Huntsville updates - Page 359

HSVTiger · #**7161** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 12:19 AM**

Downtown planning update
http://bigpicturehuntsville.com/down...r-plan-update/

the VBC and Fountain Circle concepts are great.
The VBC parking garage idea has been around for a long time and should be high priority.
A twenty story 200 room Hyatt on the parking deck with shops along Big Spring and skyway to the VBC would be ideal.
Would like to see a downtown research park complex of several mid/high rise buildings north of Holmes. Connect to Big Spring
via a greenway. Lite rail from the depot to Bridge Street/Research Park terminal and another at the Redstone Gateway.
Future line to Huntsville International. Arriving passengers could take a lite rail to downtown, and locals could ride between these destinations.

Colin Giersberg · #**7162** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 4:43 AM**

Interim Report #2, Alabama 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan.

It's a bit lengthy, but there are two scenarios included, one with no roads widened and one with the roads widened. These are the primary routes, including those in Birmingham, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and the Huntsville/Madison/Athens/Shoals areas.

http://www.dot.state.al.us/tpmpweb/m...Report%202.pdf

Colin Giersberg · #**7163** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 4:45 AM**

ALDOT's 5 year plan from 2014-2019.

http://cpmsapps.dot.state.al.us/Offi.../NORTH_Hwy.pdf

huntsvillefan · #**7164** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 7:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Downtown planning update
http://bigpicturehuntsville.com/down...r-plan-update/

the VBC and Fountain Circle concepts are great.
The VBC parking garage idea has been around for a long time and should be high priority.
A twenty story 200 room Hyatt on the parking deck with shops along Big Spring and skyway to the VBC would be ideal.
Would like to see a downtown research park complex of several mid/high rise buildings north of Holmes. Connect to Big Spring
via a greenway. Lite rail from the depot to Bridge Street/Research Park terminal and another at the Redstone Gateway.
Future line to Huntsville International. Arriving passengers could take a lite rail to downtown, and locals could ride between these destinations.

I love your ideas here. Implementing any of them would be fantastic for the city of Huntsville!

DP1 · #**7165** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 9:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntsvillefan

I love your ideas here. Implementing any of them would be fantastic for the city of Huntsville!

All the ideas are great, probably none will be implemented in our lifetime.

stallty · #**7166** Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Downtown planning update
http://bigpicturehuntsville.com/down...r-plan-update/

the VBC and Fountain Circle concepts are great.
The VBC parking garage idea has been around for a long time and should be high priority.
A twenty story 200 room Hyatt on the parking deck with shops along Big Spring and skyway to the VBC would be ideal.
Would like to see a downtown research park complex of several mid/high rise buildings north of Holmes. Connect to Big Spring
via a greenway. Lite rail from the depot to Bridge Street/Research Park terminal and another at the Redstone Gateway.
Future line to Huntsville International. Arriving passengers could take a lite rail to downtown, and locals could ride between these destinations.

Love these ideas, I really wanted Calhoun to move their Huntsville Campus along Pinhook creek north of Pratt as the center of a smaller/more urban research park area. Repurposing the Lincoln park projects and connecting it to downtown proper via a greenway along Pinhook Creek. Love their new building, but it would look better downtown

.

Tourian · #**7167** Posted **Apr 22, 2017, 5:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1502

I agree that Mid City will be a huge addition to the HSV area. I have a couple of observations:

1. The outdoor retailer which they speak of in the park area (by the lakes) will most likely be REI. While Bass Pro Shop has shown interest in the area, they will more likely want to be at the I-565/I-65 interchange to draw from a larger area. REI, on the other hand, has a narrower customer base of high income households who are participants in hiking, cycling, rock climbing, etc. This population tends to reside more in Madison County.

That would be very interesting considering all the hoopla and accusal of graft on to where Cabela's ended up as opposed to being an anchor tennant for Town Madison. Depending on what you believe Huntsville had to do or pay to get Cabela's to come and their proximity to this development do you really think they will or can make the same promise to REI which by process of elimination is all thats left in the "outdoor retailer" game (if it has to be a new to market 1st to Alabama retailer) I suppose getting a Field and Stream wouldnt be boastful enough.

I think that spot was meant for Cabela's too they just couldnt get the deal done fast enough to raze MSM and are probably right now scrambling for anchors and tennants just like TM is.

stallty · #**7168** Posted **Apr 22, 2017, 10:17 PM**

It should be a 20-30k sqft REI store with no incentives. They've been looking to expand into Alabama.

I think something the size of Cabelas or Bas Pro would have really ruined the mini-downtown/neighborhood feel MidCity is going for. It would have turned it into another iteration of Bridge Street.

Tennhioland · #**7169** Posted **Apr 27, 2017, 2:20 PM**

Recent picture of the new road they're building. Compared to the latest renderings, it sure looks like they haven't modified the plan for the road that runs beside Top Golf and the possible amphitheater, even though the movie theater is apparently staying. I wonder if the theater will really stay in the end? Or maybe the road will travel through the movie theater parking lot and they'll build a garage closer to the theater or more parking for the theater across the road.

(sorry for the large image, not sure how to change easily)

RCSHSV · #**7170** Posted **Apr 27, 2017, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tennhioland

Recent picture of the new road they're building. Compared to the latest renderings, it sure looks like they haven't modified the plan for the road that runs beside Top Golf and the possible amphitheater, even though the movie theater is apparently staying. I wonder if the theater will really stay in the end? Or maybe the road will travel through the movie theater parking lot and they'll build a garage closer to the theater or more parking for the theater across the road.

(sorry for the large image, not sure how to change easily)

The road leading to the Amphitheatre is part of Phase 2, which won't start until most of the front retail is complete

mp7123 · #**7171** Posted **Apr 28, 2017, 2:05 AM**

and plans to do a $12 million renovation to it. Apparently another church has already purchased the current Rock Location.

HSVTiger · #**7172** Posted **Apr 28, 2017, 3:20 PM**

Nashville developer investing in West Huntsville /Lowe Mill area.

from WHNT
Thursday, the council voted the first ever piece of property into that a newly created C6 Village Business District.: the area West of Seminole Drive and South of 8th Avenue. It's just to the West of Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, and leaders say it will soon become a mixed-use development.
Right now, the city still owns the vacant area where the development will sit. That will change hands in the next few months.
"We hope to close, hand it over to the developer soon," explained planner Jim McGuffey, "which will give them the opportunity to start design and from there, we hope to review plans. Look at the architecture. Look at the layouts. And move forward with construction."

http://whnt.com/2017/04/27/huntsvill...redevelopment/

HSVTiger · #**7173** Posted **Apr 28, 2017, 3:23 PM**

What makes this nice is that it is a redeveloped abandoned former Walmart. Walmart moved a few blocks away with a new store.
Academy Sports and Outdoors is celebrating a store opening at the corner of Drake & South Memorial Parkway

Saj07 · #**7174** Posted **May 1, 2017, 7:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1502

I used Nashville/Davidson County merely as a comparison that Madison County can easily double its population without being crowded.

(late reply) We would desperately need metro government for this. We lack sewer out in most areas of the county, the water system plays whack a mole with leaks, and fire protection EMS first response is done by volunteers.

Special request: A controlled access north-south toll turnpike that bypasses the BHAM metro. I'd pay.

Tennhioland · #**7175** Posted **May 2, 2017, 7:33 PM**

New restaurant downtown at The Avenue.

https://crunkletonblog.wordpress.com...ant-soda-jerk/

HSVTiger · #**7176** Posted **May 9, 2017, 1:59 AM**

Jim N Nicks buys TGI Fridays property. Fridays was open in that location for 30 years.
Fridays will be torn down and a new Jim n Nicks should be open by the end of the year

ThatGuy · #**7177** Posted **May 9, 2017, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Jim N Nicks buys TGI Fridays property. Fridays was open in that location for 30 years.
Fridays will be torn down and a new Jim n Nicks should be open by the end of the year

Correct me if I am wrong, but the last time they were in Huntsville they opened up on University Dr. just as that area had started it's decline. I am sensing a pattern here...

David1502 · #**7178** Posted **May 9, 2017, 10:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

Correct me if I am wrong, but the last time they were in Huntsville they opened up on University Dr. just as that area had started it's decline. I am sensing a pattern here...

I disagree that this area of University is about to start its decline - quite the opposite. Mid City Huntsville will be a more than $300 million development and will be a quarter of a mile away. It will include high end establishments like Top Golf, and most likely an REI outdoor store in addition to an artisan food hall, 200,000 square ft. of high end office space for technology companies and an arena that can seat 8,500. The existing businesses seem to be holding their own and include North Alabama's only electronics/appliance stores in Best Buy and Conn's. The former mostly empty University Shopping Center (anchored by Burlington Coat Factory and Phil Sandoval's) has new life as a result of a new owner and is quickly filling up with new stores. The shopping center across from the former Madison Square was completely empty in 2010 and is now completely leased with Earth Fare as the main anchor tenant.

As to the location of the soon to be Jim and Nick's - Chili's and Newks Café are in the adjacent shopping center and it is a challenge to get in the parking lot of the Chick fil A at Wynn Drive because of the high demand. Rooms to Go is building their furniture show room across the street. This is not a sign of an area about to go into decline. The areas east of Sparkman Drive across from UAHuntsville fit that description. However, it appears that Jim and Nick's has selected a location which had experienced a slow down in the past with the decline of Madison Square Mall, but is now on a roll.

HSVTiger · #**7179** Posted **May 10, 2017, 1:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1502

I disagree that this area of University is about to start its decline - quite the opposite. Mid City Huntsville will be a more than $300 million development and will be a quarter of a mile away. It will include high end establishments like Top Golf, and most likely an REI outdoor store in addition to an artisan food hall, 200,000 square ft. of high end office space for technology companies and an arena that can seat 8,500. The existing businesses seem to be holding their own and include North Alabama's only electronics/appliance stores in Best Buy and Conn's. The former mostly empty University Shopping Center (anchored by Burlington Coat Factory and Phil Sandoval's) has new life as a result of a new owner and is quickly filling up with new stores. The shopping center across from the former Madison Square was completely empty in 2010 and is now completely leased with Earth Fare as the main anchor tenant.

As to the location of the soon to be Jim and Nick's - Chili's and Newks Café are in the adjacent shopping center and it is a challenge to get in the parking lot of the Chick fil A at Wynn Drive because of the high demand. Rooms to Go is building their furniture show room across the street. This is not a sign of an area about to go into decline. The areas east of Sparkman Drive across from UAHuntsville fit that description. However, it appears that Jim and Nick's has selected a location which had experienced a slow down in the past with the decline of Madison Square Mall, but is now on a roll.

agree with this, this section of University a half west and east of the future Jim n Nicks may be the hottest strip of development in Huntsville right now.
Something made that spot very desirable to buy out Fridays

ThatGuy · #**7180** Posted **May 10, 2017, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

agree with this, this section of University a half west and east of the future Jim n Nicks may be the hottest strip of development in Huntsville right now.
Something made that spot very desirable to buy out Fridays

Well, I hope I'm wrong.