Montgomery development news

[kevinlpugh]

By Cosby Woodruff


Dothan Acquisitions LLC purchased Montgomery Mall on Thursday for $4.4 million, a fraction of the $70 million former owner Glimcher Realty Trust paid for the property in 1998.

Venture 1, owned by Bryan Lee, will manage the mall, but he has not told mall tenants what his plans are for the 726,883-square-foot retail center.

Lee did not return repeated calls seeking comment on the future of the property, and community leaders along with mall tenants said they have had no success contacting the Dothan businessman.

Mall tenants could not hide their concern about the future as the news spread Thursday. Most said they had not been contacted by the new owners, and only some were warned by Glimcher that a sale was closing this week.

Those who were said Glimcher managers told them the management team would be leaving Wednesday, and when the mall opened Thursday the mall office was locked with a sign directing questions to Venture 1.

Callers to the mall phone number heard a recorded message with instructions that told callers not to leave a voice mail because no one was checking the machine. The mall's Web site was down Thursday afternoon.

Increased security, with at least five security guards walking the mall late Thursday, was the most obvious sign of a change in ownership, mall tenants said. In fact, some tenants said they learned of the ownership change from the security guards.

Mallory Zackery, who has been general manager at the Finish Line store for three weeks, surveyed the few shoppers in the mall and said a change should be for the better.

He said more security will make the mall more attractive to shoppers and could reverse sliding sales.

"It is possible it would turn around," he said.

Zackery joined the Montgomery store last month from the Pensacola, Fla., store. He said he heard about the mall's past, but he did not realize how slow traffic was until his arrival.

Across the mall, Idil Achajai has been with Echoes of Italy, a men's clothing store, for six years.

He watched the mall's slide from shopping destination to desolation.

His store is in one of the mall wings near an empty anchor store. Not many of the few shoppers who visit the mall make it to his store, so he asked to move to a different location.

Achajai expected to move this week but was told by Glimcher to stay in his current location shortly before the mall sold. Now he is wondering if it is worth the expense to stay in the mall.

"Nobody told us anything," he said. "We just saw new security wandering around. I don't know what is going on."

Mall traffic, he said, once was solid, but a police clampdown on weekend loiterers sent a signal that the mall was unsafe.

Now, only drastic changes can save the mall, he said.

"They need to change the name," he said. "People think that the Montgomery Mall is the wrong place to go."

A new name on the sign, and a new anchor department store, will bring back shoppers, he said.

Achajai also lobbied for a beefed-up advertising campaign.

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, a frequent critic of Glimcher, said he had high hopes for the mall.

"I have said all along that you have got to be willing to invest," he said. "I am looking forward to it."

When Glimcher, an Ohio-based real estate investment firm, purchased the mall it was about 95 percent occupied.

Now, the mall has T-shirt retailer Steve & Barry's University Sportswear as its only anchor, and many secondary shops are boarded up.

Empty stores drove down Glimcher's profits and led to the mall's sale.

Lisa Indest, a spokeswoman for Glimcher, said the mall was sold as part of a plan by Glimcher to unload underperforming properties.

"We are happy we were able to sell it to somebody," she said. "The asset was a good asset when we bought it, but things change."

Those changes led to a heavy capital loss for Glimcher. The company held the property for nine years and sold it for $65.6 million less than what they paid for it.

Bright said he expected such a sale. He said Glimcher saw the mall as a tax shelter for the last few years, allowing it to languish before unloading it for what he estimated to be the value of the land alone.

He said the city would be willing to discuss incentives with the new owners if they seem interested in redeveloping the mall.

"They can't just buy it and keep the status quo," he said.

[Chad Emerson]

Several folks have asked about the smart growth potential for the Montgomery Mall site. Rather than repeat what I typed on the River Region Smart Growth blog, you can read it by clicking here.

The summary is: alot of potential if the new firm uses an equal amount of strategic thinking...

[bystander1]

^ In harmony with that, let's talk some sprawl...

montgomery advertiser




May 13, 2007

Growth on Troy Highway

By Cosby Woodruff


Troy Highway isn't just a conduit for business. More and more often, it is becoming a business address. The huge surge is construction along the highway may just be a preview of what is to come, one area developer says.

Convenience, price and rising traffic counts make Troy Highway a prime address for small businesses, and, at least for now, a Troy Highway location comes without the premium cost often associated with prime locations.

Stephen Saunders, CEO of Saunders Realty, which represents several properties along and near the highway, said the demand for flexible-use locations is rising along Montgomery's southeastern edge.

Saunders said a typical flex-use client is a small contractor who needs maybe 1,000 square feet of office space and about two or three times that for warehouse or shop space. That contractor needs a location convenient to the entire market, but does not need to pay a premium for a hot retail location.

"They are finding there is land out in that location," he said. "They know they don't have to be on the corner of Main and Main."

Saunders' company is developing the Southeastern Business Park with lots costing about $2 per square foot. That cost, he said, is a bargain compared to commercial lots in the northern suburbs that cost up to four or five times that amount.

Woody Bryan, of Bryan's Floor Store, has watched the Troy Highway change in the 17 years his company has been in business.

He agrees that low land prices are driving the area's growth right now. At some point, he said, the growth is going to start fueling itself.

"I think anytime a new business opens up, you get more traffic," he said. "Any business would help this area."

But not all of Troy Highway's growth is in the flex-use category.

There are not only plenty of places to stop, but plenty of places to stay.

Several national hotels have either opened new locations or renovated older properties. Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express and a Howard Johnson's are either open or under construction.

Some of the growth is straight retail. A new Raceway convenience store is under construction, joining a group of others along Troy Highway between the Montgomery Mall and Bell Road.

A general growth across South Alabama is creating more traffic between Montgomery and communities such as Troy, Enterprise and Dothan. The convenience stores and hotels are sprouting in response to that additional traffic, Saunders said.

Bryan said the area could support the retail that is there now and more.

"Some big service stations are opening up," he said. "It is something that is really needed."

So far, the mall and Bell Road bracket the growth on Troy Highway, but Saunders said that is likely to change on both ends.

He predicted within a few years development will stretch south of Bell Road. On the northern end, the mall's future likely will determine the direction of development on Troy Highway, he said.

The mall was purchased Thursday by Dothan Acquisitions LLC.

"Depending on what they do with the mall, it may spur some more growth," Saunders said.

Retail is driving the part of Troy Highway nearest the mall. McClinton and Co. is selling several lots on an access road between Troy Highway and the Montgomery Commons center and its Wal-Mart anchor.

The area's largest residential development, the Liberty Square Apartments, front onto the access road.

The area south of Bell Road can expect a gradual change from a rural area to a commercial one, he said.

"I think there will be more of what is there," Saunders said.

That doesn't mean he expects a sudden urbanization of the community.

"There is so much land out there," he said.

[rabbi2007]

How much longer will it be before your city transit system will be using the new Intermodel Facility ? I have read some about your city and I understand that your present mayor is one who believes in the downtown area of your city, are there any plans to bring back retail stores back to the downtown area? I was in Birmingham about 4 years ago and was talking to a regional manager with the Golden Corral Steakhouse company and we started talking about Montgomery among other cities and he said that his company was considering putting a steakhouse around the new baseball park. We have a area in Wichita called Old Town and it has a nice four screen theatre and hunderds of restaurants, nite clubs, retail stores,and loft apartments. Believe me this concept can work and I hope it works for you guys. Also check this link out and see if you can get this company to build one their http://www.whiskeycreek.com/ and also check out what we have www.oldtownwichita.com. Most every weekend it is hard to find parking and we have three decks as well as street parking ( all parking is free decks and on the street ) . When I visited Montgomery last year I remember having to pay to park about a block from your baseball stadium, if you want to attract people back to your downtown do not charge people for parking and that is my opinion. I just want to say it looks like Montgomery is on the right track with your downtown and especially around your baseball stadium, Keep it up.

[bystander1]

Thanks for that info, rabbi2007. Yes there are plans to bring back retail back along with other things (lofts, condos, restaurants) to the downtown area. Many of these things are happening now.

It's interesting what you said about the Golden Corral manager wanting a place near the ballpark. The owners of Hooters in Montgomery and Auburn said they would like to put one of their franchises around there. Moe's Southwest Grill franchise owners said the same thing (before Moe's was bought out earlier this year).

Starbucks is being pursued as one of the stores on the retail level of one condo building now under construction as of now, as well as some other potential locations downtown.

There are some other projects in the works, but I'll find some updated info about them first.

[floc34]

[QUOTE=bystander1;2833524]Thanks for that info, rabbi2007. Yes there are plans to bring back retail back along with other things (lofts, condos, restaurants) to the downtown area. Many of these things are happening now.


Starbucks is being pursued as one of the stores on the retail level of one condo building now under construction as of now, as well as some other potential locations downtown.
QUOTE]

Where is a condo bulding being built in downtown?

[EXbubba]

Originally Posted by rabbi2007

How much longer will it be before your city transit system will be using the new Intermodel Facility ? I have read some about your city and I understand that your present mayor is one who believes in the downtown area of your city, are there any plans to bring back retail stores back to the downtown area? I was in Birmingham about 4 years ago and was talking to a regional manager with the Golden Corral Steakhouse company and we started talking about Montgomery among other cities and he said that his company was considering putting a steakhouse around the new baseball park. We have a area in Wichita called Old Town and it has a nice four screen theatre and hunderds of restaurants, nite clubs, retail stores,and loft apartments. Believe me this concept can work and I hope it works for you guys. Also check this link out and see if you can get this company to build one their http://www.whiskeycreek.com/ and also check out what we have www.oldtownwichita.com. Most every weekend it is hard to find parking and we have three decks as well as street parking ( all parking is free decks and on the street ) . When I visited Montgomery last year I remember having to pay to park about a block from your baseball stadium, if you want to attract people back to your downtown do not charge people for parking and that is my opinion. I just want to say it looks like Montgomery is on the right track with your downtown and especially around your baseball stadium, Keep it up.

rabbi2007 I checked out the web sites you specified and the one for old town Wichita is exactly spot on for Montgomery's type of development. I believe that several theater venues could be utilized in downtown, but due to demolition a Movie theater would have to be built anew. Believe that the old Montgomery Theater on Monroe would be great to restablish a downtown theater tradition as Montomery tries to lure the tourist, golfers, conventioneers, and citizens back downtown to have fun.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by rabbi2007

How much longer will it be before your city transit system will be using the new Intermodel Facility ? I have read some about your city and ...

hmmm..... back in 2005 you seemed infinitely familiar with Montgomery and it's goings on.... did you forget in the last 2 years?

[thoraudio]

Mixed bag. I love the RTJ stuff, but the growth going up around it is in the sprawl model....

Golf launches growth for region

By Marty Roney

Montgomery Advertiser


PRATTVILLE -- The greens of the Robert Trent Jones golf course produce plenty of green for Prattville, creating an economic boom that contributes to business expansion and the city's coffers.

Capitol Hill opened its first of three golf courses in May of 1998. Course officials expect 82,000 rounds to be played this year. Named the Senator, Judge and Legislator, the courses jump-started a tourism industry in Prattville that is spilling over to the rest of central Alabama.

"We estimate that 60 percent of those players are from out of state," Mayor Jim Byard said. "That's a lot of guests who would likely not have stopped in Prattville if it hadn't been for the golf course. That's good news for our hotels, restaurants and retail outlets."

The lodging tax collections in Prattville are a good barometer of the courses' impact. Before Capitol Hill opened, the three hotels in Prattville generated about $100,000 a year in lodging tax. The city recently got its 14th hotel, and lodging tax collections now average about $1.5 million a year. The tax is earmarked for economic development, an effort lead by the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Josh Franklin owns a computer consulting company. He travels across the country and is no longer surprised by the reaction when he says he's from Prattville.

"Just about everyone I meet knows about the golf course," he said, shaking his head. "When I fly, if the person sitting next to me doesn't know about Capitol Hill, the guy across the aisle does. I've had lunch and dinner meetings with prominent people in New York and Hollywood, and they say they can't wait to get back to Prattville to play more golf."

The business world isn't the only source of duffers. About three weeks ago, country music legend George Strait spent about three days here, testing his skills on the links.

"How else are your going to get George Strait to spend time in Prattville?" said Lydia Nichols. "I was born here, and I love my town. But let's face it, this is George Strait we're talking about. He can pretty much choose any city in the world when he wants some downtime."

Boom town

When it was announced in 1996 that Prattville was in the hunt for an RTJ Trail stop, growth was nothing new to the city. Since 1950, census figures show Prattville's population has increased sevenfold. But the golf course kicked that growth into hyperdrive.

Nationally known restaurant chains began fighting over real estate on the east side of town. It was a race to see who could get closest to the golf course. Hotels began springing up, ready to provide lodging for the legions of players.

Prattville landed a 12-screen movie theater.

"I feel those businesses and restaurants would have come anyway," Byard said. "But there is no doubt Capitol Hill created a huge boost in our business growth."

Tourism dollars are a chamber director's dream. The formula bandied about is the money turns over five to seven times in a community.

"They are clean dollars, and golfers like spending money," said Connie Bainbridge, economic development coordinator for the Prattville chamber. "Tourists don't place a strain on city services. We don't have to educate their children. We don't have to maintain the roads to their homes. We don't have to make sure their streetlights come on every night."

William Jessup is a retired engineer from Andover, Minn., a town just north of Minneapolis. He's one of a foursome of golfing buddies who make regular trips to play the Trail.

"We try to come down twice a year, at least once in the winter," he said. "It's great to play golf in shirt sleeves when there's 4 feet of snow on the ground back home. We've played just about all the stops on the Trail, but Prattville is our favorite. We've played Capitol Hill four or five times. You have everything you need close by. A few of the guys like to flirt with the young waitresses at O'Charley's and Longhorn. Don't tell our wives though. They won't let us come back."

There are two sprawling shopping centers, with 900,000 and 400,000 square-feet of retail space, now going up within sight of the golf course. Bass Pro Shops is set to open a 130,000 square-foot Outdoor World store in mid-July. Target and Home Depot plan late summer or early fall openings. More restaurants and specialty stores are planned.

The shopping offers the wives who travel with their golfing fanatic husbands something to do.

"There's got to be something for the girls to do while the guys are wasting time chasing little, white balls," said Nancy Watkins, of Spartanburg, S.C. "We love spending the rest of their money. It beats staying at the hotel and watching soap operas."

Calling card

This year the course will play host to the Navistar LPGA Classic the week of Sept. 24-30. The past five years, Prattville was home to the Nationwide Tour Championship. The Nationwide events created an economic impact for the River Region of more than $20 million, University of Alabama studies show.

Prattville's success has spread to Montgomery and Millbrook.

"We're quick to tell people that the golf course is in Elmore County," Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said with a sly grin.

Millbrook went from not having any hotels to offering three in the space of about four years.

"We get a benefit from having the course so close," Kelley said. "That benefit will only get greater in the future."

Using the yardstick that if 60 percent, or 49,000, of the rounds played at Capitol Hill are from played by out-of-state tourists, Montgomery too sees a huge benefit, said Dawn Hatchcock, vice-president of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce's Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

"If just half of those people stay in Montgomery, that's 24,000 hotel nights," she said. "At an average of $75 a night, that's direct economic impact of about $2 million a year. That doesn't count what the golfers spend at other businesses. Golf tourism is a huge industry for Montgomery."

The professional tournaments were broadcast on The Golf Channel and ESPN. During breaks in the coverage, vignettes from Prattville and other River Region communities were shown.

"There's no way we can fix a value on all that publicity," Bainbridge said. "There is also no way we could have afforded to pay for that publicity. The golf course has generated a very positive image for the River Region. That's just as important as the rising tax revenue and ringing cash registers the golf course generates."

[thoraudio]

More on the trail in general.

Ambitious golf trail changes state

By Marty Roney

Montgomery Advertiser

It stretches from the Shoals in north Alabama to the Gulf Coast, and it's known for having some of the best public golf courses on the planet.

The Robert Trent Jones Trail offers 432 holes at 10 sites. Owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the Trail has changed the way business is done in Alabama.

David Bronner, director of the state's pension fund, admits his plan was met with a healthy dose of skepticism when it was pitched in the late 1980s.

"People thought I was a little goofy," he said. "From Pennsylvania to the Dakotas, you have all this snowbird traffic. We needed a reason to get them to stop in Alabama, not just travel through on the way to Florida. The trail has also helped recruit industry and retirees to Alabama."

The bottom line is the bottom line, and a healthy state economy is good for RSA. The Trail is an investment of about $200 million. That sounds like a wad of money, until you consider the fund manages more than $30 billion.

Bronner is known for not doing anything by half-measures. He lured Robert Trent Jones Sr. out of semi-retirement. One of the best-known golf course architects, Jones designed more than 500 courses around the world before the Alabama project.

When the first round of work began, there were 378 holes at seven sites under construction at the same time. It was one of the largest publicly funded construction projects in state history. There were more than 700 pieces of earth-moving equipment crawling over the properties, sculpting the courses. The courses opened at a good clip starting in 1992. Prattville's course, dubbed Capitol Hill, opened in 1998. About 82,000 rounds of golf will be played at Capitol Hill's three courses this year.

Trail-wide, about 550,000 rounds should be played, said John Cannon of Sunbelt Golf Corp., which manages the course for RSA. Capitol Hill is one of the trail's most popular stops, he said.

Along with offering top golfing destinations, the Trail has built premiere lodging facilities and restaurants at many courses.

The Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill, an RSA operation, drew Bill Hunter and his three golf buddies from Springfield, Ill.

"Prattville is perfect for us, located right in the middle of the state," he said. "We've made the trip to Prattville twice in three years. We can stay and play here and Greenville, Opelika, even Birmingham and Hoover are just a couple of hours away by interstate. We haven't played Dothan yet. That's kind of a long trip from Prattville. It's something we could do on the next trip down."

One of the offshoots of the Trail has been the media coverage generated for the state. National golf magazines have praised the Trail. But with average greens fees of $50, positive coverage also has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other mainstream print and broadcast media.

"One of the things I always tell leadership groups is good news stays at home and bad news travels," Bronner said. "The publicity the Trail has received has been overwhelmingly positive. It's not often Alabama gets good press."

[Brown Duckz]

Montgomery Mall was just a 'good deal,' buyer says

By Cosby Woodruff


Bryan Lee doesn't know what his company, Venture 1, will do with Montgomery Mall, but he does know the price tag for the troubled retail center was just too good to pass up.

Lee, who also represents Dothan Acquisitions LLC, purchased the property Thursday for $4.4 million. That figures to about $6.05 per square feet for the 726,883-square-foot mall, with the parking lot thrown in for free.

Nearby development lots, with no mall or parking lot, are on the market at between $2 and $3 per square feet.

"This was an investment decision," Lee said. "That is all there is too it. Whether you can fix it or not, it just looked like a good deal."

It was a good enough deal that Lee acted quickly in a market that had at least one other serious bidder. Lee conducted due diligence, found investors and closed the deal in about 45 days, he said.

He made the purchase from Ohio-based Glimcher Realty Trust. Shoppers and tenants abandoned the mall in recent years, but Lee said that wasn't because the building is in bad shape.

"It has been very well-maintained," he said. "I am impressed with the condition of the structure."

The building's walls, floors and fixtures may be solid, but its future is anything but.

Lee, who said he specializes in constructing and operating shopping centers, has limited experience with malls. His firm bought and revitalized Porter Square in Dothan, taking a building that had been vacant for a decade and turning it into a mixed office-retail center.

That project was about a third the size of Montgomery Mall.

He said increased mixed-use, a combination of retail, residential and office, could be the savior of Montgomery Mall.

"We are going to try to figure out what Montgomery will support in that area," Lee said. "It has got to make economic sense."

Lee said he had given no thought to leveling the mall, subdividing the land and starting over.

"We have tenants in the mall," he said. "We have got to keep opening the mall."

Lee said he expects to meet with mall tenants next week, when he will learn their concerns and expectations. He also had his first contact with city officials Friday, he said. Mayor Bobby Bright promised city assistance during what he called a productive talk.

Venture 1, a small commercial real estate development company, has little experience with malls, but is ready for the challenge, Lee said.

"We are very flexible," he said. "We do mostly shopping centers. Enclosed malls are something very difficult to deal with."

[Brown Duckz]

Montgomery offers free tours through May 20


The historic Cleveland Avenue bus is parked beside a historic marker on the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat in 1955. The city held a commemoration in honor of Parks at the site in Montgomery, Ala. on Thursday October 27, 2005.

Visitors to Montgomery can now hear the voices of Fred Gray, E.D. Nixon, Virginia Durr and others on a new civil-rights audio that will bring listeners closer to the people and places that shaped the movement.

Chamber officials are banking on the new audio and one-stop ticket buying system to continue the city’s gains in tourism.

In celebration of National Tourism Week, The Lightning Route Trolley will ferry passengers to downtown attractions free.

The Civil-Rights Audio Tour will be free as well. It can be played in MP3 players that can be rented at the Montgomery Visitor Center at Union Station. Both are free through May 20.

[bystander1]

[QUOTE=floc34;2833692]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Thanks for that info, rabbi2007. Yes there are plans to bring back retail back along with other things (lofts, condos, restaurants) to the downtown area. Many of these things are happening now.


Starbucks is being pursued as one of the stores on the retail level of one condo building now under construction as of now, as well as some other potential locations downtown.
QUOTE]

Where is a condo bulding being built in downtown?

I should have said a condo building being re-constructed.
It's an old 7 or 8 story apartment building that has been gutted and is being rebuilt into condos on the Five-point hill area of the Cottage Hill neighborhood.

[Brown Duckz]

[QUOTE=bystander1;2834651]

Originally Posted by floc34

I should have said a condo building being re-constructed.
It's an old 7 or 8 story apartment building that has been gutted and is being rebuilt into condos on the Five-point hill area of the Cottage Hill neighborhood.

I really hope this project really starts some "Downtown living" hype. The new "5-point" intersection could see some real good development and revitalization.

[thoraudio]

Pictures of the Capitol Hill golf course from the Advertiser article.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Montgomery Mall was just a 'good deal,' buyer says

By Cosby Woodruff


Bryan Lee doesn't know what his company, Venture 1, will do with Montgomery Mall, but he does know the price tag for the troubled retail center was just too good to pass up.

...


"It has been very well-maintained," he said. "I am impressed with the condition of the structure."

...

Lee, who said he specializes in constructing and operating shopping centers, has limited experience with malls. His firm bought and revitalized Porter Square in Dothan, taking a building that had been vacant for a decade and turning it into a mixed office-retail center.

...

He said increased mixed-use, a combination of retail, residential and office, could be the savior of Montgomery Mall.
"We are going to try to figure out what Montgomery will support in that area," Lee said. "It has got to make economic sense."

Lee said he had given no thought to leveling the mall, subdividing the land and starting over.

"We have tenants in the mall," he said. "We have got to keep opening the mall."
...

He also had his first contact with city officials Friday, he said. Mayor Bobby Bright promised city assistance during what he called a productive talk.

Venture 1, a small commercial real estate development company, has little experience with malls, but is ready for the challenge, Lee said.

"We are very flexible," he said. "We do mostly shopping centers. Enclosed malls are something very difficult to deal with."

Originally Posted by Chad Emerson

Several folks have asked about the smart growth potential for the Montgomery Mall site. Rather than repeat what I typed on the River Region Smart Growth blog, you can read it by clicking here.

The summary is: alot of potential if the new firm uses an equal amount of strategic thinking...

Chad Emerson!, this man man is literally begging for your help!
Get in contact with him!...
Call Dover Kohl!...
You know what works. This is your chance.
Do your thing!...

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Proposal for a downtown bike trail. It sounds like a good idea, but I've always eyed that bed as a possibility of returning light rail between downtown and the eastside.

I use to think the same thing awhile ago, but now the best route for light rail would be the line that runs from downtown, pass the Coliseum, Eastdale Mall, under I-85 at EastChase, and dead ends after it crosses the Chantilly Parkway. That rail is privately owned (I believe by Kershaw).
There were studies going on as to where to locate Park and Ride locations, and the area around EastChase/Chantilly and I-85 should be a perfect fit for one of them.
Rail passengers and carpoolers can meet at a station there, and it would eliminate some of the traffic going into the city's core.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Montgomery offers free tours through May 20


The historic Cleveland Avenue bus is parked beside a historic marker on the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat in 1955. The city held a commemoration in honor of Parks at the site in Montgomery, Ala. on Thursday October 27, 2005.

Visitors to Montgomery can now hear the voices of Fred Gray, E.D. Nixon, Virginia Durr and others on a new civil-rights audio that will bring listeners closer to the people and places that shaped the movement.

Chamber officials are banking on the new audio and one-stop ticket buying system to continue the city’s gains in tourism.

In celebration of National Tourism Week, The Lightning Route Trolley will ferry passengers to downtown attractions free.

The Civil-Rights Audio Tour will be free as well. It can be played in MP3 players that can be rented at the Montgomery Visitor Center at Union Station. Both are free through May 20.

I think this is great for the city. Heritage tours are one of the fastest growing segments of tourism in the world. This will be part of the city's huge tourism growth over the next couple of decades thanks to the new emphases being put towards highlighting all the historical sites around the city (civil war, civil rights, aviation, cultural, etc.) especially downtown.

The vast amount and range of history held in Montgomery is what makes it unique as an historic city. It will be interesting to see what the new marketing does with the tourism numbers over the years.

[thoraudio]

www.downtownmontgomery.org

The Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation's new web site. Nothing really new there yet, except under 'new developments' they mention the Coosa Street Condominiums, and on the list of projects they list the Coosa Street parking deck as coming on line in late 2008....

hmmm

[EXbubba]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

www.downtownmontgomery.org

The Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation's new web site. Nothing really new there yet, except under 'new developments' they mention the Coosa Street Condominiums, and on the list of projects they list the Coosa Street parking deck as coming on line in late 2008....

hmmm

Unfortunately, I found it over a month ago and it ain't woke up yet!