Montgomery development news

[ExpatBaman]

Does anyone know what this small infill building on Tacoma St. will be used for?

[bystander1]

Do you mean Catoma St? In any case, I don't know what the building is for...

[ExpatBaman]

^Oops, I meant Catoma.

[bystander1]

Central Alabama Business Journal

Developer converts apartments into luxury condominiums

By David Zaslawsky


MONTGOMERY – It’s easy to understand why developer Kim Henderson named his project “The GrandView at Cottage Hill.”

Just take one look at the development’s Web site: www.grandviewatcottagehill.com and you will find spectacular nighttime views of the Montgomery skyline. You would expect to find those types of views on postcards.

Henderson, a Montgomery native who now lives in the Washington D.C. area, is converting the nine-story Hilltop Arms into luxury condominiums. He said the GrandView at Cottage Hill will have 37 luxury condos, ranging in size from 1,400-plus square feet to 5,000-plus square feet. He said there are two penthouse suites – one is 4,000-plus square feet and the other tops 5,000.

“We have gutted the building,” said Henderson, who estimates renovations will cost close to $3 million. He said he purchased the building at the corner of Goldthwaite and Montgomery Street for about $800,000.

Henderson said the completion date is April 1, 2008 and he already has 10 reservations. The penthouses are still available.

The condos will range from $300,000-$600,000-plus.

And what will residents receive for their money in addition to a priceless view?
Henderson said the kitchens and bathrooms will feature Brazilian wood.

“It is not a traditional kitchen -- it is a New York-look,” Henderson said. “The space can be used for more than eating and cooking.”

The condos will also feature frosted glass cabinets and granite countertops. He said unlike typical cabinets, which can easily slam shut and look like multiple pieces, the ones at GrandView will look like one piece. The drawers are self-closing – and close quietly, safely and smoothly.

Henderson is trying to lure a coffee shop business on the first floor. He said he talked with Starbucks, but couldn’t negotiate a deal.

The GrandView will have a private fitness center for residents. The fitness center would be about 3,400 square feet and will have flat-screen TVs and a 20-foot ceiling, Henderson said.

There are tentative plans for two multipurpose rooms, one of which could be used as a private theater. Henderson said the rooms could accommodate private parties.
Floor plans are available on the project’s Web site.

Henderson is trying to lure a coffee shop business on the first floor. He said he talked with Starbucks, but couldn’t negotiate a deal.

Several locations downtown are vying to possibly become new Starbucks locations. Maybe the RSA hotel/convention center and the Alleyway are the front runners now.

[Brown Duckz]

Man that place is turning out to be one of the more exciting projects considering it's residency...... and a big thumbs up to whoever can get the first Starbucks put in place. I think the Alleyway would be perfect considering its close proximity to everything that's happening.

[kevinlpugh]

Forensic science building in works at ASU

By Vannah Shaw
[email protected]


Alabama State University next month will open a one-of-a-kind facility in the state.

The building will allow ASU to accommodate chemistry students who want to focus on forensic science. It is scheduled to be completed by the second week in August, in time for classes this fall.

There are currently no forensic science programs offered for undergraduate students in Alabama. Jacksonville State University offers a graduate program, and doctoral work is offered at UAB.

"We're very excited to have that concentration offered at ASU," said Janel Bell-Hayes, an ASU spokeswoman.

In 1998, Alabama residents voted to permit the state to borrow $17.5 million to build new facilities at ASU and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to be used by the universities as well as state forensic officials.

Students in the program will receive a bachelor of science degree. Classes offered will include forensic law, ethics, forensic chemistry and criminalistics, said Thelma Ivory, dean of the College of Arts and Science at ASU.

She said one of the main benefits of the program is that the building will be shared with professionals.

"It makes it possible for our students to have access with those actually doing forensic work," Ivory said.

Sam Mitchell, chief of staff of the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, said the level of excitement among university officials about the new program is obvious.

"It's been a real pleasure working with ASU," he said.

Mitchell said the state's forensic department plans to move into the building in September. Their current location is near the Gunter Annex at Maxwell Air Force Base, where the buildings are old and space is limited.

Although there is no direct tie between ASU and the state forensic department, Ivory said she plans to use professionals to teach classes in the program. There are professionals who teach other classes in the chemistry program at the university at this time, but on an individual basis and not through the state department.

Forensic science students will be equipped to work in areas that analyze physical evidence at crime scenes. According to the Alabama State Personnel Department, forensic scientists' average annual salary was about $36,000 last year.

[Brown Duckz]

Pro basketball team coming to Montgomery?


ATLANTA --- The United States Basketball Association, which begins play in 2008, has announced plans to place a team in Montgomery.

The USBA will initiate it's inaugural season in 2008 with two divisions. The name of the two divisions are the Appalachian and the Atlantic.

The Appalachian division will house the Chattanooga Royal, the Atlanta Platinum, the Nashville Thunder, the Asheville Mountaineers, the Montgomery Generals and the Birmingham Crusaders.

The Atlantic Division will consist of the Jacksonville Admirals, the Charlotte Blue Wave, the Savannah Seahawks, the Macon Marauders, the Augusta Raging River and the Columbia Centurion.

USBA's spokesman Duane Allen Jenkins states, "We are extremely pleased with the warm reception we have received from the cities. We selected these venues to give each state equal representation in the USBA and as we add additional teams and divisions we will place them evenly throughout the country as to give all basketball fans an opportunity to enjoy professional basketball."

The USBA will own and operate the franchises until they are transferred to their new owners.

Staff report

[Brown Duckz]

Prattville boosts counties

By Marty Roney
[email protected]


PRATTVILLE -- This town is the economic engine that drives Autauga County, but the community of 35,000 also plays a large role in Elmore County's economic growth.

The equation is simple: Growth equals increased tax revenue.

Elmore County has a 1-cent sales tax that is levied in Prattville. The proceeds are split between the county and the city, with each government earmarking 10 percent to a fund that pays for infrastructure improvements in the district.

Elmore County does not make any other direct contributions to its part of Prattville.

"That's kind of irritating," said Will Parker, who lives on the Autauga County side of the line. "My tax dollars are going out there and Elmore County is getting the benefit. It just seems like they're getting the gravy, but they're not helping pay the tab."

Prattville Mayor Jim Byard disagrees.

"I'm the mayor of Prattville. It's my job to keep the city on sound financial ground and improve the quality of life for its citizens," he said.

"Prattville is in two counties, and I'm glad we are becoming the shopping hub north of the river. A rising tide lifts all boats. I'm not going to pass on a project just because it happens to be in Elmore County."

The recent surge in Prattville's retail offerings, one 400,000-square-foot shopping center and a 900,000-square-foot development now under construction, are in the part of the city that sits in Elmore County.

The city's newest retailers include Target and T.J. Maxx, which celebrated grand openings Sunday. Bass Pro Shops will open its 185,000-square-foot Outdoor World on Aug. 15, and Home Depot has been operating for about a month.

Some of the stores and restaurants that have announced plans or are looking for a Prattville site include Books-A-Million; Circuit City; Best Buy; Belk; J.C. Penney; Dillard's; Kohl's; Publix; Bed, Bath and Beyond; Olive Garden; Beef O'Brady's; Mellow Mushroom; Logan's Steakhouse; and MacAllister's Deli.

Joe Faulk, chairman of the Elmore County Commission, said the county "stands ready" to support future projects.

"I hate to say it this way because it sounds so cliché," he said. "But we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to growth in Prattville, and that includes the Elmore County part of Prattville.

"We are working with Prattville leaders, just as we work with every other municipality in Elmore County. We are going to do our part in future projects."

While Prattville is the big kid on the block, Faulk points out a 200,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter that recently opened in Millbrook and plans for a Lowe's Home Center in Wetumpka as evidence that growth is occurring all over Elmore County. In addition, Faulk said, there has been $15 million in industrial expansion in the Tallassee and Eclectic areas over the last two years.

Prattville levies a 2.5 percent sales tax, which it collects on both sides of the county line.

Elmore County has a 2 cent tax rate in Prattville, with 1 cent going to the Elmore County Board of Education. An accounting problem with the agency that collects taxes in Elmore County cut the BOE out of its due. When an audit uncovered the mistake, it was calculated that the tax generated $2.4 million since 2004.

The Elmore County Commission has agreed to pay back its share of $1.2 million. Prattville has pledged to repay its part, but hasn't ruled out seeking damages from the collection company.

By comparison, there's a cent-and-a-half sales tax charged in the Autauga County part of Prattville that goes to education. In 2006, that tax generated about $3.4 million for Autauga County public schools. Last year, the city collected about $11.5 million in sales tax revenue.

Steady growth in revenue allowed Prattville to float an incentives package of about $48 million to lure the developments now under construction in the east side of town. The money comes from a bond issue. City officials estimate that once all the stores are open, they will generate about $10 million a year in sales tax, property tax and business license fees. The annual bond payments of about $3.9 million will come from that revenue, leaving about $6 million a year to go into the city's budget.

Faulk said the public often is not aware of the level of planning it takes to bring such pro-
jects to the community.

"Leadership is planting shade trees that you know you will never have a chance to rest under," he said. "I think there's an incredible amount of vision on behalf of officials in both counties. We work together when we can because we know what's a benefit to one is a benefit to others. There are things on the horizon in Elmore and Autauga County, and when they get here, they will blow peoples' minds."

[Brown Duckz]

More development coming to east Montgomery


East Montgomery and Pike Road residents will have even more retail choices in the coming months with the openings of a CVS/Pharmacy, and gas station near the intersection of Vaughn and Pike Roads.

The drug store chain is targeting October for the opening of the 11 CVS location in Montgomery, according to Mike DeAngelis, a spokesman with CVS. He said the full-service pharmacy would employ between 20 and 25 people.

Z-Tec gas station and convenience store is slated to open in early spring just east of Crockmier’s on Vaughn Road, said Bobby Patel, a partner in the project.

[Brown Duckz]

Shouldn't this maybe spark a need for Vaughn Rd/110 to be widened in preparation for growth and the Outer Loop?

[bystander1]

Yes, it should...BUT...

[Brown Duckz]

New I-14 proposed to open Black Belt
Planned route may piggyback I-85, link military bases from Augusta, Ga. to Natchez, Miss.


Jennifer Foster / Opelika-Auburn News
April 17, 2007

A new east-west interstate linking Augusta, Ga., and Natchez, Miss., may one day wind through Lee County.

The proposed highway would link military bases along the route, including those in Macon, Ga., Columbus, Ga., and Montgomery, said Mayo “Biff” Hadden, director of business development for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

Hadden recently discussed the project and Lee County’s continued growth at a meeting at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

The interstate project is “about a three-year old initiative now,” Hadden said. “It’s gone through a little bit of maturity as it’s been put together. But it’s really a critical function for what we’re striving to see, because it does so much to open up parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.”

Although preliminary studies are not yet under way, observers expect the Lee County leg of the new interstate to follow either Interstate 85 into Auburn-Opelika and U.S. Highway 280 into Phenix City or I-85 to Tuskegee and U.S. Highway 80 into Phenix City.

The interstate, tentatively designated I-14, would be so named to reference the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Federal legislation introducing the concept of a new east-west interstate in 2004 encouraged its development in the Black Belt, stating that “disparity in transportation infrastructure investment has been a key contributing factor to the persistent poverty and social ills of this region.” The development of a new highway through the region, its sponsors hoped, would increase economic development opportunities for communities in the Black Belt.

In August 2005, the federal government appropriated $1.32 million for a corridor study of the proposed I-14 route as part of a larger transportation bill. Officials at the Federal Highway Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, say that the FHWA is in the process of bidding out the initial corridor study that will estimate construction costs and delineate the steps needed to build the interstate.

Tony Harris, special assistant to Alabama Department of Transportation Director Joe McInnes, said ALDOT officials in Montgomery aren’t familiar with plans for the proposed I-14. But they are aware of infrastructure concerns in the Black Belt, he said, due to their work on the proposed extension of I-85 west out of Montgomery into eastern Mississippi.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has been concerned with the underdeveloped nature of Alabama’s Black Belt region for several years, Harris said, adding that $116 million in state and federal funding has been approved to study the environmental impact and tentative routes of the I-85 extension.
Hadden estimates that it could be as many as 10 to 15 years before I-14 is operable - and that’s not including the development of any unexpected delays in planning or funding. Completion time and project costs could be minimized, Hadden said, by maximizing existing infrastructure and “piggybacking” the new sections of highway onto existing ones where possible.

Because rough sketches of the proposed I-14 in west Alabama would run that highway to within about 60 miles of the expected route of the I-85 extension, that leg of I-14 would be a sensible area to consider “piggybacking” the new road, Hadden said.

But supporters of the I-85 project are wary about whether such “piggybacking” would be beneficial to their plans.

On one hand, engineers cautiously agreed that layering a new project onto an existing one could help expedite the project’s funding and speed along the completion date for that leg of the broader project. But it could also hamper progress on the existing project, they said, because of the detailed environmental studies that are required for road projects.

I-85 extension project manager Paul Griggs said he understands why I-14 proponents would consider it a good idea to combine that leg of the highway onto plans for the I-85 extension. But he said it would be difficult to add additional mileage to the current I-85 extension study corridor, now at 140 miles long.

“I grant you that it’s hard to justify building another (interstate) where an interstate already exists,” Griggs said. “The more you add to (the study corridor), the more alternatives you can develop, the more it would have to be studied. It complicates things to make (the study) longer and longer. You would have to add everything to it to bring it up to speed, and it would take a long time to catch that far up to it.

“These projects take a long time. You wouldn’t want to hinder this project by adding to it as you get further along.”

Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, is a longtime proponent of the I-85 extension project, and aides say the $11 million he directed to the I-85 extension study in 2005 was the largest single one-time contribution for any highway project in the Black Belt. Press secretary Corey Ealons said Davis’ “primary desire” is to extend I-85 through the Black Belt and into Mississippi for economic development and industrial recruitment purposes.

“(Davis) is fine with (combining that leg of I-14 with the I-85 extension), as long as it doesn’t hinder the ultimate development of I-85 and the time table associated with getting that completed,” Ealons said.

Although I-14 is not even through its initial study phase, legislation pending in this year’s Congress would add project miles and cost to it on both ends, moving its termini to Wilmington, N.C., in the east and Austin, Texas, in the west.

Harris, the ALDOT official, said that no matter the route, funding will remain the “major issue” when dealing with road projects.

“We’ve got a five-year plan that we’re already so stretched for funding (for) that we are having to move projects around simply because of what costs are doing,” he said. “Even with combined state and federal revenue, we’re doing good to meet our needs with that.

“With new projects like these of a very grand scale, it’s hard to imagine where the funding will come from for those.”

[Brown Duckz]

Business booming for Boomer T's Bar-B-Q


Things are booming at Boomer T's Bar-B-Q, which recently added a second location at 1705 Jackson Ferry Road. And owners are in the process of moving from Commerce Street to Dexter Avenue.

In fact, the Boomer T's at 15 Commerce St. will close Friday, and the one at 51 Dexter Ave. will open Tuesday. Hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The one at 1705 Jackson Ferry Road is open the same hours and is near the old Winn-Dixie warehouses.

Call Boomer T's at Jackson Ferry Road, 262-4440; and at Commerce Street/Dexter Avenue, 262-4481.

-- Robyn Bradley Litchfield

[Brown Duckz]

Riverwalk keeps rockin'
Amphitheatre continues to draw top acts

By Darryn Simmons
[email protected]


When Chris Daughtry plays the Riverwalk Amphitheatre Sunday, he’ll perform the hit “It’s Not Over” as part of his set.

According to Branch Kloess, that’s a good description of the amphitheater itself.

Kloess, manager of Riverwalk Amphitheatre and Riverwalk Stadium, said Sunday’s Daughtry concert will be one of the biggest in the venue’s history. Over the past couple of years, the city has worked hard to establish the amphitheatre as a legitimate venue, he said.

He said promoters and tour managers are taking note that in addition to Daughtry, music legend Willie Nelson and other top performers are playing there. It also helps that the stadium is on on Pollstar (a national event Web site) and in Billboard magazine.

“Tours going through the South don’t ignore Montgomery anymore,” he said. “The city has never had venues like this before.”

Read more in Thursday's Advertiser.

- Posted by Erica Pippins

[thoraudio]

Story on the smoothie shop in Byron's building.

Eatery serves smoothies, deli items

By Andre Coe




Darian Clark and his wife, Dr. Kimberly Williams, developed a smoothie love affair while Williams attended medical school at Louisiana State University-New Orleans.

But faced with few frozen fruit drink options upon arriving in the Capital City last year, the two had a hard time keeping their icy-cold love afire.

Like parents who have experienced the joys of a newborn, the young couple happily has counted the days since opening their new business, Smoothies-N-Things, 109 S. Court St., on July 19.

Clark said the two got the idea shortly after coming to Montgomery a year ago and seeing there weren't too many Smoothie Kings. His wife had a simple solution to the problem.

"She just said we should open a smoothie shop," he said. "I said, 'OK.'"

Really, there's a little more to the story than that. Ask Clark how he and his wife first met and he may get more teary-eyed than the day of the
café's ribbon cutting.

Clark was skeptical when his mother, Dianne Guidry, first told him about the new girl at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Baker, La., which is just outside Baton Rouge. But he said all that changed when he saw her himself.

He said he scoped out the newest members of the church while watching from afar and noticed Williams: "I said, 'I'm going to church,'" he said with a devilish smile.

Williams, who now is a kidney specialist in a private practice, blew him off.

"I really wasn't interested," Williams said of Clark's first hello, but Clark persisted.

The next time they talked, he invited her to his birthday party Sept. 15. He surprised her when he told her he was going to marry her, he said.

"And he doesn't drink, so I know he wasn't drunk," she said.

Like the business plan he put together soon after moving to Montgomery, he was serious, though. Since their initial conversation, a Smoothie King has opened in east Montgomery, but Clark says customers can get the best of three worlds at their restaurant.

"It's like a Smoothie King mixed with a Starbucks and an upscale deli," he said.

Terrance Sullivan has become a Smoothies-N-Things regular since its opening. He recommends the chicken and bacon club panini.

"The food is great, the place is great, the smoothies are great," he said. "It fills you up, but not to the point of overfilling you."

and pics too.

[bystander1]

Cool. I can't wait to try it.

BTW, I wonder if Byron will have something big to tell us soon?

[Brown Duckz]

I checked out the place last week, payed about $4 for a smoothie and was satisfied.

The place is super hip.... nice design inside, and looks to be cranking out some tasty stuff all around. The place was more crowded than I expected for 4:00 pm on a weekday.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Cool. I can't wait to try it.

BTW, I wonder if Byron will have something big to tell us soon?

not right now... there's a monkey in the wrench.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

not right now... there's a monkey in the wrench.

[Brown Duckz]

County plans for environmental park

By Andre Coe



This is an artist's rendering of the planned environmental park and learning center.


A patch of wetlands just south of Montgomery soon will be a 1,300-acre environmental park and learning center.

The Montgomery County Commission has requested $1.5 million from Congress in anticipation of the state turning over land to the county for Catoma Creek Environmental Park and Learning Center, according to District 5 County Commissioner Reed Ingram.

Scheduled for construction to begin in 2008, Ingram said the park will feature miles of walking trails, boardwalks and ponds as well as a Native American artifacts restoration site, several pavilions for social gatherings, a learning center and a sheriff's substation.

"I'm very excited about it because it is going to protect the environment and create more learning for our kids," Ingram said. "It's going to be the front door to Montgomery County."

An Auburn University architecture graduate class developed the initial master plan, but students and professors from Auburn Montgomery, Alabama State University and Troy University also will be involved in educational and planning opportunities for the park, according to county literature.

The town of Pike Road will develop horse riding trails around the park's outer loop, according to the literature.

Bound by U.S. 231 South to the east and Trotman Drive to the south, the park will be just south of the Montgomery city limits. Built in phases, the first phase may cost $3 million to $5 million and could take design cues from other parks located in Alabama, Ingram said. State and federal funds will pay for the park, he said.

The Alabama Department of Transportation currently uses the site for wetland mitigation, where officials create, restore, enhance and preserve the wetlands. Once the mitigation work is complete, the state will turn the park over to the county.

The park will continue to feature the natural wetlands as well as native plant and animal life. According to architectural drawings, many of the boardwalks will be constructed over forested wetland areas through several treetop-lined trails.

"The uniqueness will be that it is heavily wooded and has a lot of wildlife," Ingram said. "I think it is going to fit Montgomery County."