Montgomery development news - Page 196

bystander1 · #**3901** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 3:24 AM**

It's good to see work on Wintzell's Oyster House finally happening at the Renaissance Hotel.

BTW, what's going on with the building on the corner of Dexter and Perry Street? I saw some guys working inside today. Perhaps hiijakd knows something about it since it's across the street from his buildings.

thoraudio · #**3902** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 12:27 PM**

I don't know about that, but I did notice yesterday that all the buildings on lower Dexter that used to be represented by Harvey Farrior now have for sale by owner signs.

One day, maybe, that guy will come off his ridiculous asking prices.

thoraudio · #**3903** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 12:34 PM**

Neat pics of the old City Auditorium on the Advertiser today.

It'd be nice to see it come back, but there's a bunch of these size venues downtown right now.

thoraudio · #**3904** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 12:37 PM**

the article

Quote:

City auditorium may get new life

The city of Montgomery has made an offer on a 70,000-square-foot building downtown. If it's accepted, Mayor Todd Strange believes it will be the first step to finally renovating Montgomery City Hall, particularly the historic city auditorium that is now basically an oversized storage area.

If all goes according to plan, Strange said that project could be completed by the end of next summer.

The project would give the 64-year-old auditorium a chance to relive its glory days, when it was a center of city happenings from City Council meetings to social events. Currently, the auditorium, where thousands turned out for the funeral service for Hank Williams Sr., is being used as office space and an oversized storage unit for the city's old records.

"In a sense, it's a diamond in the rough," said Deputy Mayor Jeff Downes. "Because if you were to remove those offices for relatively minimal dollars, you could return the old city auditorium to a place of prominence.

"A lot of people in our city have very fond memories of our city auditorium," Downes added.

The project was first discussed in 2005 but stalled after then-Mayor Bobby Bright said there was too little money available and too many other needs in city government. But the project is higher on Mayor Todd Strange's list of priorities.

Strange said he believes the City Council will be meeting in a renovated city auditorium before fall of next year.

But the project hinges on the city's offer for the downtown building being accepted, which would allow several city departments to be moved out of City Hall and into that building.

If the city and current owner agree on the deal, the city would move its IT, housing codes, engineering and planning departments into the building.

Because the city is still negotiating the deal, Strange declined to publicly identify the address of building, the owner or the amount that the city offered to pay.

Strange did say that the city is using $800,000, which had been set aside for engineering and planning for a new municipal court, police and jail complex, to go toward the purchase.

The city is in the process of assessing the needs of the building to determine how extensive the renovation process would need to be. Strange said this will factor into how much the city is willing to pay for the building, which is about 30 years old. The mayor added that he did not believe that the building needed much work before city staff could move in.

Strange said there is temporary financing available for the project but that permanent financing might be needed at some point through the bond market. The city could refinance existing debt as well as seek additional bond issues.

The estimated cost to renovate the city auditorium, which is a project that includes creating office space for the nine City Council members, would be anywhere from $2 million to $4 million.

The current City Council chamber could possibly be altered to look more as it did when civil rights leader Rosa Parks appeared before a judge after she refused to give up her seat on the bus.

Strange said he would like to see the room turned into a tourist attraction.

The renovation at City Hall, which was built in 1937 after the original 19th century structure was destroyed in a fire, would also help the other departments left behind, according to city Finance Director Lloyd Faulkner.

Faulkner's accounting staff is currently located in makeshift offices on the floor of the auditorium. Those people would be moved elsewhere in the building, and the project would also free up space in the revenue office, where customers are given little privacy when it comes to discussing their business with city staff.

"It's certainly something that's necessary," Faulkner said.

Meanwhile, the project that would build a new municipal court, police and jail complex on existing city property has been pushed back another five to seven years. The city is also currently negotiating a lease agreement on the Aronov Building on South Court Street, which would temporarily house the municipal court.

The annual lease for the building would be $180,000-$200,000, but the city is attempting to court other entities, such as the County Commission, into also using the eight-story building and sharing the financial burden.

The article says the Mayor refused to say which building the city was looking at, but wasn't there something recently saying they were looking at the old Aronov building on Court Street?

hiijakd · #**3905** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 2:35 PM**

I know which building it is heheheh...
its VERY close to my lofts and thats all I can say.

thoraudio · #**3906** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 2:38 PM**

speaking of which, is the parking deck over there open yet? It looked like you could drive in, but the lights were off when I drove by yesterday.

RSAHort · #**3907** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Meanwhile, the project that would build a new municipal court, police and jail complex on existing city property has been pushed back another five to seven years. The city is also currently negotiating a lease agreement on the Aronov Building on South Court Street, which would temporarily house the municipal court.

Says so in the article. Was he talking about another building?

OCA REP · #**3908** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 6:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSAHort

Says so in the article. Was he talking about another building?

This is just my understanding of the building situations:

Aronov Building (South Court Street)= Temporary Home for Municipal Court

Old First Alabama/Regions Bankcard Center/Call Center Building (25? Washington Ave)= New home for IT, housing codes, engineering, and planning departments that will move from City Hall (and the adjacent Fire Department Building across Madison Avenue from City Hall).

I worked in the Washington Avenue building YEARS ago and it is probably still in pretty good condition because Regions Bank had a call center there up until a year or so back. I think that building is six stories tall if I remember correctly. Good to see something new going into that area. Plus city employees will have that brand new parking deck next door. They might also have the leasing rights to the older parking deck at the intersection of Perry and Washington. Regions used to own that deck too, so the city might have those spaces as well.

I am 100% behind renovations to our city hall. So much of that building is a dump. Anybody that has ever attended a city council, ARB meeting, etc. knows exactly how cramped and tired it is!

hiijakd · #**3909** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 7:47 PM**

OCA let it out. its the regions call center and i've heard the move is in 3 weeks. soon soon

bystander1 · #**3910** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 8:28 PM**

Yeah it had to be the Regions call center building because the only other 8-story building available close to your lofts would be the Colonial Financial Center.
...couldn't see that happening...

RSAHort · #**3911** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 8:31 PM**

Speaking of an ARB meeting, I saw part of one on one of the knology channels. What is the electronic voice?

OCA REP · #**3912** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 9:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSAHort

Speaking of an ARB meeting, I saw part of one on one of the knology channels. What is the deal with the electronic voice?

Mr. Robert Daniel, the chairperson of the ARB, has ALS (commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease). He uses a laptop computer where he can type out agenda items, etc., so that the computerized voice will "speak" for him.

I must admit that I was taken aback the first time I attended one of those meetings and that new computerized voice was in use. It does take some adjustment to understand it clearly sometimes!

RSAHort · #**3913** Posted **Jun 18, 2009, 11:59 PM**

I had no idea. Watching it on the tv it just gave a wide angle shot of the entire board and podium.

tsully76 · #**3914** Posted **Jun 23, 2009, 4:38 AM**

Does anyone know if Sa Za is still opening or have they decided to wait or call it off all together. I am looking forward to eating there lord knows we need a pizza place downtown. Is anybody looking forward to the July 4th Staycation starting July 2nd with the pub crawl, then the 3rd with the Streetfest, and then the the 4th with the Riverfront event with Bisciuts baseball and fireworks after should be an awesome three days!

OldCloverdale · #**3915** Posted **Jun 23, 2009, 1:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsully76

Does anyone know if Sa Za is still opening or have they decided to wait or call it off all together. I am looking forward to eating there lord knows we need a pizza place downtown. ...

It's not listed as "COMING SOON" on their website:

http://www.sazapizza.com/locations.htm

Capital Heights · #**3916** Posted **Jun 23, 2009, 2:47 PM**

Sa Za has a big ol sign on the fence out front that reads "Coming Soon". In other news check out this link to This Old House magazine.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20283025_20631493,00.html

OCA REP · #**3917** Posted **Jun 23, 2009, 6:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capital Heights

Sa Za has a big ol sign on the fence out front that reads "Coming Soon". In other news check out this link to This Old House magazine.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20283025_20631493,00.html

Excellent shout-out for one of our fellow historic districts here in Montgomery... Congrats!

hiijakd · #**3918** Posted **Jun 25, 2009, 4:16 AM**

should be a big announcement tomorrow from the mayors office about some development around 5 pts.

bystander1 · #**3919** Posted **Jun 25, 2009, 4:44 AM**

Cool! Good to see some development in that area of downtown.

Brown Duckz · #**3920** Posted **Jun 28, 2009, 7:03 PM**

Can't wait to see this entrance when complete. Does anyone have an update on road resurfacing, such as Madison Avenue?

Quote:

Road closings planned for downtown
June 28, 2009

Part of Commerce Street in Montgomery will be closed to all traffic Monday and Tuesday. The closing of Commerce Street between Bibb and Tallapoosa streets will allow the city’s maintenance department and a private contractor to perform underground utility work, according to a news release from the city of Montgomery. The work will be done in front of the construction area for the downtown Alleyway project.

Montgomery Advertiser