Huntsville updates

[TimCity2000]

wow, look at all that... parking.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

wow, look at all that... parking.

exactly, I'm not too impressed with another sprawl center with boring stores and butler building offices in disguise. Will it be nice? sure but could it be nicer
absolutely. How about a few parking decks connected with an electric monorail
system to move people about. Turn half of that parking into an urban forest/park where it becomes a destination in itself. This project will not live up to expectations, not to mention it is in the flight path of the west runway
of the airport. To wean ourselves of the oil addiction we have to have workable alternatives, this ain't it.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by neilson

Well, guess that means we won't be seeing Kobe around here ever.

That's fine with me.

[CoastalRocketReb]

Originally Posted by neilson

Well, guess that means we won't be seeing Kobe around here ever.

Damn, Kobe is much better than Shogun.

[jerrysgirl]

Originally Posted by marvingardns

It does not surprise me that there will be delays in the kickoff of some of these projects. Sure Huntsville is 'booming,' but Bass Pro Shops is probably going through a slowdown in other parts of the country. The same goes for these hotels and retailers. It takes financial health in other markets to provide the resources to expand into other markets such as Huntsville. Building in Huntsville is just not entirely dependent on the attractiveness of our market.

We're in a slowdown right now, but take heart that once we've realized we've gone through two quarters of negative growth, the recession is more than likely over already. Then we can expect these projects to pick up again. Keep in mind that a lot got done since the last recession in Huntsville: Providence, Bridge Street, two Target-anchored mega-retail sites, 301 Holmes, downtown livening up like its never been, etc. etc. I look forward to when this recession ends and we can get back to some major change.

My husband and I received notice that he is being laid off and my father just took a huge salary cut (they both work for different companies in different professions in Huntsville). It doesn't seem to me that things are on the up and up; this little "economic downturn" is hitting my family pretty hard. Is anyone else in the Valley feeling these effects?

[marvingardns]

Wow. I'm very sorry to hear that, Jerrysgirl. I'm curious to know what professions those were if you don't mind my asking.

I was speaking with a local restaraunt franchisee here who said he's never seen food supply conditions like now in the 25 years he's been in business. Transportation, fertilizer and drought in S. Georgia and CA's Central Valley have caused food prices to skyrocket at the consumer demand for dining out is falling.

Also, it is not a good sign (but not a bad sign either) to me when Bridge Street engages in some of the promotional practices it is doing now to pep up demand.

We will see several restaurants go out of business in Huntsville in the next year because of adverse conditions in both the supply and demand side. Constellation, Harris Hills, and other developments anchored by big box specialty retailers and hotels will also be delayed up to a year or more because of curtailed travel and shifting consumer preference towards more economical consumption choices.

Despite BRAC, it seems rather fantastic to think Huntsville is 100% immune from the economic woes of the rest of the country.

[jerrysgirl]

Civil Engineering and Networking Analyst (IT). We'll probably be moving out of the area; we're looking at Newton, MA, Columbia, SC and Houston, TX right now.
Things are certainly getting interesting with the economy now- my budget no longer fits our economy prices have increased so much.

[marvingardns]

btw... I meant "fantastic" in the negative context.

[Shawn35816]

Does anybody know if Mama Fu's on University has closed it's doors? I went by there twice last week and both times they were not open. Once at about 7 pm and once at about 5:30 pm.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Shawn35816

Does anybody know if Mama Fu's on University has closed it's doors? I went by there twice last week and both times they were not open. Once at about 7 pm and once at about 5:30 pm.

They are closed due to financial problems whatever that means. I liked that
place, originally part of the Raving Brands family. I think they have sold the franchise.
Did they close all the Alabama locations?

[jmanhsv]

^Looks like it; their website doesn't list any Alabama locations. Hopefully Moe's Southwest Grill (also owned by Raving) doesn't share the same fate; I'm planning on eating there sometime this week.

Originally Posted by jerrysgirl

Civil Engineering and Networking Analyst (IT)...

Well, that doesn't bode well for me... I'm going to try to get a local co-op job in civil engineering in the next year or two. Hopefully the job market will improve by then. The good thing is, with Civil, there's always a job somewhere, unlike other engineering fields which tend to sway more when the economy goes sour. That's one of the reasons why I chose it.

[mlog]

Originally Posted by Shawn35816

Does anybody know if Mama Fu's on University has closed it's doors? I went by there twice last week and both times they were not open. Once at about 7 pm and once at about 5:30 pm.

I was at Jersey Mike's, which is next door about three weeks ago, and there was a sign on Mama Fu's door saying that the following day would be their last day open for business.

[Shawn35816]

Thanks for the info, all. Yeah it was a nice place to have a meal. I'm sad to see it go.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Shawn35816

Thanks for the info, all. Yeah it was a nice place to have a meal. I'm sad to see it go.

from an Atlanta blog Repeat Atlanta, Mar 3rd

Atlanta based Raving Brand's troubled Mama Fu's Asian House has been sold for an undisclosed amount to its largest franchisee Austin, Texas based Murphy Adams Restaurant Group. Murphy purchased the franchise rights for the U.S. and Mexico and already owns five locations with a sixth in development. Never able to garner a following locally, many of Mama's restaurants locally and elsewhere have closed. Launched in 2003, with a location on Peachtree Rd. across from Piedmont Hospital, Mama's gained similar momentum to that of its then more established sibling, Moe's Southwest Grill (Sold last year to FOCUS Brands), but has since fallen on hard times and has seen franchise interest wane significantly. Many franchisees were unhappy with Raving Brands, and in 2006 sued the company as well as its founder Martin Sprock, alleging fraud and breach of contract. The current status of the lawsuits is unknown but is was made clear that Murphy Adams would not inherit any liabilities.

[Jugernagt]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

They are closed due to financial problems whatever that means. I liked that place, originally part of the Raving Brands family. I think they have sold the franchise.

From what one of the neighboring merchants tell me was that his revenue wasn't covering his expenses. His rent alone was $10,000 a month.

I had talked to the owner/operator back during the University Drive construction. He told me the franchise required him do a lot of crazy stuff before he could open for business. For example he had to hire like 80 employees before he could open. He did and then laid off over half of them after a month.

[Jugernagt]

There was talk about the franchiser of the local Backyard Burger and why he closed shop.

For the 4th we traveled south and I noticed it seemed like all the Backyard Burger locations were shut down. I can't remember all of them but locations I do remember were in Prattville, Montgomery, and Troy. All these locations were closed (and not for the holiday).

I wonder if there is more here than what can be seen?

[PSMadison]

To answer my own question I asked a few weeks ago about construction by Hudson Alpha:

From the Huntsville Times, June 22: "The largest building permit issued during the week of June 9-13 in the city of Huntsville went to Pearce Construction, $6,231,893, for a building for The Jackson Conference Center at 600 Genome Way."

http://www.al.com/business/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/business/1214126185173880.xml&coll=1

[Shawn35816]

Originally Posted by Jugernagt

There was talk about the franchiser of the local Backyard Burger and why he closed shop.

For the 4th we traveled south and I noticed it seemed like all the Backyard Burger locations were shut down. I can't remember all of them but locations I do remember were in Prattville, Montgomery, and Troy. All these locations were closed (and not for the holiday).

I wonder if there is more here than what can be seen?

I liked their burgers, but I think the thing about backyard burger was that if you didn't like it, you hated it. I liked it, but my sister hated it. I guess it was the fact that their menu was so meat based and not as diversified as you see other chain restaurants being. The location they picked in Huntsville was probably not the best either. I would have put it closer to were more of the population could walk to it, like on the Parkway near downtown or on University near UAH.

[PSMadison]

Nothing firm from Volkswagen yet, but rumors are looking positive:

From WHNT:
http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=8624543&nav=menu108_1_7

Reuters, citing the German automobile newsletter Automobilwoche, says Alabama will likely be the home of the new North American Volkswagen plant. The article uses confidential sources but says the sources are senior Volkswagen officials. The article also says the announcement will come before July 21. But many involved in the process say the announcement might be confirmed on July 8.

And Reuters:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUKL0544222520080706

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Alabama will be the likely home of a new Volkswagen manufacturing plant, beating two other states, German industry newsletter Automobilwoche said on Saturday, citing senior company sources.

[PSMadison]

From TradingMarkets.com:

Last week, the London-based trade publication Metal Bulletin reported that Limestone County had won the competition for the assembly plant. It cited unnamed "economic development sources," and said VW might build an engine plant at the Chattanooga site.

According to reports, the $788 million plant would employ 2,000 workers. Production would begin in 2010, and by 2018 the plant would produce up to 300,000 vehicles a year.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1741606/