Huntsville updates

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Huntsville's newest Walmart, located at 8570 U.S. Highway 72 W., will have its grand opening event on Friday morning.

The new location, which adds about 300 jobs to the area, will have a ribbon cutting ceremony with community and business leaders at 7:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The development is part of a three-phase project for the 53-acre Colonial Promenade Huntsville development, with the 180,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter as the anchor. The development -- which will also include shops, restaurants and apartments.

This is the seventh Walmart store in Madison County.yipee

I just hope Madison residents realize this is Huntsville and will support HSV taxes, not Madison City.

[Rail Claimore]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

I just hope Madison residents realize this is Huntsville and will support HSV taxes, not Madison City.

Madison also did themselves no favor by raising their sales tax a few years ago. Retailers saw that and factored it into consideration when locating north of 72.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by Rail Claimore

Madison also did themselves no favor by raising their sales tax a few years ago. Retailers saw that and factored it into consideration when locating north of 72.

Really? I would have to see evidence of that. I have never heard of anyone say they would rather shop in HSV to save a half cent. Nor a business that made that decision.

[mp7123]

Site work has started on the new Walgreens at Jeff and Mt. Zion rd. It will be the first Walgreens in unincorporated Madison County.

[huntsvillefan]

Dirt turning over at Twickenham Square. Lots of activity.

Also I believe tennents have started moving into the Belk Hudson PRtments downtown.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by huntsvillefan

Dirt turning over at Twickenham Square. Lots of activity.

Also I believe tennents have started moving into the Belk Hudson PRtments downtown.

That probably is the beginning of the parking deck construction, but the entire site will be seeing activity soon.
Also new stores at Bridge Street:
Brookstone, a nationwide specialty store, has opened its holiday store across from Connors Steak and Seafood.

Mattress Firm, a bedding companies operating more than 1,000 locations in 28 states, will open mid-November in the center next to Bed Bath and Beyond.
This is across the street strip center Toys r us area. We definately need another mattress store.

Bar Louie will open Spring 2013 across from Cafe 153. The bar is described as a "popular, eclectic urban bar with warm surroundings, made famous for its handcrafted martinis. Other locations exist in Chattanooga, Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tenn.

[HSVTiger]

The city will also be tasking Frazier Associates of Staunton Virginia to develop a wayfinding sign master plan for downtown.

http://www.frazierassociates.com/communitygraphics/CG_community/W_community.html

This has been sorely needed for decades. Let's hope it includes all of downtown with the idea it can be expanded. Now if only ALDOT could figure out how to properly sign Huntsville's roads.
Example 1: Clinton Avenue/ Memorial Parkway (not M'eml) interchange. Should be large overheads signs at this location. Pity the lost visitor trying to guess which turn to make on Clinton. Westbound on Clinton could be alternate
route to I-565.
Example 2: South Research Park Blvd at I-565 eastbound exit; Overhead sign should/could indicate Downtown Huntsville.
There are many others..

New signs are up at Research Park/Jordan Lane overpass but at last look see
Jordan Lane is not used, AL highway 53 is which technically is correct but why not use both as it is done on I-565? Consistency is important.

[HSVTiger]

Another big project that will be getting more attention is the planning of the Greenbrier Parkway (I-565) north to Old Highway 20, to the future Megasite location (possible auto plant site).



http://www.sasaki.com/project/227/huntsville-western-expansion-annexed-property-master-plan/

[Rail Claimore]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

The city will also be tasking Frazier Associates of Staunton Virginia to develop a wayfinding sign master plan for downtown.

http://www.frazierassociates.com/communitygraphics/CG_community/W_community.html

This has been sorely needed for decades. Let's hope it includes all of downtown with the idea it can be expanded. Now if only ALDOT could figure out how to properly sign Huntsville's roads.
Example 1: Clinton Avenue/ Memorial Parkway (not M'eml) interchange. Should be large overheads signs at this location. Pity the lost visitor trying to guess which turn to make on Clinton. Westbound on Clinton could be alternate
route to I-565.
Example 2: South Research Park Blvd at I-565 eastbound exit; Overhead sign should/could indicate Downtown Huntsville.
There are many others..

New signs are up at Research Park/Jordan Lane overpass but at last look see
Jordan Lane is not used, AL highway 53 is which technically is correct but why not use both as it is done on I-565? Consistency is important.

Whoever is in charge of overhead signs at ALDOT hasn't read the MUTCD, and probably doesn't even know what it is. I've seen so many mistakes regarding arrows, exit-only tabs, and other things that I can easily see how visitors get lost.

[hsvdj84]

I heard some good news today. I spoke with someone who works for the city and knows quite a bit about future development in the area. He's usually one of the first to know about new business coming to the area. Anyway, after all the disappointment with the announcement of Belk coming to Bridge Street we may be in for some good news. The restaurant will be something the people of Huntsville have been asking for! I'm not going to say the name but I will say people have been wanting it here and I think everyone will be very happy! Hopefully the official announcement will come sooner rather than later. I also heard it will be smaller than some of their other locations.

[HSVTiger]

It will probably be very similar to their location in Danbury CT a smaller concept around 7200- 8000 sq ft maybe around 180 seats, vs their larger 10,000 sq ft design.
The smaller stores generates as much or more profit as the larger ones so it
is a good deal for the company.

[HSVTiger]

Urban Planner Huntsville, this person has a great canvas to work on, lets hope we see exciting, out of the box, feasible ideas that won't be put in the
great proposed project on the shelf warehouse. Currently overflowing with wasted time and ideas. All the planning in the world is useless without action and implementation.

The City of Huntsville has narrowed its search for an urban planner to three finalists.

Mayor Tommy Battle and two of his key advisers, Director of Urban Development Shane Davis and Economic Development Director Michelle Jordan, are interviewing the finalists in person today. The city declined to release the candidates' names or where they currently work.

More than 100 people from across the country submitted résumés hoping to be considered for the urban planner position, which has an advertised annual pay range of $69,721 to $112,403.

A 16-member search committee headed by Davis recently narrowed the field to three finalists to come to Huntsville for sit-down interviews.

In announcing the creation of the urban planner position earlier this year, Battle said he is looking for a "visionary"who can figure out the best ways to improve aging neighborhoods, reawaken downtown, develop thousands of acres of Limestone County farmland and keep traffic flowing smoothly -- all while making sure those plans are understood and embraced by city residents.

"This is an essential position for our future growth," Battle said in April. "We have a planning department with some great people in it, but they're too caught up with day-to-day activities to step back and look at where we need to be five years, 10 years, 15 years from now."

Steve Doyle Huntsville Times article

[stewdog1]

I-565 and County Line interchange should start in the spring and be done by 2014. As always, I'll believe it when I see it, but several articles and meetings about it in the past two months gives me hope that this much needed interchange is finally going to get done.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/11/aldot_interchange_construction.html#incart_river_default

In addition, I would expect the new businesses, property values and desirability of that area to go up when then is done.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

I-565 and County Line interchange should start in the spring and be done by 2014. As always, I'll believe it when I see it, but several articles and meetings about it in the past two months gives me hope that this much needed interchange is finally going to get done.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/11/aldot_interchange_construction.html#incart_river_default

In addition, I would expect the new businesses, property values and desirability of that area to go up when then is done.

Maybe just maybe, hopefully the two phases won't cause delays in the construction.
The city of Huntsville is in the process of moving utilities so that's a good sign as well.

North is at the top of this photo

[HSVTiger]

Doughnut wars
As the the new Dunkin Doughnuts on Memorial Parkway is set to open soon,
Krispy Kreme across from them is planning a remodel of their store.
It will be interesting to see if or who sets up shop in the Twickenham Square development downtown..a perfect location. Of course the Publix bakery in the new downtown store won't be a bad option.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Doughnut wars
As the the new Dunkin Doughnuts on Memorial Parkway is set to open soon,
Krispy Kreme across from them is planning a remodel of their store.
It will be interesting to see if or who sets up shop in the Twickenham Square development downtown..a perfect location. Of course the Publix bakery in the new downtown store won't be a bad option.

A Dunkin or Starbucks would do really well on Madison blvd near Wal Triana. Not sure why there isn't one over there yet.

[HSVTiger]

On Redstone Arsenal a second Burger King and Blimpie combo is going up at the new shopette on Mills Rd near Martin Rd.
This past week the old original BK on Goss Rd was torn down. This is part of a
large effort on the arsenal to demolish old buildings and reclaim the sites for future development. The biggest of these besides the new Redstone Gateway
is the refurbishment of all the old school buildings rapidly nearing completion near Gate 10. This area will have almost a college small town feel as all the buildings are within walking distance of each other.

[HSVTiger]

New Wyle/CAS building under construction in Research Park


Copter Properties is building an $18.75 million facility in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park, which will be built for and leased by Wyle's CAS Group

The 120,000 square foot, three-story building will house more than 350 employees of the Huntsville group, with extra space for as much as 30 percent growth, according to CAS group president George Prueitt. The company plans to move in August 2013.

HSV Times source

[HSVTiger]

Providence Main apartments opens in Providence Nov. 27 and Zoes a Mediterranean "fast-casual" restaurant is opening its second Huntsville location.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Redstone Gateway gets tenants

1000 Redstone Gateway - the first building constructed as part of a $1 billion mixed used development at Redstone Arsenal's Gate 9 - has its first tenant and commitments to occupy the next two buildings once they are complete.
Officials with Corporate Office Properties Trust, managing partners for the development, said a single tenant has leased the company's existing 121,000 square foot office building at 1000 Redstone Gateway in its entirety. Also, multiple leases have been signed for two new office buildings at the development, 1100 Redstone Gateway and 1200 Redstone Gateway and both buildings will open at 100 percent occupancy.
COPT would not identify the companies involved in the leases.
Redstone Gateway is a 468 acre project that, once complete, will have 4.6 million square feet of office and retail space. Plans also call for two 150-room hotels, restaurants, stores and an outdoor concert venue at the Rideout Road location. Jim Wilson and Associates, a Montgomery commercial real estate company that also handles the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, is overseeing retail leasing and is a partner in the development.

COPT said the tenant will move in to 1000 Redstone Gateway in mid-2013 and the 1100 and 1200 buildings by the first quarter of 2014

Boeing will be the tenant in these buildings.
Boeing Company is relocating its offices from Cummings Research Park to Redstone Gateway, the $1 billion mixed-use development located just outside gate 9 at Redstone Arsenal. The move will consolidate several Boeing defense and space programs into one area. Boeing is unveiling its banner on the building Wednesday morning.
Boeing will occupy 1000 Redstone Gateway, the first completed building at the site, by spring 2013. Construction will begin on the second and third buildings, 1100 Redstone Gateway and 1200 Redstone Gateway, by the end of the year and Boeing will occupy both of those once they are complete. All three buildings will bear the Boeing name.

Boeing will retain its facilities at the company's Huntsville International Airport location.