look see.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by David1502

There is a Watercress sign (with their green logo) over the former Dolce location at Bridge Street. I guess they decided that Bridge Street would be a better location than their present Fountain Row location downtown. In a way, they are following The Heritage Club in leaving downtown and moving to Bridge Street. This would seem logical as business travelers to HSV are who keeps the higher priced restaurants in business in this area. Restaurants can't make it just on weekend business from locals and the business travelers are for the most part staying in western Huntsville. They will now be able to get some of Connor's overflow and will be just steps from The Westin.

Until Downtown Huntsville gets more hotels than the Embassy Suites and the old dumpy Holiday Inn, downtown restaurants will struggle. Bridge Street has become in effect the "downtown" for business travelers.

From the story in the Huntsville Times the Bridge Street location will be their second store keeping the downtown one as well.

[Colin Giersberg]

According to WHNT TV 19, Governor Bentley is talking to a company that could provide upwards of 2000 jobs in N. Alabama, but that is all he could say about it.

AUDI maybe?

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Colin Giersberg

According to WHNT TV 19, Governor Bentley is talking to a company that could provide upwards of 2000 jobs in N. Alabama, but that is all he could say about it.

AUDI maybe?

Hopefully..ALDOT would be involved already if so. Probably modify the plans a little they did for VW.

[Colin Giersberg]

I have no idea if ALDOT is involved yet, beacause that would be out of Montgomery. One issue will be where the money will come from to build any new lanes and interchanges, not to mention the new roads from Tanner to Pete's Corner, then southeast toward Greenbrier, and also extending Greenbrier Road north along Powell Rd. to tie in at Huntsville/Browns Ferry Rd.
ALDOT is already paving Hwy. 24 west of Decatur in Morgan Co. and it looks like it is just the outside lanes each direction only. Another project to be let in the next month or two on Hwy. 24 in Lawrence Co. from west of Jack's Restaurant east to the Morgan County line will pave only the eastbound lanes. It seems that most of the state's money is tied up in Birmingham with the I-22 interchange. That project is over $220 million alone and Montgomery has an $87 million project coming up soon. It seems that the rest of the state is left high and dry.

Regards, Colin

[neilson]

Originally Posted by Colin Giersberg

I have no idea if ALDOT is involved yet, beacause that would be out of Montgomery. One issue will be where the money will come from to build any new lanes and interchanges, not to mention the new roads from Tanner to Pete's Corner, then southeast toward Greenbrier, and also extending Greenbrier Road north along Putnam Rd. to tie in at Huntsville/Browns Ferry Rd.
ALDOT is already paving Hwy. 24 west of Decatur in Morgan Co. and it looks like it is just the outside lanes each direction only. Another project to be let in the next month or two on Hwy. 24 in Lawrence Co. from west of Jack's Restaurant east to the Morgan County line will pave only the eastbound lanes. It seems that most of the state's money is tied up in Birmingham with the I-22 interchange. That project is over $220 million alone and Montgomery has an $87 million project coming up soon. It seems that the rest of the state is left high and dry.

Regards, Colin

Here's a project I'd like to see. Extend Boeing Blvd west of County Line Road so that it ties into Swanscott Road and is 4 lanes divided all the way to 565/Greenbrier. It would be a great truck route to and from the Airport and Free Trade Zone.

[HSVTiger]

As reported earlier

A groundbreaking ceremony will be Friday at 2 p.m. for the 53-acre Colonial Promenade Huntsville development that will be anchored by a Walmart Supercenter and include a mix of retail shops, restaurants and apartments.

The project is to be built in three phases at U.S. 72 West between Balch and County Line roads, according to a news release. The total construction cost is estimated at $60 million, and total annual sales there are expected to reach more than $70 million.

The first phase of Colonial Promenade will include a 180,000-square-foot Walmart and up to 90,000 square feet of additional commercial space, primarily for retail shops and restaurants. It is scheduled to be finished no later than spring 2013.

The second phase will have 80,000 square feet of commercial space. A 27-acre apartment development will complete the project in the third phase.

The project includes about $2 million in public road improvements including the widening of U.S. 72, the construction of a new public road called Promenade Point Parkway and the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Promenade Point Parkway and U.S. 72.

Colonial Promenade is being developed by Birmingham-based Colonial Properties Trust, which owns or manages 35,189 apartment units and 14.5 million square feet of commercial space.

Source Huntsville Times

[HSVTiger]

Big news for a big airplane

Sun, Sep 04, 2011

FAA Certifies Huntsville International Airport For Boeing 747-8
Atlas And Cargolux Among First To Take Inventory Of New Boeing 747-8 Freighter
The FAA has certified Huntsville International Airport (KHSV) in Alabama to accommodate the Boeing 747-8. The August 17th certification approved the airport’s request, which will allow it to accommodate the aircraft on its 10,000-foot runway and 12,600-foot runway – the second-longest in the Southeast – as well as all associated taxiways. Huntsville International Airport is among 21 airports currently approved to accommodate this type of aircraft, including Chicago O’Hare, John F. Kennedy, Atlanta and Miami.



Atlas Air/Cargolux will use these freighters on their international routes to and from Huntsville.

[HSVTiger]

New high school in Madison County ready to move forward.
This will help ease crowding at Sparkman High School and will be located near
Railroad Bed and Jordan Ln (Highway 53) between 800-1000 students, open in 2013.
The three school systems in Madison County (Huntsville, Madison City, Madison) each have over 20,000 students.

[HSV Resident]

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Brace yourself for a more expensive power bill.

The Huntsville City Council on Thursday night approved a 3.5 percent electric rate hike sought by Huntsville Utilities -- the first local increase since 2002.

Combined with an unrelated 2 percent rate hike OK'd last month by the Tennessee Valley Authority, utility customers can expect their monthly bill to jump by about $7 beginning Oct. 1.

President and CEO William C. Pippin said Huntsville Utilities has to charge more to restore the "financial stability" of an electric system that has operated in the red since 2008.

Revenues have lagged behind expenses for the past three years, with losses of $3 million in 2008, $11.1 million in 2009 and $3.95 million in 2010.

The rate hike passed 4-0, with Will Culver, Bill Kling, John Olshefski and Mark Russell all voting yes.

Richard Showers was at a church conference and missed the meeting.

Culver said he knows it's not a great time to ask people to pay more for electricity. However, Huntsville Utilities has to be able to quickly get the power back on during future ice storms and tornadoes, he said.

"While I personally don't like it," Culver said, "I'm going to support it."

Kling urged utility officials to show more compassion to customers with legitimate financial troubles.

The utility's switch to a new billing system in May triggered widespread complaints about rude clerks, long lines at utility payment centers and long waits to get questions answered by phone.

While the utility extended lobby hours and hired more calltakers, Olshefski said he remains concerned about its customer service.

"They added a few (employees) now," he said, "but where are we going to be in six months?"

Also Thursday, Mayor Tommy Battle presented his proposed $228.6 million city budget for fiscal 2012.

Battle said the city needs to ramp up spending on basic services -- street resurfacing, ditch maintenance, replacing worn-out garbage trucks -- but stay lean in case the country slides back into a recession.

His budget plan grants step raises to eligible city employees -- at a cost of $1.3 million -- but no cost-of-living increase. A limited hiring freeze would also remain in effect.

Culver said he wants to consider giving municipal workers a 5 percent cost-of-living raise. Their last COLA was a 2 percent pay bump in 2008.

Finance Director Randy Taylor said a 5 percent raise would cost the city $5.6 million.

Kling said he likes the emphasis on meat-and-potatoes government services. For example, Battle is recommending $400,000 for drainage ditch maintenance after halting that work for a year to save money.

"They're not glamorous," Kling said, "but that's what we want to provide to the community."

The council scheduled a work session for 4:30 p.m. Thursday to talk about the budget in more detail. A spending plan for 2012 needs to be adopted before the fiscal year starts Oct. 1.