Montgomery development news

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

did the LA Times run a story on The Alley this past weekend?

There's an article on 150th anniversary of J.D.'s inauguration, and how the Confederate themes are slipping away, but nothing specifically on the Alley.

[The Heights]

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

About half of the building is gone now. Does anyone know what Troy U. plans to do with that corner lot?

What a silly question. Surface parking of course! That's what we really need more of in downtown Montgomery.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=13504707

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

The lousy leadership of that so-called "urban" university is not helpful to downtown at all. These idiots tear down one of the last mid-rise buildings left downtown and for what? They also have a bad habit of covering up buildings with hideous cladding.

I hated to see the building come down, but what really peeves me is that there was no effort to do any salvage and reuse of materials. The building had some nice stonework that could have been salvaged. Oh well.

[Jefficator]

Originally Posted by The Heights

What a silly question. Surface parking of course! That's what we really need more of in downtown Montgomery.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=13504707



I hated to see the building come down, but what really peeves me is that there was no effort to do any salvage and reuse of materials. The building had some nice stonework that could have been salvaged. Oh well.

I love the bullshit about "greenspace"

[SpawnOfVulcan]

BTW, it was announced today that $100 Million has been approved for the outer loop. Supposed to be the first part of the I-85 extension.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by tredici

BTW, it was announced today that $100 Million has been approved for the outer loop. Supposed to be the first part of the I-85 extension.

I'll say it again. Why are we excited about giving people a quicker way to avoid Montgomery?

[The Heights]

Originally Posted by Jefficator

I love the bullshit about "greenspace"

That means that they'll have a half-dozen "crape murdered" crape myrtles planted on the edges of the parking lot.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

I'll say it again. Why are we excited about giving people a quicker way to avoid Montgomery?

Yeah, this is very bad news for the city. The outer loop is nothing but a means to establish a new sprawl corridor so that certain rich real estate interests can get even richer littering the countryside with more Wal-marts, Waffle Houses, and "subdivisions" full of characterless cookie cutter carports with attached living space.

The last thing we need is another bypass. Development money will be wasted along the loop, mostly outside the city, and the blossoming efforts toward redevelopment in real neighborhoods inside the existing bypass will be nipped in the bud. Hello little Detroit. We want to empty out the city just like our neighbors up I-65 did with their interstate loop.

[OldCloverdale]

Originally Posted by tredici

BTW, it was announced today that $100 Million has been approved for the outer loop. Supposed to be the first part of the I-85 extension.

A major announcement was made Tuesday concerning Montgomery's Outer Loop.

The Alabama Department of Transportation announced it will begin construction on the next phase of the project, and that the Outer Loop will serve as the first leg of the Interstate 85 extension through West Alabama.

For years commuters have driven along I-85 right past several mounds of dirt, the only construction so far. In the next few years major changes will take place, and eventually the Outer Loop will become I-85, paving the way to extending the interstate to touch I-20/59 near the Mississippi line. A lot of work will need to be done, however.

Phase 1 is to connect the interstate to Vaughn road. That's expected to take at least 2 or 3 years to complete.

Then work will continue to connect the loop to I-65. When that is complete, what is now I-85 will be renumbered to I-685 between the outer loop and its connection to I-65.

ALDOT will take bids on the project in late May, and it will take several months after that before construction actually begins.

It will be at least late summer before any dirt is turned over.

ALDOT estimates Phase 1 of the project will employ 3,000 to 4,000 people.

[Jefficator]

That "artist's rendering" is almost comically useless.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by rbp

I wouldn't be surprised if Troy's hoping to get the entire block (look for the demolition of the remaining structures) and build a signature facility there.

Oh joy, so Troy wants to tear down the Jefferson Davis Hotel too? Wonderful. I can't wait to see what they mean by a "signature facility". Maybe a nondescript fortress building in the middle of the block surrounded by an ocean of parking?

[rbp]

Originally Posted by The Heights

I hated to see the building come down, but what really peeves me is that there was no effort to do any salvage and reuse of materials. The building had some nice stonework that could have been salvaged. Oh well.

When they were tearing off the western end of the building, I hoped that was what they were doing.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

Yeah, this is very bad news for the city. The outer loop is nothing but a means to establish a new sprawl corridor so that certain rich real estate interests can get even richer littering the countryside with more Wal-marts, Waffle Houses, and "subdivisions" full of characterless cookie cutter carports with attached living space.

The last thing we need is another bypass. Development money will be wasted along the loop, mostly outside the city, and the blossoming efforts toward redevelopment in real neighborhoods inside the existing bypass will be nipped in the bud. Hello little Detroit. We want to empty out the city just like our neighbors up I-65 did with their interstate loop.

What I wanna know is why they can't just use that money to start the I-85 extension from where I-85 and I-65 already meet?

[BlakFlava]

All this negativity regarding the outer loop or damn near anything about Montgomery. Man, I aint NEVER dogged my city, Montgomery, like yall clowns. I currently live in Atlanta, have been here for 5 years and I miss Montgomery big time.

[OldCloverdale]

Tulane Court Redevelopment Starting in the Summer

Written by Jamie Langley
Tuesday, 08 February 2011 05:51 pm


Redevelopment of the Montgomery Housing Authority's Tulane Court community is set to start this summer. That is according to Montgomery Deputy Mayor Jeff Downes.

Right now, a fence surrounds the area where all but a portion of one building has been demolished.

Downes says that there are several steps to take before construction can begin.

The Montgomery Housing Authority and their private partners must first apply for low income tax credits, complete the infrastructure plan and then develop a construction schedule.

"The tentative time frame that's been expressed to us is in the summer of this year to get underway with the project. That's assuming several hurdles are jumped. We sit here very ably trying to help the Montgomery Housing Authority jump those hurdles and make this project a reality," says Downes.

Tulane Court is on Hall Street just a few blocks away from downtown Montgomery. Downes says Richardson Terrace, a housing development a block away, is already being renovated

++++++++++++

The Montgomery Housing Authority’s Victor Tulane Court was supposed to be torn down by now. They put up a fence and tore down almost all of it, leaving only part of one building. Then, everything seemed to stop. What’s going on at this location? Why has demolition stopped? When will they re-develop?

http://tulanecourt.org/

lots of info here: http://tulanecourt.org/TulaneMonthlyReports.html

[neilson]

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

Yeah, this is very bad news for the city. The outer loop is nothing but a means to establish a new sprawl corridor so that certain rich real estate interests can get even richer littering the countryside with more Wal-marts, Waffle Houses, and "subdivisions" full of characterless cookie cutter carports with attached living space.

The last thing we need is another bypass. Development money will be wasted along the loop, mostly outside the city, and the blossoming efforts toward redevelopment in real neighborhoods inside the existing bypass will be nipped in the bud. Hello little Detroit. We want to empty out the city just like our neighbors up I-65 did with their interstate loop.

Here's the problem. For the last 10 years, there's been half-built Outer Loop stuff between I-85 and Vaughn Road. That's a white elephant that needs to be completed. Maybe the answer is to only go as far as 231 to justify the work that's been done so far. Realistically, the Bypass will be great for Hyundai and the Korean corridor.

I see a lot more industrial development along the Bypass anyway. Koreans need cheap land and that's what South Central and Eastern Montgomery County has plenty of.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

The Montgomery Housing Authority’s Victor Tulane Court was supposed to be torn down by now. They put up a fence and tore down almost all of it, leaving only part of one building. Then, everything seemed to stop. What’s going on at this location? Why has demolition stopped? When will they re-develop?

http://tulanecourt.org/

lots of info here: http://tulanecourt.org/TulaneMonthlyReports.html

That's a great-looking rendering for a great project. Hopefully the housing board won't drop the ball with this.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by neilson

Realistically, the Bypass will be great for Hyundai and the Korean corridor.

I see a lot more industrial development along the Bypass anyway. Koreans need cheap land and that's what South Central and Eastern Montgomery County has plenty of.

The problem is that anything-goes zoning will turn this into a sprawl corridor, the last thing that Montgomery needs now or in the future. The number of interchanges would need to be kept to a bare minimum to lessen the damage, but likely will not. The hundreds of millions that will be spent on this project would be better used on transit projects or street improvements that would actually reduce congestion and provide more connectivity in the city.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by BlakFlava

All this negativity regarding the outer loop or damn near anything about Montgomery. Man, I aint NEVER dogged my city, Montgomery, like yall clowns. I currently live in Atlanta, have been here for 5 years and I miss Montgomery big time.

Who here is "dogging" Montgomery? Maybe you'd like to give us a specific example. There are many people here who care deeply about their city, praise worthwhile projects, and criticize projects that they see as harmful. What's wrong with that?

[thoraudio]

Dogging the city and being concerned about the direction are different things.

altogether.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by BlakFlava

All this negativity regarding the outer loop or damn near anything about Montgomery. Man, I aint NEVER dogged my city, Montgomery, like yall clowns. I currently live in Atlanta, have been here for 5 years and I miss Montgomery big time.

Dude, no one's dogging the city, just questioning the way certain projects are or will be carried out. There are things the city desperately needs, like the bypass...but it really needed it 20 years ago when it was cool to have an interstate loop. Now, 20 years later, migration trends show more people are moving closer to the city center, and we think more funding should be dedicated to urban-core transportation issues.

Personally, I think we need both.