Montgomery development news

[thoraudio]

Considering the short notice, there was quite a good crowd there tonite. 250+

A couple of the planning commision members were sitting right in front of me, and said they didn't know about the meeting till yesterday either.

The meeting was basically a presentation of the plan (posted on www.doverkohl.com ), nice, but nothing groundbreaking.

what hit me while I was there, is that there needs to be a clearinghouse for planners/property owners/developers and investors to get together on.... like a website or something...

[bystander1]

That was a great turnout. What was said about the Lightning Route?

[kevinlpugh]

Victor Dover of Dover, Kohl and Partners presents the final plan for downtown development Thursday at Troy University Montgomery's Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts.
-- Lloyd Gallman


By Lisa Horn
Montgomery Advertiser


The final draft of a new downtown was revealed to a captive group of residents, business developers and historical preservationists Thursday at Troy University Montgomery's Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Roughly 250 people attended the 90-minute presentation, led by Victor Dover, lead partner at Dover Kohl and Partners, the Florida-based design firm hired to redevelop the city's core.

Using slides, Dover pitched the plan to the audience gathered, reiterating the firm's five recommended avenues for success:

# Preserving and restoring historic buildings;

# Improving the environment for private investment and development;

# Expanding downtown green and civic spaces;

# Incorporating land uses with building types and housing options, and

# Promoting a better balance of transportation options and designs.

He also explained how the design for downtown came about.

The ideas of "good society," "sound economy" and "healthy environment" were all taken into consideration when the firm studied the city's past and held public design sessions, Dover said.

"When you get to be thinking about all these things at once," Dover said, "you think about design."

If the city council approves the plan March 6, Dover said, the redevelopment of Dexter Avenue will move ahead once construction is complete on Court Street Plaza.

Sarah Spear, a Montgomery County Revenue commissioner who attended the event, said she was glad to see Dexter Avenue at the top of the redevelopment list.

"To be able to walk downtown with all the trees ... it's going to be beautiful," she said.

Kimberly Clark, who moved to Montgomery five months ago from Louisiana, is also optimistic about the proposal.

"It looks like a great plan," Clark said. "It looks like it's just going to take some time. I think if we can push (it at) the city council meeting, we can make it happen."

Clark and her husband, Darian, plan to open a smoothie business on Court Street.

Janeen Bush, another prospective business owner, hopes to operate a jazz bar downtown.

"I'm always excited about growth," she said. "You know what they say, 'If you build it, they will come.'"

Copies of Dover Kohl and Partners' plan for downtown Montgomery are available through the city's Planning and Development office.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by bystander1

That was a great turnout. What was said about the Lightning Route?

Mentioned in passing.

[Chad Emerson]

A couple of quick things:

1. Word is that the children's museum is moving forward but that's exactly what they're aiming for: a Children's Museum. Frankly, if that is indeed the case then they are going to miss the mark. In today's technology age (where my 5 year can navigate a CD-Rom and PlayhouseDisney.com quite proficiently), any attraction focused on children must be highly interactive and marketed as such.

Why?

Because if parents perceive an attraction as static then there's no way you'll get them to visit--especially those from outside the city who would make up a lion's share of the visitors.

Hopefully someone who knows people involved in the process can help convince them (if indeed they aren't currently convinced) that--unless the children's museum is going to be an highly interactive discovery type center, then this will be entirely underwhelming and unsuccessful.

Experience in other places in the Southeast make that very clear.

2. Mark your calendars and please plan to attend the first planning commission meeting in Feb. and then the first council meeting in March. Right now, the plan is for the new plan and new regulations to be voted on then.

3. If you get a chance sometime soon, check out the live/works at The Waters. The YMCA (mini-version) just opened as well as one other tenant. It's starting to really take shape. And, I'd also stop by the A&P too. The skin is on the building and its really fantastic from a design perspective as well as scale.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Chad Emerson

A couple of quick things:

1. Word is that the children's museum is moving forward but that's exactly what they're aiming for: a Children's Museum. Frankly, if that is indeed the case then they are going to miss the mark. In today's technology age (where my 5 year can navigate a CD-Rom and PlayhouseDisney.com quite proficiently), any attraction focused on children must be highly interactive and marketed as such.

Why?

Because if parents perceive an attraction as static then there's no way you'll get them to visit--especially those from outside the city who would make up a lion's share of the visitors.

Hopefully someone who knows people involved in the process can help convince them (if indeed they aren't currently convinced) that--unless the children's museum is going to be an highly interactive discovery type center, then this will be entirely underwhelming and unsuccessful.

Experience in other places in the Southeast make that very clear.

2. Mark your calendars and please plan to attend the first planning commission meeting in Feb. and then the first council meeting in March. Right now, the plan is for the new plan and new regulations to be voted on then.

3. If you get a chance sometime soon, check out the live/works at The Waters. The YMCA (mini-version) just opened as well as one other tenant. It's starting to really take shape. And, I'd also stop by the A&P too. The skin is on the building and its really fantastic from a design perspective as well as scale.

I was under the impression the museum was going to be like the Mcwane center.... or maybe that was just wishfull thinking... Just took the kids today, they love it.

[Brown Duckz]

Did any of you guys feel [from the presentation] that condo's and other types of residential are in the near future for Downtown?

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Chad Emerson

3. If you get a chance sometime soon, check out the live/works at The Waters. The YMCA (mini-version) just opened as well as one other tenant. It's starting to really take shape. And, I'd also stop by the A&P too. The skin is on the building and its really fantastic from a design perspective as well as scale.

I rode through the Waters Sunday and saw the mini 'Y'. It looked pretty nice too. A lot of progress has been made there it seems...

Speaking of the Childrens Museum and downtown development, what ever happened to the "New Orleans style" Alleyway that was supposed to have been completed 3 years ago?

[Brown Duckz]

It's probably been pushed along the long list of things waiting to be completed once the Court Square is complete, joining so many other projects.

[bystander1]

^ Yeah, but that alleyway was scheduled to have began and ended waaaayyy before the Court Square project was even thought of. We need some new info from city hall on what's the deal with that so far.

[thoraudio]

Oh, BTW, Chad, any chance of a forum discount for your Smart Code class?

$50 is a lot just for funsies

[Brown Duckz]

Work on popular wings restaurant under way

Montgomery Advertiser


The management of Alabama Wings, a franchise group that operates throughout the Southeast, said Tuesday that Hooters Restaurant is still slated to open this spring in Montgomery.

John Wilson, a regional manager with the company, said construction and refurbishment continues on the building at 2701 East Blvd, just off the intersection with Vaughn Road.

By mid-February management will begin interviewing cooks and “Hooters girls,” the spandex-clad waitresses who serve up hot wings at the popular restaurants, officials said.

“We're getting a lot of people stopping by and talking to us,” Wilson said in a telephone interview. “We are getting a great response from the townspeople.”

Previous attempts to bring Hooters to Montgomery have failed, but management contends that all provisions had been made to assure success this time.

The group originally wanted to open in November, but the process was delayed. In recent weeks, however, a large Hooters sign has been draped on the building and construction crews have begun work on an outdoor patio.

Wilson said the sports bar could be up and running by March.

The East Boulevard location has been the home to several restaurants in the past. Most recently, it was the location of Felix's Fish Camp Grill, which closed in March 2005.

Once operational, Hooters will employ between 85 and 90 workers — cooks, managers and waitresses. The servers will wear shorts and tank tops.

--David Irvin

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Did any of you guys feel [from the presentation] that condo's and other types of residential are in the near future for Downtown?

Last thursday night while going to the meeting, I noticed that there were some lights on at the Hilton Arms (or is that Hilltop... never could figure that out) bldg up on Cottage Hill.

Drove by today, and there's a sign.

Coming Soon, The Grandview at Cottage Hill.

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Last thursday night while going to the meeting, I noticed that there were some lights on at the Hilton Arms (or is that Hilltop... never could figure that out) bldg up on Cottage Hill.

Drove by today, and there's a sign.

Coming Soon, The Grandview at Cottage Hill.

I know exactly what building you are talking about! I think it's gonna be perfect, and talk about a view! What about the lot that's behind it going away from Downtown.... it's been cleared off. Needs a 15 story condo tower overlooking the river.

[thoraudio]

Nice article on CNN's Travel page. Full Article, with side notes here

Upscale hotels popping up along Alabama golf trail
POSTED: 10:22 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007


MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Forget Hilton or Holiday Inn. With half a billion dollars in investments, Alabama's state pension fund has become the largest hotel developer in the state, with a string of upscale destinations that are changing Alabama's image as much as the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail did.

The eight hotels, stretching from the Tennessee River to Mobile Bay, are next to or a short drive from the golf trail. Both were developed by the Retirement Systems of Alabama for two purposes -- making money and ending Alabama's image as a place to drive through on the way to the beach.

"The golf courses give people a fresh and compelling reason to come to the state. Then the accommodations seal the deal as far as the image of our state," state tourism director Lee Sentell said.

Retirement Systems CEO David Bronner, a blunt-talking, cigar-chomping Minnesota native, took over Alabama's pension funds for public employees in 1973. For years, he made traditional investments, but in the late 1980s, he took an unusual path that raised plenty of eyebrows.

Bronner decided to start building golf courses and lured famed designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. by promising to make them his legacy. By the time the construction ended in 2005, there were 432 holes at 10 locations across the state.

The courses started off slowly, but soon were drawing praise from golf magazines throughout the world. Today, they're a hit, drawing about 500,000 visitors a year -- most from outside Alabama.

But Bronner soon saw a problem with the golf trail's success, particularly among business executives using it to entertain clients.

"A lot of people liked the trail, but we didn't have first-class housing to bring in clients," Bronner said.

His answer: Buying historic hotels and renovating them and building new ones -- all on or near the golf courses in Point Clear, Mobile, Prattville, Montgomery, Opelika, Birmingham and Florence.

The high-end hotels "catapult Alabama to the next level as far as being a tourism destination," said Liz Bittner, executive director of the tourism promotion group Travel South USA.

The Retirement Systems' hotel arm, PCH Hotels and Resorts, is currently operating 1,464 rooms and will add 587 more next year when the restoration of the historic Battle House Hotel is complete in Mobile, and construction ends on the new Montgomery Convention Center Hotel and Spa.

The hotels operate under the Marriott brand or its more upscale Renaissance label, and their prices can approach $300 per night. But finding an open room at some locations -- particularly the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Birmingham -- can be difficult at times.

"People want first-class facilities," Bronner said.

In the capital city of Montgomery, Bronner has worked with local officials to build a convention hotel and spa that is part of a riverfront development project including an expanded convention center, a Broadway-style theater, a minor-league ballpark, an amphitheater and a riverside park.

"This is the linchpin," Mayor Bobby Bright said as he stood inside the hotel, scheduled to open in late 2007.

Sentell, whose office is a few blocks away, said it's amazing to see the change along Montgomery's riverfront.

"This will bring a lot of people to Montgomery who've just driven down I-65 to the beach," he said.

At the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau, executive director Debbie Wilson said the opening of the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa on the Tennessee River in 2005 made the northwest corner of Alabama a destination for regional conventions for the first time.

"We've never been able to host a meeting of that size," she said.

The success is proven by local lodging-tax collections, which were up 52 percent for the first nine months of the year, she said.

The Retirement Systems' hotels and a new office tower added to the Battle House in Mobile represent more than $500 million in investments.

The Retirement Systems uses other investments in TV stations and newspapers across the country to get several million dollars in free advertising each year to promote its golf courses and hotels. It's a freebie other resort developers can't match.

But not all has gone according to Bronner's plan.

Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 closed the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear for a year and delayed renovation on the Battle House across the bay in Mobile.

Because of that, the hotels lost $5 million in fiscal 2006 due to the shutdown of the Grand Hotel and skyrocketing insurance rates that followed the hurricane. The pension fund is forecasting a $5.5 million profit this year.

Bronner said he never expected a quick return. "A convention hotel runs negative for two or three years until you get in the convention cycle," he said.

Praise, however, has been quick for Bronner.

"Dr. Bronner is the most significant developer in Alabama's tourism industry ever," Sentell said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

I know exactly what building you are talking about! I think it's gonna be perfect, and talk about a view! What about the lot that's behind it going away from Downtown.... it's been cleared off. Needs a 15 story condo tower overlooking the river.

I'd much rather see a 3-4 story live/work like they're doing out at the Waters.

One of the interesting things that I got out of the whole Dover/Kohl thing was the often negative impact that single large buildings can have, by sucking up all the growth in spurts as opposed to moderate sustained growth.

While I love that RSA was willing to invest in the Gump, Imagine what the city would/could look like if the $$ invested in the tower, the Headquarters, the Plaza, and the Business Center had been spread over pedestrian oriented 3-4-5 story buildings, with building wrapped parking decks... etc...

[Chad Emerson]

10% discount for all forum members at Friday's SmartCode Work Session. Of course, the big question is whether anonymity is worth $5...

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

I'd much rather see a 3-4 story live/work like they're doing out at the Waters.

One of the interesting things that I got out of the whole Dover/Kohl thing was the often negative impact that single large buildings can have, by sucking up all the growth in spurts as opposed to moderate sustained growth.

While I love that RSA was willing to invest in the Gump, Imagine what the city would/could look like if the $$ invested in the tower, the Headquarters, the Plaza, and the Business Center had been spread over pedestrian oriented 3-4-5 story buildings, with building wrapped parking decks... etc...

I understand your point, but at the same time, the mentioned stuff is office/convention type stuff vs residential/mixed use. I think Montgomery needs to start implementing the retail, residential, etc, but we can all hope for a new tallest!

[bystander1]

Here's a good article from The Central Alabama Business Journal.



January 18, 2007


Montgomery riverfront executive helps build downtown experience

Anita Archie is the executive director of the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation. She was recently interviewed by Central Alabama Business Journal Editor David Zaslawsky.

Central Alabama Business Journal: What are your responsibilities as executive director of the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation?

Archie: My main responsibilities are to promote and develop downtown Montgomery and the riverfront – working with private developers that have an interest in locating in downtown whether it’s residential or commercial. I am the liaison between county and city governments as far as local downtown development and looking at incentive packages for various downtown projects.

CABJ: What incentive packages are available for downtown developers?

Archie: Right now, it’s a case-by-case basis. I could give you a couple of examples.

CABJ: Please.

Archie: One is working with the city of Montgomery with the proposed children’s museum located on Commerce Street. We assisted with an incentives package for that project. The second project is the new Hampton Inn and Suites that will be going into the First Tuskegee building. We are always looking at financial incentives, but also looking at other issues.

CABJ: How long have you been in your current position?

Archie: About 18 months. I started on June 1, 2005.

CABJ: What is the staff size? Is it just you or do you have an assistant?

Archie: I am a staff of one right now.

CABJ: Is there a possibility of adding another employee?

Archie: It all depends on financing. We have great partnerships with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, with Landmark Foundation, the city of Montgomery and the county.

CABJ: What is the operating budget?

Archie: We currently receive $125,000 from the city of Montgomery. There is a contract between the city of Montgomery and the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation. The contract ends in 2008 and the (money) is for programs such as launching a downtown Web site. We also issued (request for qualified firms) for mixed-use project on Coosa Street that would be part of the city’s goal to establish a parking deck.

CABJ: With condos?

Archie: Yes.

CABJ: Is there a developer for the condos and I’ve heard the plan is for 60 condos?

Archie: There is a developer and 60 is correct. The city is in negotiations with Capstone Development out of Birmingham. There would be 350 public parking spaces with retail and housing.

CABJ: Does that mean the mixed-use project will be developed eventually?

Archie: We are hoping – they are in negotiations right now. In my former life I was an attorney and when you get too many attorneys involved they know how to kill a deal.

CABJ: You were deputy director of the Alabama Development Office. How has that helped you in your current position with the foundation?

Archie: My main responsibility with the Alabama Development Office was to draft the project agreements, which included incentives for industries to locate in the state of Alabama and for existing industries (to expand). It’s not a big leap to switch over from industrial development to commercial because you are still dealing with the main issue of how do you lower my bottom line costs. There usually is a gap between what the developer or company wants and what the state or local government is willing to give for a project. My main responsibility was to negotiate the various incentive agreements on behalf of the state of Alabama. That has really helped me here at the foundation. You look at smart investment and what I mean by smart investment if you’re going to use taxpayers’ dollars you want to make sure that you’re going to get a return back on your investment; the job growth has to be there; the company is committed to having high-paying jobs. It’s the same concept for commercial development. You want to make sure that any public dollars that are going toward a project, that the city gets a good return on the investment.

CABJ: Could you give me a status report on the key downtown/riverfront projects in Montgomery?

Archie: The intermodal project (bus transfer station) that is scheduled to be completed in March.

CABJ: How many parking spaces will it have?

Archie: I think 350-400 spaces. Let’s talk about TIF projects first. Back in 2004, the City Council passed an ordinance for a TIF (tax incremental financing) district. There have been two projects. The No. 1 priority project for downtown Montgomery is the Coosa Street parking deck with pockets of mixed-use development. It will be sometime in 2008 when that parking deck is up and running. Hopefully, they can start construction on that parking deck probably in June or July 2007. The other project is the Dexter Avenue parking deck, but it won’t be located on Dexter Avenue.
It will be behind several buildings located on Dexter Avenue.

CABJ: How many parking spaces?

Archie: Around 350 parking spaces. The city has purchased the back of the buildings for the parking deck and is still in the process of doing an environmental study. That project is in the preliminary stage of development. That project probably would not come on line until 2009 if everything were to proceed on schedule. The Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Montgomery is scheduled to open in the summer of 2007 and will be 82 rooms. The children’s museum is still (waiting) for private sector dollars. The riverwalk is scheduled to be completed in time for Jubilee (music festival at the end of April).

CABJ: The Business Journal was told in May that the riverwalk would have food vendors/kiosks on the walk itself and restaurants overlooking the riverwalk.

Archie: We are marketing it now for commercial development.

CABJ: What are some of the other downtown/riverfront projects?

Archie: You could say the crown jewel of Dexter Avenue is going to be the roundabout and pedestrian mall. We are really excited about that. The mayor’s vision has always been that we should open back up Court Street and have a roundabout.

CABJ: What is a roundabout?

Archie: It’s common in Europe – a circular drive. It would be on the lower end of Dexter.

CABJ: Near the fountain?

Archie: Yes. The plan is to have the pedestrian mall and the roundabout open in early 2007.

CABJ: Do you have some details about the pedestrian mall?

Archie: What I mean by pedestrian mall is more of the European kind where you can go and sit down and there are street vendors – have lunch in the park. It’s a fancy name for a park. Developers are looking at Dexter Avenue for loft apartments. One developer has bought a lot of property on Catoma and Molton streets – possible retail there.

CABJ: What’s the status on the grocer’s alley?

Archie: That’s one of the TIF projects. The parking decks are (TIF projects) 1A and 1B with 1A being Coosa Street and 1B being Dexter. The second TIF project is the grocer’s alley project. The building owners have agreed in principle to dedicate their alley to the city. You know how hard is to get 11 landowners all on the same page. The original cost estimate for the alley project was between $750,000-$800,000, but now it’s up to $1.2 million. You have to find some way to fill that gap to finance the project.
CABJ: What’s the latest about Montgomery Renaissance Hotel & Spa and Convention Center?

Archie: They are trying to have a soft opening in late November or December. They are booking (events) for February.

CABJ: Are there any other projects?

Archie: I met just this week with (someone) who might (put in) a restaurant on Commerce Street.

CABJ: What type of restaurant?

Archie: It’s more of a Latin fusion-type of restaurant – Brazilian, Cuban, Latin American-type of restaurant that someone is looking at for downtown Montgomery. There is a strong possibility that a law firm located out East may also locate in downtown Montgomery. The excitement has come back. The city hired Dover, Kohl & Partners to come in and (outline) a new downtown master plan. You have plenty of folks with ideas.

CABJ: Are we going to see a lot of new restaurants in downtown Montgomery?

Archie: Yes, lots of restaurants. I’d say at least 10-15. The restaurants I’m talking about are not the chain restaurants. I’m talking about people that want to come in and have a specialty type of restaurant – not the big chains because we don’t have that critical mass (of people). There is a possibility of two new restaurants on Coosa Street with one opening in May and the other a year from now.

CABJ: You were quoted as saying that is was important “making downtown a 24-hour destination.” How close is downtown Montgomery from being that 24-hour destination and what needs to be accomplished to make that happen?

Archie: Most downtowns that came back to life and have been successful realized that you must have all the pieces: you have to have the housing, you have to have the retail and commercial developments. You have to have that all coming together so you have foot traffic in your downtown, making it a 24-hour destination – meaning you can go to work, go and enjoy entertainment in downtown and live in downtown. What would it take for Montgomery, Ala., to do that? It has to be a partnership. There has to a commitment by the city, commitment by the county, commitment by private developers, by the local business community, by the area chamber of commerce to realize the value of your downtown – especially talking about your target audience for downtown.

CABJ: What is the target audience?

Archie: Generally, it’s the young professionals, who are willing to live in a downtown; your artists because they are looking for cheap space; the empty nesters that do not want a big home and the sprawl.

CABJ: Are we five years away from seeing downtown as a 24-hour destination?

Archie: This renaissance for downtown just started seven years ago. The Dover, Kohl master plan has laid out a 100-year plan for this. We have baby-step stages. You see baby-step stages going on with the residential development and 246 Lofts and Sam Adams’ apartments. You see the residential piece coming alive. You have the commercial development that is coming alive. What we hope to do is keep the momentum going; keep with the recommendations coming from Dover, Kohl like having a downtown development coordinator.

CABJ: What would the downtown development coordinator do?

Archie: From the city’s standpoint, someone that can also help me try to market this area and all the pieces pulling together to show this a place to live. You have to look at the incentives portion of that which means the city looking at their resources and for us being very creative in putting packages together to close that finance gap that is needed for development in downtown Montgomery. We need to look at New Market Tax Credit, which is a federal program; looking at starting a small business development fund; a small business investment corporation where we could pull the private sector in and get low-interest rate loans to businesses that want to locate to downtown Montgomery; possibly sales and use tax rebates for businesses that want to locate in downtown Montgomery.

CABJ: You’ve said the foundation wants to see development on Dexter Avenue, including stores, offices and restaurants. Has there been much progress?

Archie: I think so. You have three major projects on Dexter Avenue: state of Alabama’s Capitol improvement project for the Capitol grounds; the city of Montgomery has the Dexter Avenue Streetscape improvement program to make it aesthetically pleasing; and then you have the roundabout and pedestrian mall. There are a lot of public dollars going into Dexter Avenue because it’s the most historic street in downtown Montgomery. You have folks that want to come in and invest on that street.

CABJ: You stated that the foundation needs to do a better job marketing downturn. What should the foundation be doing?

Archie: Most definitely. No. 1, we need a downtown Web site. Most successful downtown revitalizations programs have Web sites that are exclusively dedicated to downtown. That means you have one-stop shopping to let you know what is going on in your downtown: the events going on downtown, new developments that are coming on line to what incentives are out there for developers who are interested in downtown.

CABJ: Are you saying the foundation needs to have the Web site?

Archie: Since we are the group that is dedicated to promoting downtown, it is a natural fit for us to do that. Secondly, we need to get out and be educating others – we know that the local developers know about the market, but my personal opinion is that the developers here in Montgomery are very interested in what is going on out east and rightly so. No complaint against them because they know how to make money. Developers here in Montgomery have a very successful formula. They know that families want to go out east because of those amenities. We have to do a better job of not only trying to convince them that this (downtown) is a viable market, but we also need to meet with out-of-state developers to try and get them to invest in downtown Montgomery.

CABJ: You are a one-person staff. Don’t you need more resources to market downtown?

Archie: It’s a challenge. I was the attorney and deputy director of the Alabama Development Office and I had a staff of 12 project managers and research assistants who helped me sell the state. And here, you are a staff of one. You can do a lot – it’s amazing what you can do with one person – but you have to have the partnerships. If the foundation is not going to have more staff or more money, then we have to find a way and partner with others who may have overlapping missions so we don’t duplicate efforts.

CABJ: How critical is tourism to the success of downtown?
Archie: Whenever you go to a convention, you like to experience that area. You like to see that life – bodies walking along. We have a huge investment in downtown Montgomery. The convention people are going to come in for two or three days. We have the rich history here. We have the restaurants and entertainment that so these conventions that are being booked are going to want to come back to downtown. If we don’t have all the pieces coming together, then it will be very difficult to try to keep these conventions coming back year after year. Conventions and tourism is one segment; entertainment is another segment; residential development is another segment – you need all those pieces for everything to be successful.

CABJ: What will downtown Montgomery look like in five years?

Archie: Hopefully in the next five years you will see the foundation, if you had adequate funding and the staffing – you will see us like Operation Birmingham or the Mobile Improvement Association. That we actually form a business district and the foundation using the funds from the business improvement district to go toward getting more private development in downtown Montgomery.

CABJ: As more of the pieces come on line downtown doesn’t that attract more local and out-of-state developers because it’s a viable area?

Archie: Montgomery is a viable area right now because we have all this rich history here from civil war to civil rights; you have the capital located here – there are a lot of folks who want to come to Montgomery. Great tourism, but you have to have all the pieces because you want to build an experience. We have that now, but we can have a lot more if we give them (visitors) more to experience in downtown.

David Zaslawsky is editor of the Central Alabama Business Journal. You can call him at (334) 230-2225 or e-mail at [email protected]

[thoraudio]

nice article