Huntsville updates - Page 46

HSVTiger · #**901** Posted **Mar 4, 2007, 10:59 PM**

By JOHN PECKTimes Staff Writer [email protected]
A push is on for a new river port just south of Huntsville International Airport that would receive barge shipments of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and possibly alternative fuel sources such as ethanol.

The plan would require a 200-foot-wide barge canal through a portion of Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to an unloading dock. The petroleum would be piped from there to the airport and to a proposed tank farm somewhere near interstates 565 and 65, according to a document obtained by The Times.

Huntsville officials pitched a port along the Tennessee River there several years ago but without an identified user. The project was scuttled when Wheeler officials refused to grant permission for a barge canal through the refuge.
The savings from having a port terminal to unload and pipe fuel would benefit not only the airport, which uses 1.7 million gallons of aviation and jet fuel monthly, but all of North Alabama, which gets an average of 1,000 tanker trucks (7.8 million gallons) daily from Birmingham, Tucker said.
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1173003760174710.xml&coll=1

HSVTiger · #**902** Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Nice picture of last nights eclipse and a moon rocket.
Photo by Bob Gathany / The Huntsville Times

Currently next to this Saturn V cranes are being put in place to begin
lifting the steel for the new rocket garage which will be it's new home.
This rocket has recently been refurbished awaitng the completion of the
building.
Check out their webcams
http://www.spacecamp.com/saturnv/
There are three remaining examples of the Saturn V space vehicle in existence. One is found at the Kennedy Space Center, one is at the Johnson Manned Space Flight Center, and the last is found at the Alabama Space and Rocket Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, adjacent ot the Marshall Space Flight Center.

The Saturn V at the Alabama Space and Rocket Museum was chosen to represent the class of Saturn V's as a National Historic Landmark for several reasons.

1. The Saturn V at Huntsville is closely associated with its site. The design, development, and manufacture of the Saturns was the responsibility of the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville, Alabama, which at the time, was under the leadership of Dr. Werner von Braun. Dr. von Braun headed a nationwide team drawn from industry, government, and the educational community which provided the expertise to produce the Saturn.

2. The Saturn V on display at the Alabama Space and Rocket Museum is the actual test rocket that was used in dynamic testing of the Saturn facilities at Huntsville. The stages of this rocket were used to check out all of the Saturn V facilities at Huntsville. Thus, while the rocket was not intended to be flown, it was a working vehicle that prepared the way for the Saturn V rockets that were flown and eventually destroyed.

3. The Saturn V at the Alabama Space and Rocket Museum is also the best preserved example of this space vehicle. It has been maintained since it went on exhibit in 1969 and is in mint condition. Both the Saturn V's at the Kennedy Space Center and the Houston Manned Space Flight Center exhibit extensive deterioration due to the elements.(Since the time this was written the rocket at Houston has been restored and placed in a building similar to what HSV will build.)

4. Finally the Saturn V at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center has the best remaining integrity of the class. Its three principal stages and instrument unit are intact thus representing all the necessary parts to the Saturn V that launched the American exploration of the moon.

In a letter to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, Michael Collins, Director of the National Air and Space Museum and participant in the Apollo 11 mission that first landed men on the moon, said the following about the Saturn V at the Alabama and Rocket Museum:

This letter is written in response to the application by the Alabama Space and Rocket Center recommending listing of the Saturn V space launch vehicle on the National Register of Historic Places.

The uniqueness of the Saturn V, the high level of technology that it represents and the successful role that it played in making possible man's landing on the Moon seems to qualify for national recognition by placement on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the location is adjacent to the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center which was responsible for the design and development of this vehicle.

For these reasons we concur in the application for listing made by the Alabama Space and Rocket Center.

HSVTiger · #**903** Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 8:31 PM**

According to the Mayors blog, John Q Hammons has been in town
recently looking over possible sites for another downtown hotel.
He built the new Embassy Suite. It shouldn't take too long to decide
one way or the other. What would really be fantastic if it was part of
a VBC expansion.

On a separate issue the names of the two hotels planned at the Market Square site may be announced soon.

HSVTiger · #**904** Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 8:47 PM**

Bridge Street update

O&S Holdings is finalizing a major steak player and major Mexican player for the development and has just signed leases with The Dolce Group, based in Los Angeles. They will be developing Ketchup, its new Americana restaurant, as well as Ten Pin Alley, a bowling entertainment concept at Bridge Street Town Centre. Original plans also called for an Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, which has been changed to the Westin Heavenly Spa.

“They rolled out a new spa program, which I think has been a plus for the project,” notes Safady. “It’s much more universal, whereas the Red Door Spa caters to more of a female clientele. We’re surrounded by 14 million square feet of research and technology where there’s a large male population, so I think it was a wise move by Westin.”

So far, leases have been signed at Bridge Street Town Centre with P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Coldwater Creek, DSW and Banana Republic. In addition, several specialty nretailers and restaurants have committed to the project, including Barnes & Noble, Anthropologie, Ann Taylor Loft, Chico’s, White House|Black Market, Soma, J. Jill, Brighton Collectibles, Connor’s Seafood and Bravo Cucina.

The center will also feature a 150,000-square-foot Class A office tower and 210-room Westin Huntsville Hotel. Occupying the top five floors of the hotel will be 74 luxury Westin Huntsville Residences. Residential floor plans range from 750 square feet for a one bedroom to 4,300 square feet for the penthouse. The residences have several unique features, including high ceilings, hardwood and stone floors, state-of-the-art technology and exceptional views. With 50 of the 74 units currently reserved, O&S Holdings anticipates selling all the units by the time the residential component is complete in November 2007.
http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/articles/FEB07/story9.shtml

HSVTiger · #**905** Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 8:59 PM**

Apple has job listings for Huntsville

http://jobsearch.monster.com/Search.aspx?q=apple&fn=&lid=326&re=130&cy=us&JSNONREG=1
and on the Apple site

http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=2&method=mHvexternal.showPositionLocations

May have to go to Apple site, link may not work

HSVTiger · #**906** Posted **Mar 8, 2007, 7:56 PM**

Thanks ALDOT for doing nothing on this road for the last 40 years.
A proactive on the ball DOT would have already or be in process of 6 laning
this federal highway. At least intersection and lighting improvements.
This accident shut down 4 lanes of traffic for hours
When was the last time ALDOT was ahead of the curve on any project?

NewsChannel 19's Amber Stuart reports:

A wreck on Highway 231 in Meridianville is a reminder that this area is growing, and drivers should pay close attention to the roads.

It may sound strange, but one accident happened right at the entrance of a new construction zone of a subdivision between work vehicles. The subdivision is Inspiration Pointe.

"One vehicle was stopped in the turning lane waiting to turn in and the vehicle that was in the rear, for some reason, struck the vehicle waiting behind the vehicle," said Alabama State Trooper Earl Wootson.

Inspiration Pointe is a new subdivision under construction off of Highway 231 near Bob Wade Lane. A truck loaded with drywall crashed into a plumbing truck headed north. Construction vehicles are a familiar sight in booming Madison County.

"That's going to be a problem in predominately most of North Madison County," said Trooper Wootson. "We have lots of subdivisions which are under construction in this area, so residents should definitely be aware of large vehicles in the area and be careful."

Bottom line -- state troopers urge you to keep your eyes on the road.

"Pay attention to what's going on on the roadway and not cell phones and not delivery papers or anything in the vehicle. Accidents happen real quickly," said Wootson.

State troopers says the drivers in the trucks were wearing their seat belts, and should be okay.

HSVTiger · #**907** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 2:19 AM**

Bridge Street work to affect Old Madison Pike for 4-6 months
Road construction on Old Madison Pike near the new Bridge Street retail development will hamper traffic in the area for four-to-six months beginning Monday, Huntsville's city engineering department said today.

The construction, along Old Madison Pike near Governors West, will improve intersections in the area to accommodate the new retail development, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

City officials said Old Madison Pike won’t be closed completely during the construction period, but motorists should be extremely cautious in the construction area.

Source HSV Times

HSVTiger · #**908** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 2:31 AM**

According to the general in charge, BRAC is on schedule, budget questions won't affect Redstone Arsenal, and that the Rocket City better get ready because everything is on target.

With dump trucks moving, shovels digging, and hard hats on, a pre-BRAC building is almost open.

It's the new home to part of the missile defense agency.

"We're on track. We're on schedule with what we're doing," says Lt. General Henry Obering.

What they're doing is moving onto Redstone Arsenal completely, bringing 2,240 jobs to Huntsville, 60 already moved to town.

The rest will be here by the year 2010 but what about the Rocket City?

What about the schools? What about the housing? What about the roads?

Is Madison County ready for thousands of new residents?

"I think that they are in the process of getting ready. There's a lot of work that's being put into that. There's a lot of effort that's being put into it. Every time I come down here I see more and more of the housing developments that are ongoing," says Obering.

With three stars on his shoulder, Obering is the director of the Missile Defense Agency and is in charge of all the jobs coming to town.

Obering says he's encouraged by ongoing construction, on Bridge Street, in the county, and pretty much everywhere.

"I'm pretty pleased in the progress that's being made and it's going to take that because there's going to be a lot of folks coming down here and I think the city needs to be ready for that."

Obering adds that not everyone is going to move to Huntsville from Virginia, so MDA is about to open a nationwide recruiting campaign to find people to fill open jobs.
WAFF 48

HSVTiger · #**909** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 1:22 PM**

New retail development at Jeff Rd and Jordan Ln (Highway 53)
Harvest Square
Looks like it may include another Publix

http://www.aronov.com/harvestSquare/index.html

HSVTiger · #**910** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 2:34 PM**

School business
Board of education listened to a packed house on the issue of the at capacity
Providence school. The favored plan is to add two new wings of classrooms
The school is barely 3 years old.
Getting closer the planning of a new Lee High School,
nearly $50 million for a new Lee High School and a new elementary school for the Big Cove area.
The new Lee High School most likely will be built on or near the current
location which is a good thing. It has been talked about that this new school will encourage new development especially in the Chase area, but I think the biggest area to see big change will be 5 Points, the mill villages along Meridian and Oakwood. These areas are primed for new development.
The old Winn Dixie shopping center at Oakwood/ Meridian is in dire need for
a redo. Easy I-565 access, 5 minutes to downtown make this area the new
hotspot in the near future. The planned improvements at 5 Points, new incentives in the Dallas Mill area all are pointing to some exciting possibilities.

HSVTiger · #**911** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 6:26 PM**

Boy, wow, this old standby always works. They pushed it to the very end
on this one. They are using this on the Tennessee River bridges in Huntsville as well. People have known about Indian artifacts along the river for like at least 150 years.
Good job ALDOT seems this what have been a concern from the get go.
WAKE UP!!

Archeological concerns delay bridge project in Scottsboro
SCOTTSBORO - Archaeological concerns have delayed the bid opening on a project to replace the B.B. Comer Bridge in Scottsboro, said Johnny Harris, Division 1 Engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Harris said Friday the date was moved from March 28 until April 27 because of “archaeological issues in the (Tennessee) River” in the area of the steel-truss bridge, built in 1930.

The department decided to delay bid opening, he said, after realizing there had been some documented archaeological finds by the Tennessee Valley Authority before it raised the river in 1939.

“Since the feds have indicated it to be a significant area, (the DOT) needs to look at what TVA found,” Harris said. But he said he believes construction of a concrete bridge to replace the Comer Bridge could start this summer.

Harris said evidence of American Indian villages and burial grounds have been found all along the river.

--David Brewer HSV Times

HSVTiger · #**912** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 7:45 PM**

It will be interesting to see what changes this bank may bring to Alabama.

RBC Centura branches open
Five former AmSouth Bank locations in the Huntsville area opened this morning as RBC Centura Bank after the bank officially completed the conversion of 39 AmSouth branches in Alabama on Sunday.

Their new HQ building under construction in Raleigh
(note to RBC, Huntsville could use something like that)

HSVTiger · #**913** Posted **Mar 13, 2007, 12:14 PM**

By JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writer [email protected]
City unveils phase 1 of $1M plan to get more pedestrian-friendly
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/117377742458010.xml&coll=1

The Madison County Courthouse Square is getting a $1 million facelift in the form of antique lamp posts, new brick-lined sidewalks, root-friendly trees and twice the number of curbside parking spaces.

The project is part of a plan to create a more lively, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere that will help restaurants, bars and other downtown merchants thrive. Benches and bike racks are also part of the mix.
"It's important to invest in your downtown. These improvements will provide additional lighting and parking which will make accessing the amenities of downtown easier," said Mayor Loretta Spencer.

Spencer, Huntsville businessman Jeff Sikes and other city officials held a ribbon-cutting Monday to salute the first phase which included some landscaping and lighting and replacing a section of the historic brick sidewalk with a concrete walk edged in a smoother brick pattern.

Spencer said while the old brick had a nice look, it buckled easily from expanding tree roots and created a walking hazard especially for people in heels.

"The bricks are beautiful but they do break," she said. "You see how many old trees we have around the square."

HSVTiger · #**914** Posted **Mar 13, 2007, 12:19 PM**

Job seekers especially high tech

From staff reports
Huntsville Times
Manpower finds 55% of companies expect to add workers in 2nd quarter

The Huntsville-area job market is expected to boom in the second quarter, with gains that would rank among the top cities in the U.S., according to the Manpower Inc. employment outlook survey.

The survey found that 55 percent of the companies it surveyed expect to add jobs in the period between April and June, 45 percent expect to continue current payrolls and none of the employers surveyed expect to cut jobs in the quarter.
Huntsville's job market ranked sixth nationally based on the findings.

The top five U.S. cities expected to see job increases this spring include, in order: San Rafael, Calif.; Fort Myers/Naples Fla.; Temple, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah and Brownsville, Texas.

HSVTiger · #**915** Posted **Mar 13, 2007, 1:28 PM**

Shopping Center redo,
There are no shortages of strip centers in Huntsville that need major
improvements, (or bulldozed). This one Madison Plaza, is having a major upgrade.
This center is right across from Madison Square mall and has added
a new Haverty's furniture store in the the old Food World location.
Should be complete in May of this year.

HSVTiger · #**916** Posted **Mar 13, 2007, 2:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

By JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writer [email protected]
City unveils phase 1 of $1M plan to get more pedestrian-friendly
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/117377742458010.xml&coll=1

The Madison County Courthouse Square is getting a $1 million facelift in the form of antique lamp posts, new brick-lined sidewalks, root-friendly trees and twice the number of curbside parking spaces.

The project is part of a plan to create a more lively, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere that will help restaurants, bars and other downtown merchants thrive. Benches and bike racks are also part of the mix.
"It's important to invest in your downtown. These improvements will provide additional lighting and parking which will make accessing the amenities of downtown easier," said Mayor Loretta Spencer.

Spencer, Huntsville businessman Jeff Sikes and other city officials held a ribbon-cutting Monday to salute the first phase which included some landscaping and lighting and replacing a section of the historic brick sidewalk with a concrete walk edged in a smoother brick pattern.

Spencer said while the old brick had a nice look, it buckled easily from expanding tree roots and created a walking hazard especially for people in heels.

"The bricks are beautiful but they do break," she said. "You see how many old trees we have around the square."

and a picture

HSVTiger · #**917** Posted **Mar 14, 2007, 2:19 AM**

Airport authority OKs sale of lot to International
A 300,000-square-foot plant to assemble International Truck and Engine Corp.’s new “big-bore” diesel engines for heavy-duty trucks is expected to be completed by next March.

The Huntsville/Madison County Airport Authority on Tuesday authorized the sale of a 30-acre lot in Jetplex Industrial Park North to International Big Bore Diesels LLC. The plant will be about a quarter of a mile northwest of the existing 700,000-square-foot Huntsville plant – International Diesel of Alabama LLC, a subsidiary of International Truck and Engine Corp.

The airport authority also took action involving two other industrial park projects. Along with the International development, the three industrial park projects represent capital investments totaling more than $47 million, said Brooks Kracke, the park’s director. The projects also will mean 245 new employees in all and a payroll of about $12 million a year, he said.

International Diesel estimates total capital investments for the project will reach nearly $42 million. The purchase price of the land, located on Short Pike Road and adjacent to Interstate 565, is $1.8 million and the new building will cost an estimated $21 million. The plant is expected to have 70 employees initially and, after three years, is expected to have 175 employees and a payroll of $9.1 million a year.

Marian Accardi HSV Times

HSVTiger · #**918** Posted **Mar 14, 2007, 8:50 PM**

From Site Selection magazine

When the Honda Aircraft Company Inc. announced last summer that it would place its world corporate headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C., the news only confirmed what local business leaders already felt: Global companies want to locate here.
The prize of 50 new corporate jobs pales in comparison, however, to the international acclaim that Honda Aircraft gives the Greensboro- High Point metro area – the No. 1 second- tier MSA in the nation last year for new and expanded corporate facilities.
With 33 such projects in 2006, Greensboro- High Point edged out second- place Grand Rapids- Wyoming, Mich., which had 32. In the category of communities with population between 200,000 and 1 million, the remaining top 10 MSAs were, in order, Huntsville, Ala.; Tulsa, Okla.; McAllen- Edinburg- Pharr, Texas; Raleigh- Cary, N.C.; Durham, N.C.; Hagerstown- Martinsburg, Md.- W.Va.; and a three- way tie for ninth between Dayton, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Albany- Schenectady- Troy, N.Y.

Auburn/Opelika was the top tier 3 city
The MSA of 123,000 people topped all metro areas of population between 50,000 and 200,000 in corporate project activity last year, netting 19 new facility projects totaling $188 million in capital investment.
Auburn- Opelika beat out in- state rival Tuscaloosa(War Eagle!) for the top honor in the Tier 3 category of U.S. metros, although Tuscaloosa's 12 corporate projects accounted for $592 million in capital investment.
The remainder of the top 10, including ties, were Sioux City, Iowa- Neb.- S.D.; Valdosta, Ga.; Blacksburg- Christiansburg- Radford, Va.; Harrisonburg, Va.; Parkersburg- Marietta, W.Va.- Ohio; Terre Haute, Ind.; Decatur, Ala.; and Danville, Va.

HSVTiger · #**919** Posted **Mar 15, 2007, 6:00 PM**

Space center gets money for tramway to Botanical Garden
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center learned today it will receive nearly $227,000 in federal money toward a proposed tramway to connect the Space Center with the Huntsville Botanical Garden.

U.S. Sen. Richard Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, announced this morning that the money is being released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.

HSVTiger · #**920** Posted **Mar 15, 2007, 7:10 PM**

Traffic cams

HSV finally moving on this, most states the DOT does this but in Alabama
your pretty much on your own.

City debuts Governors Drive traffic cam
The City of Huntsville debuted a live Governors Drive “traffic cam” today on the city Web site.

The live video feed points eastward down Governors Drive from Monroe Street, so residents heading into the medical district can see potential traffic problems resulting from the ongoing Governors Drive widening project, said Denise Taylor, spokeswoman for Mayor Loretta Spencer.

There’s a link to the traffic cam on the city’s home page, www.hsvcity.com, or link directly to it by pointing your Web browser to www.hsvcity.com/traffic.php.

Taylor said the city plans to install further cameras around town on major thoroughfares.