Huntsville updates

[PSMadison]

Not a chance for either Huntsville or Birmingham. Amazon makes a big deal about diversity, inclusion, and tolerance. They're not going to come to a state that supports Roy Moore and Jeff Sessions. Period. This is a waste of time and money.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by PSMadison

Not a chance for either Huntsville or Birmingham. Amazon makes a big deal about diversity, inclusion, and tolerance. They're not going to come to a state that supports Roy Moore and Jeff Sessions. Period. This is a waste of time and money.

No desire to get into a political discussion, but people like Roy Moore show that we are diverse and tolerant. If someone claims to be diverse or tolerant, you need to include all. Not just pre-determined levels. FYI, I can't stand Roy Moore and refuse to vote for the guy.

[MovingAL]

Per WAFF and AL.com, the Mobile BayBears are to be sold and relocated to Madison as part of the Town Madison Development.

http://www.waff.com/story/36597235/b...-north-alabama

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2...default-widget

Any clue as to how they plan to incorporate the stadium into the current design plan?

[Tennhioland]

Originally Posted by MovingAL

Any clue as to how they plan to incorporate the stadium into the current design plan?

No specific info, but I imagine a stadium would be built in the "Exchange" or "District" regions of the original map. The new Urban Center District zoning addition that Madison is adding specifically mentions a 3000 seat minimum facility for sporting events. The section of Town Madison that is being amended to this new district is The Exchange, District and Avenue Z sections.

[HSVTiger]

Site work has begun at Constellation, the long promised mixed use development downtown.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Site work has begun at Constellation, the long promised mixed use development downtown.

Conste-what?

J/K. The initial Constellation hype came and went before I even left for undergrad...

[DP1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Site work has begun at Constellation, the long promised mixed use development downtown.

Good one.
I now need to crack this joke at work

[Saj07]

Originally Posted by DP1

Good one.
I now need to crack this joke at work

Surveyors were out there this morning. I was wondering how many times that patch of land had been surveyed. I will believe it when I see the buildings beginning to rise. I just hope someday something nicer looking conceals that plain and dull looking hotel they built there.

Anyone catch the news about the county considering on renovate vs. replacing the courthouse? One of the commissioners interviewed was leaning toward renovation. Really?

[DP1]

Anyone catch the news about the county considering on renovate vs. replacing the courthouse? One of the commissioners interviewed was leaning toward renovation. Really?[/QUOTE]

Yes, saw that one. I wish that monster were demolished. Imagine the square without that (or any other) building - will probably become one of most beautiful squares in the entire country.
So, I'd definitely vote to replace the ugly building (and in a totally different location).

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by DP1

Anyone catch the news about the county considering on renovate vs. replacing the courthouse? One of the commissioners interviewed was leaning toward renovation. Really?

Yes, saw that one. I wish that monster were demolished. Imagine the square without that (or any other) building - will probably become one of most beautiful squares in the entire country.
So, I'd definitely vote to replace the ugly building (and in a totally different location).[/QUOTE]

the interior stairwell and mosaic art work is nice though

[DP1]

the interior stairwell and mosaic art work is nice though

Probably so. And yet, imagine the square without that building.
Something like this:

[HSVTiger]

As previously mentioned a 4 Story, 131 Room Hyatt Place hotel slated for construction at Bridge Street just north of Toys r Us.
Corner of Eagle and Governors' West

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by DP1

Probably so. And yet, imagine the square without that building.
Something like this:

That would put a lot of emphasis on the confederate statue. I don't think that would be a good idea.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

That would put a lot of emphasis on the confederate statue. I don't think that would be a good idea.

^^^^^^^^^^^
Hahaha, agreed.

I do think that it would be wonderful for downtown Huntsville to have a nice greened square with foliage. It certainly would be a tremendous gathering place for people who live and work in downtown.

The current county courthouse absolutely needs to go. It is ugly, and ill suited to be a seat of a rapidly growing county. Given that the subsurface of downtown bears a strong resemblance to that of Swiss cheese, the county courthouse needs to leave the center of downtown for a part of town that is near the general core of town that is capable of supporting (structurally and otherwise) an appropriately sized building for Madison County's government.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

As previously mentioned a 4 Story, 131 Room Hyatt Place hotel slated for construction at Bridge Street just north of Toys r Us.
Corner of Eagle and Governors' West

Construction begins next month

[HSVTiger]

Well its down to Alabama and North Carolina for the Toyota Mazda plant.
Very tough competition
The new 187 room Drury under construction will look very much like this.
Also there will be a stand alone restaurant next to the hotel on the site

[SpawnOfVulcan]

I knew it would at least come down to Alabama and one or two other states.

North Carolina has a lot to offer. It has the many people that move to the state per year that few states can match, and I think that is its main strength.

Alabama, however, has a tried-and-true workforce development program that has never failed to please large industrial developments. Plus, it has shovel-ready sites in the part of the state that can most easily attract/train a workforce (North Alabama).

I think what it comes down to is 1) workforce development, and 2) the site.

I would be SHOCKED if Toyota/Mazda didn't select a North Alabama site for their new plant. There is plenty of land, with perfect access to railroad and interstate, and superb access to conventional power sources should they not pursue their own alternative energy generation source. North Alabama has recently shown as much ease in attracting automotive manufacturing as Tuscaloosa has, and I think that is going to be a major factor in Toyota/Mazda's decision.

[stallty]

https://imgur.com/a/nVs2b

Renderings/Plan for Town Madison's ball park.

It looks exactly like I feared it would, tacky and gimmicky. I was hoping for a smaller version of the Braves development, or ideally a development like Bricktown in OKC (also scaled down). Maybe I am just too pessimistic about this development to see the vision.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by stallty

https://imgur.com/a/nVs2b

Renderings/Plan for Town Madison's ball park.

It looks exactly like I feared it would, tacky and gimmicky. I was hoping for a smaller version of the Braves development, or ideally a development like Bricktown in OKC (also scaled down). Maybe I am just too pessimistic about this development to see the vision.

What exactly is gimmicky about it?

[stallty]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

What exactly is gimmicky about it?

The lazy river stands out as #1, reminds me of Miami's pools in their stadium. A gimmick to try and boost ticket sales that will be filled in during the next renovation.

Montgomery's Riverwalk stadium or Regions Field in Birmingham look like permanent stadiums meant to last long term. This seems like a stadium that will be there for 20 years to help a developer. I am all for Madison building a ball park, I just wish there was more thought put into the design.

I trust Populous knows what they are doing so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.