Huntsville updates

[hsvdj84]

Originally Posted by David1502

You must be right. It didn't make sense for Costco to move to such a small space. I didn't know that Joann's Fabrics is moving there. It is pretty remarkable in this economy that they have been able to lease out almost all of this shopping center. It seems to me that the old Barnes and Noble, a more attractive looking space would have been leased before this center did.

I always thought the same thing about the old B&N building. I was hoping for maybe a Borders to go in there. If I'm not mistaken they were having some financial troubles earlier this year though. I think Borders Group owns Waldenbooks. Is the Waldenbooks that was in Madison Square even open anymore?

I'm like you as far as the economy. I would love to see this trend continue though. I would love to see the old Winn Dixie building down the road do something. Anything!

[HSVTiger]

From the HSV Times

The Five Points area is getting a nice, new restaurant in the old home of Sazio’s/Starfish and before that Zesto, at 720 Pratt Ave.

Owner Troy Moore said he hopes to have 1892 East Restaurant & Tavern open Oct. 25 for dinner and the following week for lunch and brunch. He’s calling it a New American Restaurant and Tavern that will combine historic traditions with a lively, friendly atmosphere.
Many have asked the significance of the 1892 date.

“It’s when east Huntsville was added into the city and was comprised of Five Points,” Moore said. “It’s themed around the neighborhood. We wanted to have a nice place for folks in Five Points, Old Town and everywhere else to go to have a nice drink or dinner
Moore said food that begins with farm-fresh ingredients tastes better and is better for you. He said 1892 makes all its own bread, buns and sauces. They get the spent grain from microwbreweries like Straight to Ale and Blue Pants and use that in their bread. In fact, they’ve been giving out loaves of breads to passersby to get feedback on which is best.

Steve Bunner is the chef. The tavern will also feature all the local beers on tap.

“It started off as a historical theme, but it was also the Zesto’s location in the ’30s and ’40s and it’s evolved into celebrating the current Five Points,” Moore said.
1892 will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 4 to 10 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out 1892 East on Facebook.

[HSVTiger]

New 747 Cargo service

Direct freight service from Asia officially returned to Huntsville Monday as the first load of cargo landed at Huntsville International Airport.

The Boeing 747 freighter landed just before 11 a.m. after a nearly 15-hour flight from Hong Kong that included a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

The plane will make history when it leaves Huntsville later in the day(last Monday) and flies non-stop to Viracopos Airport at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Monday's arrival's made a busy day for cargo crews at the Panalpina facility.

Shortly before the plane from Hong Kong landed, another 747 freighter arrived from Mexico. The two planes sat side by side on the Panalpina ramp as crews removed cargo from the Mexico flight.

The Mexican freight was to be placed aboard the flight headed to Brazil. The plane from Mexico was then scheduled to depart for Luxembourg, Panalpina's home base.

The plane headed for Brazil was set to return to Huntsville later in the week.

[HSVTiger]

Springhill Suite construction downtown from about a month ago.
The area adjacent to the building will be the site of another hotel and plans are still in place for restaurants, shops etc aka Constellation to be built up around these two hotels.


Memorial Parkway at the top of the picture

ProBuilt photos

[HSVTiger]

Follow this link to see the construction progress on the Von Braun Center downtown

http://www.vonbrauncenter.com/construction/

This link will show progress on The Huntsville Museum of Art construction downtown
across from the Von Braun Center and Big Spring lagoon.
http://www.artshuntsville.org/our-progra...files/member-photos/hma/album?albumid=18

[HSVTiger]

This site is an excellent resource for revisiting lost malls
Huntsville has had it's share, the fountain that is pictured is still prominently
displayed today between Home Depot and Costco.
"meet me at the Fountain"
http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/search/label/Lost%20Malls-Huntsville%20%28Alabama%29

[huntsvillefan]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

New 747 Cargo service

Direct freight service from Asia officially returned to Huntsville Monday as the first load of cargo landed at Huntsville International Airport.

The Boeing 747 freighter landed just before 11 a.m. after a nearly 15-hour flight from Hong Kong that included a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

The plane will make history when it leaves Huntsville later in the day(last Monday) and flies non-stop to Viracopos Airport at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Monday's arrival's made a busy day for cargo crews at the Panalpina facility.

Shortly before the plane from Hong Kong landed, another 747 freighter arrived from Mexico. The two planes sat side by side on the Panalpina ramp as crews removed cargo from the Mexico flight.

The Mexican freight was to be placed aboard the flight headed to Brazil. The plane from Mexico was then scheduled to depart for Luxembourg, Panalpina's home base.

The plane headed for Brazil was set to return to Huntsville later in the week.

I am impressed with the international status this gives HSV.

[luvinhsv]

Any news on more development in Jones Valley? Rumors have flown about Mellow Mushroom going in at Cecil Ashburn and Bailey Cove. Truth to that?

[HSVTiger]

Dynetics in Research Park expansion plans


HSV Times photo

Huntsville-based Dynetics will build a 226,500-square-foot facility at the company's campus in Cummings Research Park, and it plans to add about 350 jobs over the next three years.

At the announcement this morning, Dynetics President Tom Baumbach said the facility will be "fairly unique for this town," with about 110,000 square feet of space devoted to prototype development and low-rate production space and the rest office space.

[hsvdj84]

I don't know if these are set in stone but it's good news either way. It's a step in the right direction. Target and new 4 story/128 room hotel for Madison? We'll see.


http://www.gbtrealty.com/docs/2010_marketing_pkgs/MadisonCorners.pdf

http://www.gbtrealty.com/docs/2010_marketing_pkgs/ShoppesofMadison.pdf

[JuanHunt]

We're number 2!!!

Anchorage had the nation's highest average air fares in the second quarter among the large airports, a new report from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. Anchorage fares averaged $537 during the quarter, the bureau said. The next highest was Huntsville, Ala., at $485. The U.S. average was $341.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/11/01/1530869/airport-records-highest-average.html#ixzz148PavsOE

[huntsvillefan]

Originally Posted by JuanHunt

We're number 2!!!

Anchorage had the nation's highest average air fares in the second quarter among the large airports, a new report from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. Anchorage fares averaged $537 during the quarter, the bureau said. The next highest was Huntsville, Ala., at $485. The U.S. average was $341.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/11/01/1530869/airport-records-highest-average.html#ixzz148PavsOE

All the more reason to support AirTran (with the hope that Southwest will stay in the Huntsville market). If we lose AirTran/Southwest, we're sunk. Makes it harder to get business, tourist, etc. with increased airfare. Since we have no passenger rail service and do not sit in the crosshairs of an Interstate system, air service is especially important to Huntsville.

[crr0004]

Does anyone know what the building going up behind Mellow Mushroom in Providence is? I know at one point they had planned another hotel there but it appears way too small to be that.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by crr0004

Does anyone know what the building going up behind Mellow Mushroom in Providence is? I know at one point they had planned another hotel there but it appears way too small to be that.

That building is being built to house Madison Drugs on its first floor so they can move from where they are now located - in the trailers on the north side of the Mellow Mushroom building. The second floor of this new building will probably be more offices.

If and when the second hotel is built, it will probably be built to the south of the Mellow Mushroom building.

[Jugernagt]

It appears the Frizzles II on 72 (University Drive) closed it's doors. Been driving past there for a week now and lights are out and tall orange cones in the entrance.

[Jugernagt]

I was surprised no one here said anything about Virginia College moving their school into the old Kroger's location on Drake and Leeman Ferry Road. They really went all out on their signage.

[thunder89]

http://bit.ly/98kO9R

Hungry Howie's in Huntsville...love the chain with the couple of restaurants down here in Tuscaloosa. I'm sure it'll go well


From huntsvilledevelopment.blogspot.com,

[David1502]

In the North West corner of the 100 acre Bridge Stret development, there are signs advertising office space availble in Office Towers with a picture which looks just like the existing office building overlooking the lake and occupied by CSC. There is fencing up making it look like a construction site like construction will begin soon. A tennis center had been announced for this parcel, although office towers will be a better use of the land.

It is interesting that despite one of the worst times for retail, most of the stores at Bridge Street have survived - particularly the high end stores like Juicy Couture, bebe, White House/Black Market, Lucky Brand, J. Crew, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Swarovksi and Mountain High. Most of these stores have been there for almost three years, so if they were loosing money, it seems like they would have surely left by now like Kate Spade did and several others. Imagine how much better the whole complex would do if a higher end Macy's were added - a lot of the empty store space would be leased. Quite a number of months ago, O & S petitioned the City of Huntsville for sales tax abatement to finance a parking deck for a high end department store, however, nothing has been said about it since the City turned them down. One has to wonder if this is still in the works.

In other news there, a coffe roasting restaurant called Cafe153 is going in the space behind the Vintage Cigar shop (near Chocolate Croccodile) and the Heritage Club is gettting ready to open. When the new office towers get built, you would think there would be better offerings in the food court with so many captive office workers within walking distance. The current offerings of the food court are disappointing.

[thunder89]

I know theres a pic a few up of the Constellation project, but just wondering what additional work has been done? I haven't been back in home since August, and just wondering how it's looking

[David1502]

Several months back, O & S holdings, the developers of Bridge Street, were touting a "high end department store new to the area". Well now, the secret is revealed and it is Von Maur's a Midwest store based in Davenport, Iowa as they have announced that they are building their first store of many in the southeast at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, GA, an Atlanta suburb. Von Maur's intentions to expand into Alabama are spelled out in this article which says, "the company is looking to expand into Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas in the coming years."
http://www.ajc.com/business/von-maur-department-store-737750.html

Von Maur's which has been described as a competitor to Nordstrom's could probably make it in the Huntsville market as they are successful in many smaller Midwest Metros and probably cater each store to the local market and may reserve their most expensive lines to a few stores in larger cities where there is a market for it.