Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

The Apple opening had several hundred (400 maybe more) in line Saturday.



the end of the line, can you even see the store?


photos by Nick Archer

[HSVTiger]

New tower dedicated at Huntsville International Airport, maybe a restaurant for the old one?

HUNTSVILLE, AL — The Federal Aviation Administration dedicated the new airport traffic control tower at the Huntsville International Airport today(June 3rd). The facility became operational at 6 a.m., Sunday, May 4.

“The new tower provides an ideal environment for air traffic controllers to continue to provide the safest service to the flying public,” said Doug Murphy, FAA Southern Regional Administrator. “With its increased height and advanced technology, this new facility is poised to support the impressive growth of the Huntsville airport today and well into the future.”

The new tower complex is located one mile south of the previous facility in a gated, fenced complex, which is between the parallel runways. The project consists of the control tower and a 10,500-square foot base building. The complex includes a generator building and parking.

The new 228-foot-tall tower is necessary to accommodate current and future growth of the airport. The tower was relocated to provide air traffic controllers with unobstructed views of the entire airfield. It is 132 feet taller than the tower it replaced. Total cost for construction of the new tower and equipment is $18.5 million.

The TRACON is more than 800 square feet, more than double the size of the TRACON in the old building. The TRACON includes three radar positions, two radar assistant positions and a supervisory console. Huntsville Tower controls the airspace approximately 50 miles around Huntsville from the surface to 10,000 feet. An Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR-9) located on the airfield provides radar coverage of the airspace. The ASR-9 feeds aircraft flight information to the facility’s ARTS IIE automation system, which processes the radar data from the ASR-9 and displays the information on radar screens.

The facility also has a Rapid Deployment Voice Switch, a system that combines ground-to-air and ground-to-ground frequencies in a single piece of equipment. The system enables controllers to access communications at any other control position. Touch screen equipment allows flexibility based on traffic conditions and provides redundancy in the event of an outage.

The Weather Systems Processor (WSP) provides an accurate, current, local severe weather picture, which allows controllers to assess near-term severe weather impact on Huntsville airspace. A Fiber Optics Transmission System and Remote Receivers/Transmitters (RTR) enable state-of-the-art communications capabilities at the new facility.

A total of 38 FAA employees work at the Huntsville Tower, 25 air traffic control employees, and 13 Technical Operations employees who maintain the building and air traffic control equipment. Seven weather observers, who are contract employees, also will be stationed in the new facility. The Huntsville Tower handled 95,800 airport operations and 112,500 instrument operations in 2007.

[Jacknah]

[QUOTE=HSVTiger;3587743]An informative article on the retail scene in Huntsville

http://www.al.com/business/huntsvilletim...s/1212311780303710.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
By MARIAN ACCARDITimes Business Writer [email protected]
...

Mayor Spencer said she has contacted retailers such as Macy's and Nordstrom to lure them here. Even though Seattle-based Nordstrom has announced plans for stores in Nashville and Birmingham in the next few years, "I haven't given up," she said.

She believes the outlook for retail here is healthy.

"Bridge Street (representatives) would not be talking to me about phase two," she said.



So, does anyone have any inside information on this "phase two" is that she's talking about?

....

[g-man435]

Huntsville getting a Nordstrom is like Greenville getting a Prada. Not going to happen. The demographics aren't large enough to support one. I say yes to Macy's though.

[HSVTiger]

[QUOTE=Jacknah;3591275]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

An informative article on the retail scene in Huntsville




So, does anyone have any inside information on this "phase two" is that she's talking about?

....

This would be the area due west and across Governor's West from the main complex. Early concepts show a glorified strip center with the same style as
Bridge Street, (heavy cornice/ facade detailing). It was said that Circuit City,
and Linens and Things would be two tenants with room for maybe two others. Of course these two retailers would just be relocating from University Drive and probably won't be around this time next year. I agree
with others that this is the worst thing Bridge Street could add and would change the overall feel of it even if it is across the street. Oh boy let's get in the car and drive. Hopefully all of this has changed, a neat idea but expensive would be to extend the lake as a stream through the site and build a pedestrian village with small shops, apartments and the like.Make it walkable to the other side or run a trolley between the two and the parking decks. The last thing Huntsville needs is another asphalt lake with the same boring stores that seem to be on every street in the country.
Bridge Street is unique and well done, hopefully it won't be polluted with something less.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by g-man435

Huntsville getting a Nordstrom is like Greenville getting a Prada. Not going to happen. The demographics aren't large enough to support one. I say yes to Macy's though.

Don't know till you ask. But don't see Nordstroms either. Went to the old Parisians at Madison Square the other day, (now Belks). What a depressing and sad store. That mall in general which is still nice has probably seen it's best days. It needs to be revamped like Brookwood Village in Birmingham.

[HSVTiger]

I guess the parking deck is considered the terminal. I don't believe busses have begun running to Bridge Street yet but all the other stuff seems to be in place.

"Purpose: Bridge Street Town Centre Intermodal Transportation Facility
Grant No.: AL-04-0013-01 ($1,190,000)
Released: April 7, 2008

The City of Huntsville, Department of Parking and Public Transit received a grant in the amount of $1,190,000 to incorporate an intermodal transportation facility into a mixed-use complex called the Bridge Street Town Centre. The project was designed as the “Downtown” of Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park, the fourth-largest research park in the world.

The design of the center integrates public transportation with approximately 2 million square feet of modern development.

The transportation facility, completed in January 2008, includes a two-level structure, a municipal bus transfer station, and a park-and-ride center with capacity for up to 1,500 cars, bicycle storage, and lockers. An elevator and escalator will provide access to both floors of the two-level structure. Way-finding signage and ADA-compliant graphics will be placed throughout the facility.

The estimated cost of the Intermodal Transportation Facility is approximately $9,045,665. The funds announced today are part of FTA’s capital investment program that provides financial assistance for transit agencies to purchase new vehicles and construct new facilities."

This bit from the UAH newspaper, so it is in the works..
Although these services may not fit some people’s schedules, there are already efforts underway to expand both Huntsville City and UAH student transportation. According to Kim Garrett, Huntsville city’s public transportation manager, the city is planning a new route that will service Cummings Research Park and the new Bridge Street Shopping Center. Bridge Street’s intermodal parking facility will host a Huntsville Shuttle transfer station that will likely tie this new route, #3 (University Drive), #4 (Holmes Avenue), and the Tourist Loop together, increasing the overall efficiency of Huntsville’s Shuttle system.

[HSVTiger]

Coming to an Inn near you the new Holiday Inn,





not bad, but don't you miss the old one?

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

not bad, but don't you miss the old one?

Man... talk about nostalgia! Since I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's, I have fond memories of those "iconic" Holiday Inn signs.

I did not know they were such a major part of Americana until I saw them on t-shirts one time at Sak's selling for like $125 each.

[g-man435]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Don't know till you ask. But don't see Nordstroms either. Went to the old Parisians at Madison Square the other day, (now Belks). What a depressing and sad store. That mall in general which is still nice has probably seen it's best days. It needs to be revamped like Brookwood Village in Birmingham.

Yeah. Not even Nashville has a Nordstrom. I can see Huntsville easily getting a Macy's though seeing how several metro areas with the same demographics already have one. We had a mall here in Greenville that was torn down recently and will make way for this: http://www.magnoliapark.com/ I could see something similar for Madison Square in Huntsville. Now that would be sweet.

[Jacknah]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

I guess the parking deck is considered the terminal. I don't believe busses have begun running to Bridge Street yet but all the other stuff seems to be in place. Buses are uncomfortable, slow, and with no privacy.

"Purpose: Bridge Street Town Centre Intermodal Transportation Facility
Grant No.: AL-04-0013-01 ($1,190,000)
Released: April 7, 2008

The City of Huntsville, Department of Parking and Public Transit received a grant in the amount of $1,190,000 to incorporate an intermodal transportation facility into a mixed-use complex called the Bridge Street Town Centre. The project was designed as the “Downtown” of Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park, the fourth-largest research park in the world.

The design of the center integrates public transportation with approximately 2 million square feet of modern development.

The transportation facility, completed in January 2008, includes a two-level structure, a municipal bus transfer station, and a park-and-ride center with capacity for up to 1,500 cars, bicycle storage, and lockers. An elevator and escalator will provide access to both floors of the two-level structure. Way-finding signage and ADA-compliant graphics will be placed throughout the facility.

The estimated cost of the Intermodal Transportation Facility is approximately $9,045,665. The funds announced today are part of FTA’s capital investment program that provides financial assistance for transit agencies to purchase new vehicles and construct new facilities."

This bit from the UAH newspaper, so it is in the works..
Although these services may not fit some people’s schedules, there are already efforts underway to expand both Huntsville City and UAH student transportation. According to Kim Garrett, Huntsville city’s public transportation manager, the city is planning a new route that will service Cummings Research Park and the new Bridge Street Shopping Center. Bridge Street’s intermodal parking facility will host a Huntsville Shuttle transfer station that will likely tie this new route, #3 (University Drive), #4 (Holmes Avenue), and the Tourist Loop together, increasing the overall efficiency of Huntsville’s Shuttle system.

This seems ridiculous. Huntsvillians love their cars. I don't think they're going to want to ride the bus to work in Research Park, even with high gas prices. This is a waste of money. It's the poor that rides buses, not white collar workers. Buses are uncomfortable, and there's no privacy.

And anyone going to spend money at Bridge Street is not going to ride a bus either: "Hey kids let's get out to the bus stop. We're going shopping at Bridge Street!" - yeah right. What a scam of tax dollars.

[luvinhsv]

I worked at Nordstrom at the Mall of America in the mid-90s. There is no reason a Nordstrom (no 's') wouldn't work here. They simply won't go into a metro area with less than 1MM people. There was talk once of putting a Nordstrom in Rochester, MN - very similar demographic to Huntsville: high income, white collar, etc.. with Mayo Clinic and IBM the major employers - however, that never panned out and Rochester isn't even 1/2 the size of HSV. Love Nordstrom, but it won't happen anytime soon in Huntsville!

[Jacknah]

Originally Posted by luvinhsv

I worked at Nordstrom at the Mall of America in the mid-90s. There is no reason a Nordstrom (no 's') wouldn't work here. They simply won't go into a metro area with less than 1MM people. There was talk once of putting a Nordstrom in Rochester, MN - very similar demographic to Huntsville: high income, white collar, etc.. with Mayo Clinic and IBM the major employers - however, that never panned out and Rochester isn't even 1/2 the size of HSV. Love Nordstrom, but it won't happen anytime soon in Huntsville!

I shop at Nordstrom frequently. I never thought of it as a high-end store. To the contrary, the clothes are pretty inexpensive.

[luvinhsv]

Originally Posted by g-man435

Yeah. Not even Nashville has a Nordstrom. I can see Huntsville easily getting a Macy's though seeing how several metro areas with the same demographics already have one. We had a mall here in Greenville that was torn down recently and will make way for this: http://www.magnoliapark.com/ I could see something similar for Madison Square in Huntsville. Now that would be sweet.

By the way, Nordstrom is scheduled to open a store at the Mall at Green Hills in Nashville in 2010.

[luvinhsv]

Originally Posted by Jacknah

I shop at Nordstrom frequently. I never thought of it as a high-end store. To the contrary, the clothes are pretty inexpensive.

It certainly is considered a high-end, high quality store. Maybe not on the same level as a Neiman Marcus or Barney's but still above a JC Penney or similar.

Nordstrom built its reputation on superior customer service, but from my experience, there was always a little feeling of being "better than the others" at the store. This is certainly evidenced by the fact that there are only 3 sales per year, 2 of which are clearance sales. The anniversary sale every summer is the only sale that features new merchandise. Go to Belk or Dillard's at Parkway Place or Mad. Sq. and there is always something marked down. That isn't the case at Nordstrom. It is a great store with high-quality merchandise and HSV would be lucky to have one. And I believe it would be very well supported!

[Jacknah]

Originally Posted by luvinhsv

It certainly is considered a high-end, high quality store. Maybe not on the same level as a Neiman Marcus or Barney's but still above a JC Penney or similar.

Nordstrom built its reputation on superior customer service, but from my experience, there was always a little feeling of being "better than the others" at the store. This is certainly evidenced by the fact that there are only 3 sales per year, 2 of which are clearance sales. The anniversary sale every summer is the only sale that features new merchandise. Go to Belk or Dillard's at Parkway Place or Mad. Sq. and there is always something marked down. That isn't the case at Nordstrom. It is a great store with high-quality merchandise and HSV would be lucky to have one. And I believe it would be very well supported!

I'm in Fort Lauderdale right now. High end retail is not doing good. Sak's, at the local mall, is having a going out of business sale. And Neiman Marcus is pretty sparse with shoppers; it could be next.

[-=skywalker=-]

Originally Posted by Jacknah

This seems ridiculous. Huntsvillians love their cars. I don't think they're going to want to ride the bus to work in Research Park, even with high gas prices. This is a waste of money. It's the poor that rides buses, not white collar workers. Buses are uncomfortable, and there's no privacy.

And anyone going to spend money at Bridge Street is not going to ride a bus either: "Hey kids let's get out to the bus stop. We're going shopping at Bridge Street!" - yeah right. What a scam of tax dollars.

And that would be the problem with the majority of America outside of major cities like NYC, Chicago, or D.C. for example. I applaud any move for a better public transit system.

[jmanhsv]

Uh oh... somebody bashed transit...

Originally Posted by Jacknah

This seems ridiculous. Huntsvillians love their cars. I don't think they're going to want to ride the bus to work in Research Park, even with high gas prices.

Everyone has a breaking point when it comes to gas prices. I doubt people here will "love their cars" when gas hits $6 a gallon. So they'll get angry at their public leaders for not giving them adequate public transportation alternatives, and they'll come up with a poorly-planned "emergency" transit plan that will undoubtedly fail. Now THAT would be a waste of tax dollars. It's good that the city is putting in the infrastructure now so that it will be there when people want it.

Originally Posted by Jacknah

This is a waste of money. It's the poor that rides buses, not white collar workers.

That is an ignorant misconception. Yes, poor people do ride the bus more frequently than middle- or high-income people, but that's because, in most inner-city neighborhoods, buses are convenient and frequent. You can't say that about suburban neighborhoods, most upper-income people live. Besides, in cities where the buses actually go places, I know people who ride them, and they certainly aren't poor. I would love to ride the bus to UAH if it was convenient and more frequent, and I wouldn't consider myself poor. Only problem is, I live in the county, and the city runs the system. So until we create a "metro" transit system (or I move into the city, which is more likely), I'll be driving.

Originally Posted by Jacknah

Buses are uncomfortable...

So is being stuck in traffic.

Originally Posted by Jacknah

...and there's no privacy.

Get an iPod. There's nothing more private than that. And that's another thing- you let someone else do the driving when you take the bus! So you could talk on your cell phone, eat, read a book- do everything you would do while driving, only safer.

Originally Posted by Jacknah

And anyone going to spend money at Bridge Street is not going to ride a bus either: "Hey kids let's get out to the bus stop. We're going shopping at Bridge Street!" - yeah right. What a scam of tax dollars.

The park-and-ride's geared primarily for people who, say, live in Madison and work downtown, or people who live in Huntsville and work in Research Park West. It will probably be a terminal for future routes to the Arsenal, Madison, the Airport, and University Drive/Providence, just to name a few possibilities. Like I said earlier, they're putting in the infrastructure for when we need it. And that, in my opinion, is a good use of my tax dollars.

[g-man435]

Originally Posted by luvinhsv

By the way, Nordstrom is scheduled to open a store at the Mall at Green Hills in Nashville in 2010.

Yeah, I know but it's 2008 not 2010.

[-=skywalker=-]

Originally Posted by jmanhsv

Uh oh... somebody bashed transit...



Everyone has a breaking point when it comes to gas prices. I doubt people here will "love their cars" when gas hits $6 a gallon. So they'll get angry at their public leaders for not giving them adequate public transportation alternatives, and they'll come up with a poorly-planned "emergency" transit plan that will undoubtedly fail. Now THAT would be a waste of tax dollars. It's good that the city is putting in the infrastructure now so that it will be there when people want it.



That is an ignorant misconception. Yes, poor people do ride the bus more frequently than middle- or high-income people, but that's because, in most inner-city neighborhoods, buses are convenient and frequent. You can't say that about suburban neighborhoods, most upper-income people live. Besides, in cities where the buses actually go places, I know people who ride them, and they certainly aren't poor. I would love to ride the bus to UAH if it was convenient and more frequent, and I wouldn't consider myself poor. Only problem is, I live in the county, and the city runs the system. So until we create a "metro" transit system (or I move into the city, which is more likely), I'll be driving.



So is being stuck in traffic.



Get an iPod. There's nothing more private than that. And that's another thing- you let someone else do the driving when you take the bus! So you could talk on your cell phone, eat, read a book- do everything you would do while driving, only safer.



The park-and-ride's geared primarily for people who, say, live in Madison and work downtown, or people who live in Huntsville and work in Research Park West. It will probably be a terminal for future routes to the Arsenal, Madison, the Airport, and University Drive/Providence, just to name a few possibilities. Like I said earlier, they're putting in the infrastructure for when we need it. And that, in my opinion, is a good use of my tax dollars.

Well said jman, I should have taken the time to form a better opinion myself but at the moment my mind is on other things...

But anyways, I'm all for an improved public transit system in Huntsville...actually, our downtown needs a drastic makeover too! I spent tuesday evening walking around downtown Chattanooga, all I can say is WOW! The last time I was there was about 4-5 years ago and the place was kind of dumpy...not the case anymore, I was amazed with the tree lined streets, ample parks, beautiful waterfront, and pedestrian traffic for a weekday evening...all the clubs, bars, and restaurants were packed. They seemed to have a decent transit system that ran downtown, not sure if that's the case for the rest of the city though.