Montgomery development news - Page 182

OldCloverdale · #**3621** Posted **Jan 28, 2009, 10:30 PM**

Keep up the good work downtown, Byron!

hiijakd · #**3622** Posted **Jan 28, 2009, 10:33 PM**

Im blaming all the problems on David Bronner...and global warming....haha..

.

well I will tell you that I learned how to work "the system" for next time so you better believe I am going to speak my mind.

in other news, anyone want to but a building on Perry street. I'll make you a good deal.

OldCloverdale · #**3623** Posted **Jan 29, 2009, 9:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiijakd

... anyone want to but a building on Perry street. I'll make you a good deal.

the place you've gutted?

ExpatBaman · #**3624** Posted **Jan 30, 2009, 4:47 PM**

FYI - author James Howard Kunstler is in Montgomery today to make a free presentation at the art museum.

From the announcement on the Hampstead website:

Quote:

His multimedia presentation will focus on how the financial crisis, energy challenges, and suburban sprawl are all inter-related problems. But, rather than just identify problems, Kunstler will discuss the key steps that we can take to reverse the current challenges and embrace sustainable, time-honored development practices in the River Region.

There was a blurb in the Advertiser about this but, predictably, the paper chose not to mention anything about the topic of Kunstler's presentation. It'll be interesting to see if the paper actually covers the event and prints some of his comments. Kunstler is a controversial figure (I don't agree with everything he says), but he is spot on when he talks about the effects of sprawl.

Event info:

James Howard Kunstler Book Signing, Wine & Cheese Gathering 6 - 7 pm

James Howard Kunstler Presentation 7 - 8 pm

Venue: Montgomery Museum of Fine Art Free and open to the general public

Sponsored by: The Hampstead Institute and The City of Montgomery

thoraudio · #**3625** Posted **Jan 30, 2009, 7:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

FYI - author James Howard Kunstler is in Montgomery today to make a free presentation at the art museum.

From the announcement on the Hampstead website:

There was a blurb in the Advertiser about this but, predictably, the paper chose not to mention anything about the topic of Kunstler's presentation. It'll be interesting to see if the paper actually covers the event and prints some of his comments. Kunstler is a controversial figure (I don't agree with everything he says), but he is spot on when he talks about the effects of sprawl.

Event info:

James Howard Kunstler Book Signing, Wine & Cheese Gathering 6 - 7 pm

James Howard Kunstler Presentation 7 - 8 pm

Venue: Montgomery Museum of Fine Art Free and open to the general public

Sponsored by: The Hampstead Institute and The City of Montgomery

does his definition of sprawl include pseudo towns built in the suburbs?

yeah, I went there.

ExpatBaman · #**3626** Posted **Jan 30, 2009, 8:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoraudio

does his definition of sprawl include pseudo towns built in the suburbs?

yeah, I went there.

Ask him tonight.

Growth is going to occur (I use the term loosely because most of it isn't growth at all but merely leap-frog movement from one place to another within the metro area). The question is will it be sustainable neighborhoods such as Hampstead and Hudson, or will it be unsustainable conventional sprawl? The Hampstead design team could not prevent the "development" of that property. What is being done there is far superior to what would have been there otherwise (can you say "clear-cut and fill in the wetlands"?) as well as to what is being built near it on Taylor.

If the new residential and commercial developments over the past few decades had been built like Hampstead, the city wouldn't be sprawled out anywhere near as far as it is now. Hopefully the success of these New Urbanist neighborhoods will encourage financial institutions to drop the redlining of reinvestment in closer-in areas and allow the restoration of some of our finest existing neighborhoods.

bystander1 · #**3627** Posted **Jan 30, 2009, 9:23 PM**

I saw hiijakd and about 20 other people walking past "the Alleyway" around 2pm today taking pics of the buildings and all of the work going on.

hiijakd, maybe you can tell us who they were and what they were doing. I thought they may have been with the Dover Kohl group.

Brown Duckz · #**3628** Posted **Jan 31, 2009, 12:05 AM**

Post the pictures people!

hiijakd · #**3629** Posted **Jan 31, 2009, 12:42 PM**

We were conducting a tour for a smart code advanced seminar that is going on here. People from all over the nation and one from China are here in town to learn about our smart code and how we got it done and in place so quickly.
We are actually on the forefront of the smart code and planning movement, which is actually kind of neat. People all over the country come here to study Montgomery. Yesterday was work sessions and tour of Downtown, today we are touring Hampstead and the Waters.

And yes, I'll make a deal with someone on one of the Perry street buildings.

thoraudio · #**3630** Posted **Jan 31, 2009, 2:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiijakd

And yes, I'll make a deal with someone on one of the Perry street buildings.

My kids just pulled down all my old baseball cards from my parents attic.... so we may be in business.

Do you have any idea what a 1983 Topps Wade Boggs is worth?

it's not much

bystander1 · #**3631** Posted **Feb 9, 2009, 4:28 AM**

more news on the Alleyway...

Italian eatery coming to downtown
February 7, 2009

Sa Za Serious Italian Food announced Friday it will open a Montgomery location.

Ken Register, who owns the Olive Room Restaurant, will open the Italian eatery at 138 Commerce St. in the Alleyway project.

He will hold a formal announcement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 13 to discuss his plans.

"I am making this investment because I believe in the future of downtown," Register said in a news release Friday. "All the people associated with this project are as excited as I am.

"The cooperation from the city, county and Chamber of Commerce has made this dream a reality."

Register said architect John Chambless of Brown Chambless Architects, Realtor Jerome Moore and developers Jere Beasley and Greg Allen were key in the project.

Allen, one of the owners of the building, welcomed the announcement.

"We are very happy to assist in bringing fine Italian dining to downtown Montgomery," he said in the release. "We continue to be committed to this project and look forward to additional new tenants in the downtown area."

-- Cosby Woodruff

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

Port_of_Bama · #**3632** Posted **Feb 13, 2009, 2:42 AM**

Have they started building on the pedestrian bridge down town yet ,I realy wish the one that suppose to be built in Mobile was like that ? I also heard that you guys suppose to be getting an aquarium I wonder how in the heck you guys beat us to it.

bystander1 · #**3633** Posted **Feb 13, 2009, 4:08 AM**

Not yet. Some of those are projects were pushed by the former mayor (Bright) who's now a congressman, and interim mayor Jinright. More than likely the next mayor (likely Strange) will continue the projects full steam ahead with the momentum of downtown development going on right now.

OCA REP · #**3634** Posted **Feb 13, 2009, 2:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

I also heard that you guys suppose to be getting an aquarium I wonder how in the heck you guys beat us to it.

Is there really a need for ANOTHER aquarium in the southeast? A LOT of us in MGM are not impressed with the aquarium idea. We would like to see something more original that Montgomery can call its own. I have not seen any plans, but there is going to be some type of Wright Brothers Museum built in MGM. I would really like that to include an IMAX theatre since we do not currently have one in MGM.

Port_of_Bama · #**3635** Posted **Feb 13, 2009, 2:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCA REP

Is there really a need for ANOTHER aquarium in the southeast? A LOT of us in MGM are not impressed with the aquarium idea. We would like to see something more original that Montgomery can call its own. I have not seen any plans, but there is going to be some type of Wright Brothers Museum built in MGM. I would really like that to include an IMAX theatre since we do not currently have one in MGM.

Your right about the aquarium, and I had no idea that you guys didn`t have an Imax so the wright brothers museum with an Imax would be a good look. I wonder why the Imax passed you guys up for Huntsville ? Is there a certain theme that a city has to have to have one ?

thoraudio · #**3636** Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 5:51 AM**

Images from the Montgomery Advertiser concerning the new restaurant in the Alley.

Port_of_Bama · #**3637** Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 8:44 PM**

What is that tunnel I see called ,and where does it go ? The 10th pic with the store fronts looks just like the Bieneville square area in Mobile.

DruidCity · #**3638** Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 9:45 PM**

Sorry if it's already in the thread somewhere, but someone told me they heard that the guy who owns Cypress Inn restaurant in Tuscaloosa is planning to open a restaurant in the Montgomery alley project with menu items like po'boy sandwiches.

thoraudio · #**3639** Posted **Feb 15, 2009, 2:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

What is that tunnel I see called ,and where does it go ? The 10th pic with the store fronts looks just like the Bieneville square area in Mobile.

The tunnel is the entrance to the Alleyway from Commerce St.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DruidCity

Sorry if it's already in the thread somewhere, but someone told me they heard that the guy who owns Cypress Inn restaurant in Tuscaloosa is planning to open a restaurant in the Montgomery alley project with menu items like po'boy sandwiches.

Dreamland is moving down there, but I haven't heard about the other place yet.

DruidCity · #**3640** Posted **Feb 15, 2009, 3:08 AM**

Quote:

Dreamland is moving down there, but I haven't heard about the other place yet.

I think the Cypress Inn guy owns some of the franchise locations of Dreamland, as well, so maybe he's going to open both a Dreamland and this other restaurant.