Huntsville updates

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Good luck to Biloxi..you will need it
A fresh beginning for Huntsville

The 10 owners of the Southern League have voted to allow the move of the Huntsville Stars Double-A minor league baseball team to Biloxi, according to a report by WHNT in Huntsville.

The Stars have been rumored to be the franchise selected to begin playing a new stadium in Biloxi in the 2015 season.

The Stars, team officials stress, will be in operation in Huntsville in 2014 no matter the outcome of a sale and city leaders are optimistic that should the Stars be sold, Huntsville would be able to quickly bring in another franchise. Sources throughout the Southern League have said they want Huntsville as a member because of its geography and tradition, recognizing the potential for success.

The only way another owner would even consider Huntsville is if there is a new stadium in place and not just talk of one. Coke is being a jerk right now by holding up that prime real estate and in the process effecting the entire local economy by doing so. They hardly ever even use that facility as it is.

[JuanHunt]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

The only way another owner would even consider Huntsville is if there is a new stadium in place and not just talk of one. Coke is being a jerk right now by holding up that prime real estate and in the process effecting the entire local economy by doing so. They hardly ever even use that facility as it is.

The bottling facility was in use 7 days a week until it was recently shut down. The assets of the plant were removed and auctioned or sold. The owners intend to sell the property and met with the city and a price was agreed on.
I think I esplained all this before.
Why the city failed to follow through is unknown. Maybe the city knew the Stars were leaving.

[HSVTiger]

Coming downtown, this was mentioned about a year ago

Developer Charlie Sealy III's next downtown project will be almost triple the size of his Belk Hudson Lofts apartment building on Washington Street.

Called The Avenue, the proposed $30 million mixed-use building at the northwest corner of Holmes Avenue and Jefferson Street will include about 200 loft apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and a large on-site parking garage


At its meeting tonight, the Huntsville City Council will consider selling Sealy Property Development a $10,000 option to place a hold on the city-owned land for one year. That would give Sealy and his business partners time have it tested, surveyed and inspected.

The agreement calls on the city to improve the area surrounding The Avenue with heavy landscaping, brick-trimmed sidewalks, new street lamps and traffic lights, and more on-street parking. Huntsville would also build a new downtown road behind the apartments connecting Jefferson Street and Spragins Avenue
If no red flags are discovered, The Avenue could begin rising next fall and open in early 2016.

[HSVTiger]

bet aldont is laughing at this, now they have no incentive to steer money to the Huntsville metro. Takes the pressure off of them and can use that money to finish their pet projects south of Birmingham. Aldont won't adjust their fake schedule or suddenly decide to build projects. They will say that there are delays and problems.

The Huntsville City Council voted Thursday night to raise the city's sales tax from 8 percent to 9 percent to pay for $250 million in planned improvements to Memorial Parkway, University Drive, U.S. 72 East and other major roads.

Mayor Tommy Battle estimates the higher tax will generate $30 million to $34 million annually, with most of the new money -- $25 million a year - earmarked for roads. The rest will go toward industrial recruitment and public infrastructure such as new parks and greenways.

Battle said the projects scheduled under a five-year road construction partnership with the Alabama Department of Transportation - including three new Parkway overpasses, a wider University Drive west of Providence and the next leg of the Northern Bypass - will help meet the city's traffic needs for a generation. The city and state will split the $250 million tab equally.

[JuanHunt]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Mayor Tommy Battle estimates the higher tax will generate $30 million to $34 million annually, with most of the new money -- $25 million a year - earmarked for roads. The rest will go toward industrial recruitment and public infrastructure such as new parks and greenways.

Battle said the projects scheduled under a five-year road construction partnership with the Alabama Department of Transportation - including three new Parkway overpasses, a wider University Drive west of Providence and the next leg of the Northern Bypass - will help meet the city's traffic needs for a generation. The city and state will split the $250 million tab equally.

The council refused to actually earmark any of the funds. Doesnt matter, they can always change any of those constraints later with a simple vote. Forcing the entire city to pay for expansion, and using the most regressive taxing method at their disposal, when that expansion only really benefits a small contingent is not good governing.

[HSVTiger]

From WAFF images of new schools under construction

New Grissom High School


New Whitesburg


New Jemison/McNair Junior and High School


All will have tornado shelters
Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski said both the new Grissom and Jemison High Schools will cost about $60 million dollars. Both will sit on about 55 acres and will be about 300,000 square feet. He said McNair Middle school will be about the same size as well.

He said the schools will have new features including a cyber café.

Wardynski said the schools will be similar in design but with variations to accommodate their respective lots. "The look and feel, very similar a lot of timber, stone, kind of a warm building, not a cold sterile office building feel," he said.

The new Grissom, he said will also include much more parking than the old, with 1,100 spaces to Jemison McNair's 714 spaces.

He also promised a departure from the design of the previous high school buildings. "A key design feature that people have found useful these many years," he said, "Windows! The new schools will all have windows. And there will be a lot of things you can't see externally but are designed to provide safety and security for our kids. So tornado shelters throughout. These are rated up to 250 mph winds for, I think, 4 to 6 hours. So very tough structures to protect our kids."

The $25 million Whitesburg Elementary School, Wardynski revealed, will be smaller, 130,000 square feet and sit on 30 acres.

Of those projects, he said, Whitesburg is expected to be finished first, by summer of 2015, Jemison McNair by summer of 2016 and the new Grissom by the summer of 2017.

[MovingAL]

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3023360/how-a...k-and-a-walkable-community?partner=rss#2

A community in Seattle took a mostly empty mall parking lot and created a mixed-use development out of the asphalt paradise. Instead of a partial/total rebuild of MSM maybe a similar approach could be tried. Perhaps tying the Holiday Inn and out-parcel restaurants together to form a makeshift entertainment/living district fronting University Dr.?

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Union voters voted to keep production of the 777x in Washington.

As I expected, Boeing was just trying to force the voters' hand.... it never expected to build a plant in any other state, it just wanted achieve the best possible agreement.

I don't blame Boeing, it's much easier to draw from a workforce that is already trained than from one that needs to be.

[downtownhsvguy]

I didn't realize how cheap land downtown was.. I do not understand why there is not a building boom going on..

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Companies across the Southeast are busy putting together proposals to redevelop two of the most attractive city-owned properties in downtown Huntsville.

Mayor Tommy Battle has used the same term - "opportunity site" - to describe the Von Braun Center parking deck on Monroe Street and the outdated, recently-closed Holiday Inn on Williams Avenue.

By offering those properties for redevelopment, Battle and other Huntsville leaders hope to lure more of the amenities that a growing downtown needs: restaurants, shops, hotels, offices, apartments.

The Holiday Inn and VBC parking deck aren't the only places downtown that are potentially ripe for redevelopment. Here's a look at 9 other opportunity sites within walking distance of the historic Courthouse Square:

1. Former Coca-Cola bottling plant on Clinton Avenue

Owner: Big Springs Inc./Huntsville Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Appraised value: $5,465,500

Why it's attractive: Spanning nine acres across from the North Hall of the Von Braun Center, the former Coca-Cola bottling plant was recently heralded by The Shopping Center Group as the top potential retail site downtown and perfect spot for a signature hotel. Others say it is best suited for a downtown baseball park to replace aging Joe Davis Stadium. But there are challenges, including a multimillion-dollar pricetag and extensive demolition. More than 160,000 square feet of former bottling and warehouse space will have to be torn down before the land can be redeveloped.

2. Parking lot at the northwest corner of Holmes Avenue and Jefferson Street

Owner: City of Huntsville

Appraised value: $345,100

Why it's attractive: Just before Christmas, the Huntsville City Council allowed developer Charlie Sealy III to place a hold on this 2.7-acre site while he has it surveyed, tested and inspected. If no red flags are found, Sealy intends to build a $30 million mixed-use project as a follow-up to his successful Belk Hudson Lofts. Hogging almost an entire city block next to the federal courthouse, The Avenue will include 200 loft apartments plus 20,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. Sealy's company would lease the land for $100 a year during the first 50 years; rent would jump to $120,000 annually after that. Battle estimates The Avenue will generate $32 million in new property and sales taxes for the city over 20 years.

3. Former Mental Health Center site on Gallatin Street

Owner: City of Huntsville

Appraised value: $3,723,300

Why it's attractive: The U.S. government liked the former Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center property enough to make it the preferred site for a new federal courthouse, but those talks cooled during the recession. Situated on a slight knoll, the vacant site is a short walk from both Huntsville Hospital and Big Spring International Park. With the $100 million Twickenham Square development being built directly across Lowe Avenue, some say it might now be better suited for retail use than a courthouse.

4. Former Heritage Club on Washington Street

Owner: Everett Building Partnership, Huntsville

Appraised value: $850,800

Why it's attractive: One of the bigger mysteries downtown is why no one has snapped up the old Heritage Club space, which has been on the market since the private dinner club moved to Bridge Street Town Centre in February 2011. Covering almost 16,000 square feet, the World War II-era building was most recently listed for sale for $1.7 million. Co-owner Bruce Schrimsher told AL.com last year that he is open to "any type of offer." Some have suggested dividing the cavernous space into several smaller street-level storefronts with offices above.

5. Former Crossroads Music Club on Clinton Avenue

Owner: CityScapes

Appraised value: $1,269,000

Why it's attractive: Like Heritage Club, the old Crossroads Music Hall space seems to have everything going for it: spacious, centrally located, interesting architecture. But it's been empty since Crossroads shut its doors following a Jason Isbell concert on May 4, 2013. Upstairs neighbor Barrel House bar and grill closed around the same time. The 1920s building temporarily sprang back to life in December as a Pop-Up Shop selling art produced at Huntsville's Lowe Mill.

6. Parking lot at southeast corner of Greene Street and Holmes Avenue

Owner: City of Huntsville

Appraised value: $420,000

Why it's attractive: This is where city officials considered teaming with developer Randy Schrimsher on a new public parking garage and apartment complex. While that deal unraveled, the .8-acre property remains one of the most coveted spots downtown. It's located directly across from one of Huntsville's first skyscrapers, the Old Times Building, and is also a short walk from Below the Radar Brewhouse and Belk Hudson Lofts. Another neighbor, the Todd Towers apartment building for elderly and disabled public housing residents, is getting a $1.75 million makeover.

7. Parking lot at northwest corner of Greene Street and Holmes Avenue

Owner: Chapman Sisson Properties

Appraised value: $90,000

Why it's attractive: Although smaller than the city lot on the opposite corner, this privately-owned gravel parking area is a few steps closer to the restaurants and clubs on Washington Street. It sits next door to the Huntsville Housing Authority central office, another potential candidate for redevelopment.

8. Former Hale Brothers Furniture on Jefferson Street

Owner: RE Partners

Appraised value: $577,100

Why it's attractive: The ongoing downtown renaissance seems to have skipped over the old Hale Brothers Furniture store, which has been sitting empty for nearly a decade. Local financial adviser Phil Dotts, who bought the historic property just off the Courthouse Square in late 2006, told AL.com in March 2013 that his family partnership still hopes to convert the sprawling structure into a mix of retail and residential space. "It's been my New Year's resolution for the past two or three years to put Hale Brothers back into productive use," said Dotts. "The stars just haven't lined up yet."

9. Parking lot on Clinton Avenue across from downtown post office

Owner: City of Huntsville

Appraised value: $338,100

Why it's attractive: Measuring 4.9 acres, this is the largest parking lot downtown. Music fans will best remember it as home to one of the rock stages at the Big Spring Jam festival. Today, it's used mainly as a staging area for the annual Christmas, Veteran's Day and Alabama A&M University homecoming parades. The city's decision to widen neighboring Pinhook Creek made the land less likely to flood. Parking and Public Transit Director Tommy Brown said all city-owned surface lots are candidates to be redeveloped as downtown grows. "When the right opportunity comes along where we can have parking and a higher use of the land, that's a win-win," Brown told AL.com Tuesday.

[HSVTiger]

Sounds like the airlines are at least talking to the airport


Huntsville's Airport Authority will vote Tuesday morning on an amended resolution for a voluntary customer service and incentive program for airlines.

The purpose of this incentive program is to keep airline customer service up and make more people fly out of Huntsville. Tuesday, the board will decide if they'll make some changes to the package.

In June, the Airport Authority first approved the $6 million incentive package, but the airlines have requested some changes to it. Representatives from the airlines will be at Tuesday's meeting to challenge the vote and present the modifications they want included.

In this program, airlines would get money for meeting certain benchmarks, like on-time arrivals and good customer service.

[HSVTiger]

and will our Mayor run for Governor

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle will announce his decision on whether to enter the 2014 Alabama gubernatorial race on Tuesday.

Battle said he will make the announcement on his website at 10 a.m.
He can do more for Huntsville than the state and that will help the state probably more.

"While exploring this possibility, I’ve talked to community leaders and elected officials across our state. Just this week I had the opportunity to meet and speak with the mayors from Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery about the challenges their communities are facing and how we can work together to begin moving Alabama forward.

While each community has its own unique character and challenges, we found far more common ground than differences. That common ground is where we will begin our journey.

After careful consideration, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for governor in 2014. I believe that the best way for us to begin the work of moving Alabama forward is to find ways to work together with officials and leaders across our state. Cities are at the forefront of the challenges that come with an economic crisis, and in the coming months, we’ll not only tell Huntsville’s story across our state, but learn from other communities as well.

We still have work to do in Huntsville; our vision for what we can be, for the things we can do, isn’t finished. The challenges and opportunities we have here and across our state are real and you have my commitment that we will face them head-on."

[HSVTiger]

Huntsville would be a perfect location, non stop 747 air cargo to Europe, available TVA mega site, excellent and planned infrastructure....

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is weighing the possibility of adding a second manufacturing plant in North America that would complement the company's Alabama factory, Bloomberg reports.

The new plant would produce compact vehicles, Andreas Renschler, head of production for Mercedes parent Daimler AG, said Monday.

A decision is expected by the end of next year.

[HSVTiger]

New Belk under construction at Bridge Street..open Fall 2014
while the store will be very nice, no one is excited about this. Now if Von Maur or Macy's came in that would be different.
Belk blackmailed the city and Huntsville should have have said see ya. Good luck in Decatur.

[huntsvillefan]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Huntsville would be a perfect location, non stop 747 air cargo to Europe, available TVA mega site, excellent and planned infrastructure....

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is weighing the possibility of adding a second manufacturing plant in North America that would complement the company's Alabama factory, Bloomberg reports.

The new plant would produce compact vehicles, Andreas Renschler, head of production for Mercedes parent Daimler AG, said Monday.

A decision is expected by the end of next year.

It does seem that Huntsville would be a natural for expansion. Surely the site VW considered would still be a great spot for auto manufacturing.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by huntsvillefan

It does seem that Huntsville would be a natural for expansion. Surely the site VW considered would still be a great spot for auto manufacturing.

I don't see it being very likely that they put the plant in Alabama. Manufacturing plants for brands as large as Mercedes are as much a part of advertising as they are a tool for increasing capacity.

[HSVTiger]

Downtown sign proposals..long time coming, look good, but use a different font
and do away with the vertical text, poor visually.

Virginia-based Frazier Associates developed the "wayfinding" plan over the past year with input from the Arts Council, Convention & Visitors Bureau, city planners, downtown businesses and other groups.

Consultant Kathleen Frazier is recommending that Huntsville, over time, replace the current confusing jumble of downtown directional markers with color-coordinated signs that can be easily understood by drivers as well as pedestrians.

The signs would all have a unified look: dark blue for the sky; green for nature; and a wavy ribbon of lighter blue to evoke the Big Spring where city namesake John Hunt built his cabin in 1805. Some larger signs would have a rock base - a nod to the rock-lined canal on the east side of Big Spring Park, as well as the century-old walls found throughout the Twickenham and Old Town historic districts.

Frazier said the wayfinding task force wanted a "progressive but traditional" logo for downtown that avoided the ubiquitous rocket image.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

New Belk under construction at Bridge Street..open Fall 2014
while the store will be very nice, no one is excited about this. Now if Von Maur or Macy's came in that would be different.
Belk blackmailed the city and Huntsville should have have said see ya. Good luck in Decatur.

Belk wouldn't have to move to Decatur. They would have built their flagship store at the Breland owned property at the southwest corner of I-565 and Zierdt Rd. where DeBartolo Developers had planned a billion dollar development back around 2006. Something major will be built there and it seems that Madison County and the City of Madison are trying to put in the infrastructure for it as the City of Madison got funding though ALTRIP to build a road through the middle of it and Dale Strong is trying to get funding to build an interchange with I-565 their to provide greater accessibility.

The article in al.com which covered Belk's negotiations with the City of Huntsville said that Belk was looking to build a new flagships store along the I-565 corridor if things didn't work out at Bridge Street. The City of Huntsville was well aware of the Breland property on Zeirdt Rd. as they had hoped to have it deannexed from Madison and annexed into Huntsville for the DeBartolo. Therefore, they were determined to prevent that from happening and wanted to keep the property tax and sales tax which Belk generates.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Sounds like the airlines are at least talking to the airport


Huntsville's Airport Authority will vote Tuesday morning on an amended resolution for a voluntary customer service and incentive program for airlines.

The purpose of this incentive program is to keep airline customer service up and make more people fly out of Huntsville. Tuesday, the board will decide if they'll make some changes to the package.

In June, the Airport Authority first approved the $6 million incentive package, but the airlines have requested some changes to it. Representatives from the airlines will be at Tuesday's meeting to challenge the vote and present the modifications they want included.

In this program, airlines would get money for meeting certain benchmarks, like on-time arrivals and good customer service.

On-time arrivals and customer service aren't the issues limiting the number of passengers at HSV, it is the highest airfares in the U.S. The only way that dubious distinction will change is if Southwest started service here and a significant % of the business travelers who fly Delta all the time are willing to fly Southwest, too. Otherwise, the same situation will play out which happened when AirTran flew out of HSV for two years and lost money because their planes had too many empty seats due to business fliers not being willing to fly AirTran. This was true when these Delta fliers would make a connection in Atlanta to go to D.C. when they could have flown nonstop on AirTran to Baltimore.

Allegiant Air is another low cost airline which wasn't able to make it here, but still flies out of Knoxville and other southern cities of similar size.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

New Belk under construction at Bridge Street..open Fall 2014
while the store will be very nice, no one is excited about this. Now if Von Maur or Macy's came in that would be different.
Belk blackmailed the city and Huntsville should have have said see ya. Good luck in Decatur.

They ruined Bridge Street when they drained that gorgeous lake and turned it into $$$ for the developers. I proposed a observation wheel right next to the lake and they made all these pitiful excuses as to why that would not work. Now I know why. They knew what was in store. Well, you dig your grave, you must lie in it.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by David1502

On-time arrivals and customer service aren't the issues limiting the number of passengers at HSV, it is the highest airfares in the U.S. The only way that dubious distinction will change is if Southwest started service here and a significant % of the business travelers who fly Delta all the time are willing to fly Southwest, too. Otherwise, the same situation will play out which happened when AirTran flew out of HSV for two years and lost money because their planes had too many empty seats due to business fliers not being willing to fly AirTran. This was true when these Delta fliers would make a connection in Atlanta to go to D.C. when they could have flown nonstop on AirTran to Baltimore.

Allegiant Air is another low cost airline which wasn't able to make it here, but still flies out of Knoxville and other southern cities of similar size.

only options are Frontier, Jet Blue, Southwest/Airtran.
Southwest could make major dollars out of Huntsville with the right mix of flights.
They would do better in HSV than BHM but it won't happen anytime soon.
Frontier might not survive
Jet Blue if they made HSV a mini hub from Washington/Orlando to points west.
American/US Air merger may help with better routes.
You can get cheaper fares out of HSV if you are flexible and can buy in advance, often cheaper and are similar to Nashville. Rarely is it worth the drive time/parking to BNA or BHM if you are flexible in scheduling.
Huntsville is not the only city struggling with high fares, many larger markets are just as high