Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

Some Bridge Street pics

Possible Barnes & Noble front, Gordon Biersch on the left?
http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/


PF Changs maybe?


Looking north down Bridge Street

[HSVTiger]

I suppose he should know.

"Area business leaders gathered in at the Embassy Suites on Monday to discuss local economic development efforts and the top executive of the chamber of commerce said the community should feel "very encouraged and extremely optimistic about where we're going."

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce CEO Brian Hilson offered the assessment amid a day of meetings updating the business community about plans and strategy for future business recruitment.

Hilson said Huntsville and Madison County consistently grade among the top communities in the U.S. for quality of life and a business-friendly environment. He said the challenge is to maintain those community standards and begin to find ways to partner with area communities for a more regional approach to business recruitment.

U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, also favors pooling regional resources for industrial recruitment. He said there are projects that could be upcoming that would be attractive to the area and would likely need a commitment from Huntsville-Madison County and its neighboring communities to make the most effective bid.

Cramer wants to work with Limestone and Morgan counties and the city governments to forge partnerships to lure projects.

Hilson said some 21 percent, 30,000 of the Huntsville-Madison County work force lives outside of Madison County, so cooperation on future projects, regardless of the specific location of the new business makes sense economically."

[austin356]

good updates tiger

[daveyp]

Originally Posted by austin356

good updates tiger

yeah definitely. thanks for posting that stuff so i don't have to go searching for it!

[HSVTiger]

More Power! Crank it up


TVA ready to start Browns Ferry Unit 1 near Athens
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given final approval for the Tennessee Valley Authority to restart its oldest nuclear reactor after a 22-year shutdown.

The green light came today after inspectors determined that the unit met standards to go online again.

TVA said it spent $$1.8 billion over a five year period overhauling Unit One at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

Units Two and Three were restarted in the 1990s. The restart of Unit One, which could come any day, will mark the first time the entire plant has been operating in about 27 years.

TVA said it has conducted more than 1,200 safety tests at Browns Ferry, and workers spent more than 15 million hours of work at the plant replacing, refurbishing or modifying systems.

Browns Ferry's Unit One will become the utility's sixth operating reactor, joining the two others at the plant, two at the Seqouyah station near Chattanooga and the single reactor at Watts Bar.

[HSVTiger]

Statewide

MONTGOMERY -- A House committee approved a record $1.052 billion school construction bond issue today that will be divided 75-25 between K-12 schools and higher education.
The full House is expected to take up the measure on Thursday.

The bill was originally filed at $850 million, but was inflated by a variety of add-ons, including $24.5 million to rebuild the state trooper training academy in Selma and $20 million to train workers for new and expanding industries.

"This is the greatest opportunity we've had in this Legislature to contribute to education across Alabama," Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, chairman of the House Education Appropriations Committee, said of the bond issue.

The original split between K-12 and higher education was proposed at 70.68 percent for elementary and secondary schools and 29.32 percent for colleges and universities.
But lawmakers decided there was a greater need in the K-12 area.

Under the bill, each school system and college and university will receive $200,000. Then, the remainder will be decided on formula based on student daily attendance and the economic condition of the school systems.

Madison County schools are scheduled to receive $15.79 million; Huntsville city, $17.72; and Madison city, $6.77 million.

Among local universities, Alabama A&M would get $4.24 million; Athens State would get $1.84 million; and UAH would get a undetermined portion of the University of Alabama System's $72.6 million.

[HSVTiger]

the biggest blight on southern cities besides Walmart sprawl would have to be
Dollar General. They are like locusts, eat everything in sight and move on leaving destruction and waste.
From The Huntsville Times the sad tale of greed..

"Oak Brook is a beautiful circle of hillside homes worth $200,000 and up on Old Madison Pike just west of Slaughter Road. A handful of those homes, unfortunately, overlook what may be the ugliest commercial building in Madison County: a Dollar General store.

What makes it a candidate for ugliest?

The developer dug out the hillside, paved it, stacked hundreds of white boulders on naked slopes to stop runoff, then put up a metal rectangle whose most-distinguishing feature is the big yellow "Dollar General" sign out front.

That sign shines through Scott Boyett's bedroom window at night. It's what several other homeowners look down on from their decks.

When the subdivision was developed, Boyett says, the builder tried to buy the wooded lot. The owner, an elderly gentleman, had no interest in selling. No intention.

He died, and his heirs thought differently, Boyett says. They could sell, and they did. Capabilities.

When homeowners saw the trees coming down, they got organized. It didn't matter.
Madison "wouldn't claim it, Huntsville wouldn't claim it," says resident Christina Williams.

It turned out the property was a tiny island of Madison County. For newcomers, being in the county means few rules, few limits, few controls.

Residents sought influence, anyway. At least, develop it right, they pleaded. Maybe a retaining wall, they suggested.

Dollar General was interested and willing to help pay, Boyett says, but it never happened. What did happen is a textbook case of legal, but ugly. And after the deed was done, Huntsville annexed the land.

The story has an OK ending for Oak Brook Circle and also some irony. Homes still sell quickly there, and residents credit that to quality and price. A lot of Madison homes cost either $100,000 or $400,000 these days, they say.

But tomorrow, signs go up announcing the closing of the Dollar General, store employees say. Along with several other Dollar Generals in the area, it will go away this summer. Dollar General apparently overbuilt in Madison.

So, the store that toppled the trees, bouldered the hills and lit up the night for nearly three years didn't make it. In a way, it was all for nothing. The residents of Oak Brook might be savoring that bitter irony and poetic justice, but they're not."

You have to wonder what people who make these decisions are thinking? stores less than a mile a part won't make it.
If the entire Dollar General chain went under it would be an improvement.

[HSVTiger]

One month after dropping plans for a 195-lot subdivision on Green Mountain, developers are back with a proposal with 74 fewer houses.

A city planning subcommittee this morning reviewed plans for a 121-lot subdivision called Inspiration on Green Mountain. An earlier plan calling for 160 single family houses and 35 townhomes was shelved before city officials voted on rezoning thie site for more homes.

[HSV79]

Thursday, May 17, 2007By JOHN PECKTimes Staff Writer [email protected]
Constellation complex to feature two hotels, retail, offices, condos

Huntsville developer Scott McLain said Wednesday he hopes to create a more attractive gateway from Memorial Parkway to downtown with a $150 million retail and hotel complex that will be named Constellation.

The complex would feature two 160-room hotels, 60,000 square feet of office space, several restaurants, a high-rise apartment or condominium complex and a multideck parking garage surrounded by 40,000 square feet of retail space. A bank building, entertainment venues and possibly a health club would also be part of the mix.

The development will be at the site of the former Market Square shopping center, originally the Heart of Huntsville mall, which opened in 1961. McLain and business partner Manu Patel outlined the project Wednesday to The Times and later to a young professionals group.

Mayor Loretta Spencer said Constellation could help build momentum for more downtown revitalization.

"It's another area that is close to the heart of the city, and we are so glad to see the investment being made for the expansion of downtown with the multiple opportunities to live, eat, work and play," she said. "The accessibility to Memorial Parkway and Interstate 565 will be very good. We have made a commitment to have a vibrant downtown and this is proving to be another active area for continued growth."

Workers are expected to complete the demolition of the old mall site by August. Construction could begin in the fall, with completion in about two or three years.

"It's been a long time coming," McLain said. "We now have what we need and are ready to proceed. We're excited and we hope the city will be excited."

McLain said the development - with places to eat, shop, work or stroll a river promenade - should help Huntsville to lure young professionals. Pinhook Creek and Huntsville Spring Branch thread between the planned Constellation development and the Von Braun Center and are slated for sidewalks and landscaping.

The hotels will be in the Marriott family. The specific brand won't be identified until a formal announcement Friday. Restaurant deals haven't been locked in, but McLain said he envisions places along the lines of Hard Rock Cafe, Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs.

"These will be very easy to land lease," he said, referring to the restaurant sites, which are just a few feet off the Memorial Parkway service road. "From a restaurant perspective, these have powerful traffic counts with 110,000 cars on Memorial Parkway each day" and easy access from I-565, Clinton Avenue and Governors Drive.

McLain said the hotels will bring to nearly 1,000 the number of rooms available in downtown since the addition of the 300-room Embassy Suites hotel last year. Convention planners have said more hotel rooms would help the city nab bigger concerts, conventions and trade shows.

McLain could not immediately say whether the residential component would consist of apartments or condominiums. Plans call for a six- or seven-story building with up to 80 condominiums or more apartments. Further study is needed to determine pricing and the target customer, he said.

McLain said Constellation will change most people's concept of Huntsville's downtown by stretching it closer to Memorial Parkway.

The name isn't an homage to the movie, "Constellation," which was filmed entirely in Huntsville and premiered in theaters here earlier this year, he said. Naming the complex Constellation, McLain said, is a nod to Huntsville's space heritage, while also reflecting that it offers a "collection" of venues, just as a constellation is a collection of stars.

Asked whether there is any public money involved, McLain said he's talked with city officials about help with the parking garage, but he and Patel may develop the project without any help. McLain said redevelopments of this type are less costly than on undeveloped property because roads, sewers and other utilities are present.


Hmm wonder what kind of bank building and if it will be some kind of highrise?
© 2007 The Huntsville Times. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[HSVTiger]

The architect for Constellation, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. is well known in the state and does outstanding work , has been involved in a lot of the RSA hotel projects. They just recently bought a
Huntsville architect firm across the street from the Constellation site.

This photo gives a general idea the plan being held by Mr. McLain.

A central parking deck surrounded by an urban village type lifestyle center.
The top road is Clinton, notice a building planned across the street. The three separate buildings
in the lower corner are probably Cheescake Factory types etc. The two hotels side by side just to the right of them.
A well landscaped park follows the creeks. The Embassy Suite and VBC would be to the right across these creeks.
Memorial Parkway is where his hand is with I-565 just off the top of the rendering. The grayish building along Clinton
is the Downtown Post Office and the architects office is across from that. This also shows the greenway extending beyond Clinton
where the Searcy homes will be removed to make way for this extension.

It is not apparent now but this a huge development for downtown (150 million is huge anywhere) and it will lead to more
downtown projects.

[TimCity2000]

^While I wish this were a tad more urban, this is a HUGE step for downtown Huntsville, especially considering what this will replace. Doesn't sound like we'll get anything over 8 stories, though.

Here is the old Heart of Huntsville mall:

[HSVTiger]

Even in a strong economy businesses sometimes struggle.
Hopefully they can be profitable in other areas, they do good work.
http://www.tiiconnects.com/

By BRIAN LAWSON and WAYNE SMITH
Times Business Staff [email protected]
Auto supplier cites foreign competition

Madison-based Triana Industries Inc. is laying off most of its work force in the face of tough foreign competition for automobile wiring harnesses.

The company, Alabama's midsize manufacturer of the year in 2002, began laying off about 150 of its 175-plus workers last week. The company makes wire harnesses, among other products, for auto assembly.

Ralph Malone, Triana Industries president and CEO, said competitive pressure from offshore companies forced the layoffs.

He said the company is working to help those laid off find other jobs, including making computers available for job searches.

"We're working with them as we go through this transition,'' Malone said. "Naturally, there are a lot of emotions and stress tied to it. These are quality workers.''

The workers may be eligible for benefits under the Federal Trade Act of 2002, according to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. The U.S. Department of Labor found that the workers making the wire harnesses may have become unemployed because of increased imports.

The company had filed for the consideration, which can provide subsidized vocational training, job search help, relocation allowances and health coverage tax credits, if it is determined that the job losses were related to foreign competition.

Unemployed former Triana Industries workers may be eligible for additional weeks of unemployment compensation, and workers over 50 who have been out of work for 26 weeks may be eligible for a wage subsidy.

Workers eligible for benefits will be contacted in writing by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, according to an agency news release.

Malone said the company will have about 25 employees when the layoffs are complete next week, and he's not sure which direction Triana Industries will take in the next 30 to 45 days. He said it's possible Triana Industries could be reincorporated as part of another one of the companies in which Malone has an interest.

"We're working through the job cuts, as well as with our customers and creditors as we go through this transition,'' Malone said. "The immediate situation is trying. But I think once all the dust settles, I think it will put us in a better position to go forward. Six months to a year from now, we expect to be better as we redirect our energies and resources.''

Malone said the company is looking to change its direction so it will not be in direct competition with foreign companies that can make goods more cheaply.

He said the company is considering doing more work with the military and partnering with some offshore locations.

[HSVTiger]

this is for a new development at I-565 and Gate 9 Redstone Arsenal.
It will mostly be aime at contractors (businesses) that will be doing work
on the arsenal.

Redstone Technology Park
The legislation is aimed at helping a development proposed by Montgomery-based Jim Wilson & Associates on 422 acres of Redstone near Interstate 565 and Rideout Road.

Dallas Fanning, Huntsville's planning director, said Wednesday that plans call for the company to build an office park with some stores and possibly a hotel.

"It's a changing document, and we'll know more later," he said.

The two bills that cleared the Legislature would exclude the debt associated with a Tax Increment Finance, or TIF, district on federal property and extend from five to 10 years the time that a city can make expenditures from a TIF. The extension on the time for expenditures is not retroactive to existing TIFs.

Under TIFs, the city issues special bonds for needed work near a planned commercial project and repays the loan with higher tax revenue from the economic growth that follows. Schools also have been built with TIFs, with the debt paid by the revenue from the resulting higher property values.

Fanning said the legislation was needed in case Wilson & Associates asks the city for help providing services such as sewers, roads and utilities. Redstone would have to ask the city to annex the site before such services are provided, he said.

"We requested that (current law) be amended in case Mr. Wilson wants to develop property on federal land and desires to have city services," he said.


Wilson & Associates, known mostly for developing mega-shopping malls and shopping centers, is hoping to take advantage of companies, subcontractors and businesses that will be moving to the area through BRAC.

As for Redstone, it won Defense Department approval to lease the land near Gate 9 to raise revenue for the base.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

^While I wish this were a tad more urban, this is a HUGE step for downtown Huntsville, especially considering what this will replace. Doesn't sound like we'll get anything over 8 stories, though.

yeah the height thing is a bit disappointing. A 20 story structure would have been perfect. The project itself however should be outstanding. This site is only about 18 acres so it lends itself to going vertical.
Things like this also tend to spinoff other bigger projects, so the next 3 years will be very interesting. Mr. Hammons (Embassy Suite developer)
expressed great desire to build another property so maybe now he will
make a move.

[HSVTiger]

another view of Constellation, looking southeast

[TimCity2000]

^WOW, now that is much more impressive!

[daveyp]

i'm sure it will be really nice. i'd love to see it have a whole foods!

i was definitely looking for it to be a little more urban and not so suburban shopping center, strip mall-like. but it's still cool. can't wait to see it start going up.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by daveyp

i'm sure it will be really nice. i'd love to see it have a whole foods!

i was definitely looking for it to be a little more urban and not so suburban shopping center, strip mall-like. but it's still cool. can't wait to see it start going up.

When reading the article, notice there is a vagueness that I see as intentional
because the project is evolving rapidly. It will only get better as it goes along.
Tomorrows hotel announcements will shed more light. Just the hotels alone
are a big boost for downtown.

[HSVTiger]

new downtown dining

[email protected]

Rooftop dining, a state-of-the-art sports bar and a neighborhood pub are coming to downtown Huntsville. And they're all wrapped up in one casual-dining caf.

Mason's Pub is taking shape on the top floor of the old Mason's Furniture building on Clinton Avenue. The first floor and mezzanine levels already have become the home of Crossroads blues room and music emporium.

The soon-to-open entertainment spot overhead is part of the Washington Square group of restaurants, which include Humphrey's Bar & Grill and The Chophouse downtown and Sazio in Five Points.

Mason's Pub has transformed this historic building into a concept perfect for a central city. Plans are to open June 7 and serve dinner for the first few days, then begin offering a lunch quick enough for the downtown professionals and office workers. The facility also will serve as a commissary for all of the Washington Square restaurants."I would like to get that up," says Rick Riccio, who created the concept for CityScapes owners Jim and Susie Hudson. "Then we would look at franchising in places like Chattanooga and do what Jim and Susie have done in revitalizing the downtown area."
The centerpiece of the restaurant is the mahogany bar that came from The Wetlands Preserve, a legendary music club in New York City that closed in 2001.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by daveyp

i'm sure it will be really nice. i'd love to see it have a whole foods!

i was definitely looking for it to be a little more urban and not so suburban shopping center, strip mall-like. but it's still cool. can't wait to see it start going up.

Whole Foods most likely would locate at Bridge Street if they are interested.
This place Earth Fare would be a better fit downtown
http://www.earthfare.com/