Montgomery development news - Page 249

brad0022 · #**4961** Posted **Mar 18, 2011, 12:44 AM**

First night of the Idea Factory

The Idea Factory is located at 1 Dexter Plaza in the old Court Square office building. The office which the design will operate from will be open to the public for walkins if you would like to discuss ideas for development. The Idea Factory will take suggestions and formulate concrete ideas to present to the Montgomery Development Department. The different heads of the design and Development Department introduced themselves but their names escape me at this time. The Idea Factory will take place each Thursday from 5-7.

Next Thursday, the team will take discuss and take suggestions for restaurants/retail shops that you have visited in other cities the you would like to open in downtown. They have people in place to entice businesses to franchise if they do not already franchise.

This will be the next step from the charrettes as they are all complete as far as I know.

Cypress Creek is a large open natural habitat with wildlife not found in region. Its not a city project but a non profit group hopes to turn it into a natural park and arboretum. The creek feeds into the land was once unbructed but is now blocked by trash as it feeds to the Alabama River. It could be Montgomery's Central Park if fully developed.

OCA REP · #**4962** Posted **Mar 18, 2011, 1:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad0022

First night of the Idea Factory

The Idea Factory is located at 1 Dexter Plaza in the old Court Square office building. The office which the design will operate from will be open to the public for walkins if you would like to discuss ideas for development. The Idea Factory will take suggestions and formulate concrete ideas to present to the Montgomery Development Department. The different heads of the design and Development Department introduced themselves but their names escape me at this time. The Idea Factory will take place each Thursday from 5-7.

Thanks for sharing. Attending this was on my to-do list, but other St. Patrick's Day activities got in the way. I will have to make firm plans to attend this in the coming weeks...

bystander1 · #**4963** Posted **Mar 18, 2011, 2:07 PM**

I also planned to attend but things didn't work out. I hate that I missed the first one but I plan to be there often.

ExpatBaman · #**4964** Posted **Mar 20, 2011, 8:14 PM**

Quote:

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?

The last building is gone now, so hopefully things are moving along.

brad0022 · #**4965** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 12:57 PM**

Do you guys want to do a mini meetup for this Thursday's Idea Factory or if not this one then another one?

thoraudio · #**4966** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 1:26 PM**

I'd love too, but unfortunately, I'm a 1st and 2nd grade soccer coach until May.

OldCloverdale · #**4967** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 9:55 PM**

Montgomery Street Improvement Projects Wrap Up by Summer

Written by Katy Sulhoff
Monday, 21 March 2011

Despite roadblocks and rain delays, four major street improvement projects in Montgomery are running on time and should be finished by the summer, according to City Engineer Patrick Dunson.

Streetscaping on Cloverdale Road and Graham Street and Mt. Meigs Road should be done in May. Construction on Madison Avenue and Perry Hill Road is set to be done in June.

While the roads are still under construction, drivers and businesses are having to work around the mess.

"It's going to be totally worth it. It's going to be very nice, very pedestrian friendly. It's going to be all new landscape. It's going to look great when they're done, but it's just getting there that's kind of a pain," Leanne Turner with Amplify Salon and Spa on Graham Street explained.

The construction projects total $5.3 million.

Perry Hill Road and Madison Avenue construction is fully funded by federal stimulus money.

The Cloverdale project and Mt. Meigs road construction are 80 percent federally funded. The City is picking up the other 20 percent.

ExpatBaman · #**4968** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCloverdale

Montgomery Street Improvement Projects Wrap Up by Summer

Written by Katy Sulhoff
Monday, 21 March 2011

Despite roadblocks and rain delays, four major street improvement projects in Montgomery are running on time and should be finished by the summer, according to City Engineer Patrick Dunson.

Streetscaping on Cloverdale Road and Graham Street and Mt. Meigs Road should be done in May. Construction on Madison Avenue and Perry Hill Road is set to be done in June....

The Cloverdale project and Mt. Meigs road construction are 80 percent federally funded. The City is picking up the other 20 percent.

Nice to see sidewalks along Mt. Meigs.

brad0022 · #**4969** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 3:09 AM**

Nice street improvements. Yea there needs to be a lot more sidewalks around town.

bystander1 · #**4970** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 3:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad0022

Do you guys want to do a mini meetup for this Thursday's Idea Factory or if not this one then another one?

This can definitely work in the coming months.
First, we could meet at the Design Center, walk down to the Alley for a bite to eat, then catch the game, a couple of drinks, and the after-game concert during thirsty Thursdays at the baseball stadium. Wha-cha' think?

philopdx · #**4971** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 4:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

Nice to see sidewalks along Mt. Meigs.

I find it interesting that these projects are funded in large part by the Federal government, two of which are funded exclusively by stimulus money.

Do you think taxpayers in other states consider this "waste" or a worthwhile project?

And looking at this picture, I think to myself that nothing says "nefarious, anti-American socio-Muslim supervillain" like orange cones standing watch over curing concrete along a sunny thoroughfare of a slow-paced, mid-sized Alabama city.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**4972** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 5:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by philopdx

I find it interesting that these projects are funded in large part by the Federal government, two of which are funded exclusively by stimulus money.

Do you think taxpayers in other states consider this "waste" or a worthwhile project?

And looking at this picture, I think to myself that nothing says "nefarious, anti-American socio-Muslim supervillain" like orange cones standing watch over curing concrete along a sunny thoroughfare of a slow-paced, mid-sized Alabama city.

I think most people see a difference between this (and other construction projects) and some random research project about how pollen affects windmill rotation (totally pulled that example outta my a**).

Things like streetscaping, transportation improvements, mass transit, etc... are what I think the Stimulus was supposed to be for, people just got all happy and injected their pet projects (not that our politicians were innocent). I didn't like the stimulus bill, but I'm not as angry about it when it's used correctly.

We're really a lot more reasonable than your trolling gives us credit for.

Port_of_Bama · #**4973** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 11:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by philopdx

I find it interesting that these projects are funded in large part by the Federal government, two of which are funded exclusively by stimulus money.

Do you think taxpayers in other states consider this "waste" or a worthwhile project?

And looking at this picture, I think to myself that nothing says "nefarious, anti-American socio-Muslim supervillain" like orange cones standing watch over curing concrete along a sunny thoroughfare of a slow-paced, mid-sized Alabama city.

Huh ? Someone give this man something to eat I think he`s HUNGRY !!!!

brad0022 · #**4974** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by philopdx

I find it interesting that these projects are funded in large part by the Federal government, two of which are funded exclusively by stimulus money.

Do you think taxpayers in other states consider this "waste" or a worthwhile project?

And looking at this picture, I think to myself that nothing says "nefarious, anti-American socio-Muslim supervillain" like orange cones standing watch over curing concrete along a sunny thoroughfare of a slow-paced, mid-sized Alabama city.

But the construction crew just got more Bud Light/Burger King/etc. money. If that's not American I dont know what is.

BlakFlava · #**4975** Posted **Mar 23, 2011, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExpatBaman

Nice to see sidewalks along Mt. Meigs.

Shouldn't there be a handicap ramp installed? I think ADA requires it. If so, I'm pretty sure that pole is in the way.

SpawnOfVulcan · #**4976** Posted **Mar 23, 2011, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlakFlava

Shouldn't there be a handicap ramp installed? I think ADA requires it. If so, I'm pretty sure that pole is in the way.

There are ramps, it just looks like there isn't because they haven't completed it yet. There's a gap between the roadway and the curb. That's something that they do last to make sure everything is flush and seamless.

Dyingyak · #**4977** Posted **Mar 24, 2011, 1:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredici

There are ramps, it just looks like there isn't because they haven't completed it yet. There's a gap between the roadway and the curb. That's something that they do last to make sure everything is flush and seamless.

That gap looks like it's left there for the truncated dome bricks that go on the ramps for the blind.

OCA REP · #**4978** Posted **Mar 24, 2011, 3:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad0022

Do you guys want to do a mini meetup for this Thursday's Idea Factory or if not this one then another one?

Sounds like a great idea. However, I had a conflict last Thursday and have plans tonight too. I did go ahead and e-mail Tyler a list of my desires since this evening they are discussing "brand Brainstorming" to determine which national, regional, local brands you would like to see set up shot in Montgomery.

OldCloverdale · #**4979** Posted **Mar 24, 2011, 8:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCA REP

... I did go ahead and e-mail Tyler a list of my desires since this evening they are discussing "brand Brainstorming" to determine which national, regional, local brands you would like to see set up shot in Montgomery.

and...

???

bystander1 · #**4980** Posted **Mar 25, 2011, 2:42 PM**

I made it to the Idea Factory last night and met some wonderful people with great ideas for downtown. Some already live downtown or have bought homes near it lately. And you know, we all noticed that this seems a lot different and more exciting than all of the development discussions of the past.

The next Idea Factory will be two weeks from now on a bus tour to Atlanta to visit some neighborhoods near downtown where ideas that worked will be discussed and possibly incorporated into old and new neighborhood plans around downtown Montgomery. I forgot the exact date but the cost is $40 for anyone that wants to go.

BTW, I talked to Chad and gave him some ideas to write down. He has some cool ideas for the city himself. It's kinda' hard to imagine that our old forum buddy is now the head of the Development Department for the city of Montgomery.