Huntsville updates

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Florence and Decatur would be cheering if this every came to fruition, but I doubt it ever happens...

BUT, if this every did happen, North Alabama would be a force to be reckoned with. Western side a gigantic tourist attraction with the eastern side an even more gigantic tech hub.

[HSVTiger]

At its meeting Thursday night, the council voted to lease the prime tract downtown overlooking Big Spring International Park to CRS City Centre LLC for $144,000 a year. The contract runs for 99 years.

CRS City Centre - which is also building a new Whole Foods-anchored shopping center on South Memorial Parkway - says the project will include 230 apartments, a 150-room hotel, multiple restaurants and stores, professional office space and a six-level parking deck.

The hotel, which Huntsville Director of Urban Development Shane Davis said will be a contemporary brand such as Hotel Indigo or Aloft, is expected to begin rising in October.

[Tennhioland]

City Centre at Big Spring site plans updated a little.

Updated site plan:



Old site plan:

[HSVTiger]

nice update apartmnets now hides the parking deck, the whole project should be higher..10-15 floor range.
And adds/shows the the old Aquatic pool with a new hotel site by the library

[PSMadison]

Originally Posted by jhsv

I will be surprised if makes past the drawing board. Maybe the one in Fort Worth but just do not see that in the Shoals area.

An amusement park in a place with no real airport and no interstate access? Over 100 miles to the nearest city with over 1M people? Not a chance. It would be DOA.

[luvinhsv]

This was posted the day after the "big" announcement. Hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBIFIZPB9fw&feature=youtu.be

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by jhsv

I will be surprised if makes past the drawing board. Maybe the one in Fort Worth but just do not see that in the Shoals area.

FWIW, the very same thing was once said about a East coast Disney theme park in a very small town called Kissimmee, Florida. I'm just saying..

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by tascalisa

Florence and Decatur would be cheering if this every came to fruition, but I doubt it ever happens...

BUT, if this every did happen, North Alabama would be a force to be reckoned with. Western side a gigantic tourist attraction with the eastern side an even more gigantic tech hub.

If it happens it would pull in tourists from major cities nearby like Birmingham, Huntsville, Nashville, Memphis, Mississippi and even Atlanta. All just a few hours or less away in driving distance. But there needs to be a hotel resort included for it to be successful. A theme park alone wouldn't survive.

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

If it happens it would pull in tourists from major cities nearby like Birmingham, Huntsville, Nashville, Memphis, Mississippi and even Atlanta. All just a few hours or less away in driving distance. But there needs to be a hotel resort included for it to be successful. A theme park alone wouldn't survive.

Yeah, they just aren't thinking BIG enough!

[HSVTiger]

Not that is a surprise, did anyone thing these projects would be done? This is mainly the University drive widening project.
North Alabama once again being held hostage by aldot, always looking for an excuse to not complete anything north of the Tennessee River.
Since when did this so called director become king?

from al.com

The director of the Alabama Department of Transportation said he halted road projects in a north Alabama senator's district because of a billboard the senator put up critical of Gov. Robert Bentley.

John Cooper, an appointee of Bentley, said he thought Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison went "over the line" when Holtzclaw rented space on a billboard that said, "Governor Bentley wants to raise your taxes. I will not let that happen. Semper Fi - Senator Bill Holtzclaw." Holtzclaw served in the Marines.

"I simply thought the billboard was just a step too far," Cooper said.

Yellowhammer reported the story.

Cooper told AL.com he did not know a specific number of projects he ordered stopped, but said they would have cost in the range of $100 million over the next two to three years.

"If Sen. Holtzclaw is that concerned with taxes I think he probably would be uncomfortable with us spending tax money in his district, so I pulled the projects," Cooper said.

Bentley announced last week that he would propose a $700 million tax increase to close a shortfall in the General Fund budget.

Bentley also said at that time, in response to questions about whether he would try to strong-arm legislators into supporting his plan by threatening to withhold project funds: "We will look more favorably on areas of the state that really do want to support our budget."

Cooper said today that Bentley did not instruct him to stop the projects. He said he informed Bentley about his decision in a phone call but declined to say how the governor reacted.

"I didn't see or hear any reaction," Cooper said.

[HSVTiger]

New non-stops to Brazil...for freight

A major air cargo carrier at Huntsville International Airport says it is expanding its controlled air freight network with a new full-freighter service to Brazil.

In addition to scheduled charter flights from Hong Kong to Huntsville, Panalpina announced Thursday it will run flights from Huntsville to São Paulo, Brazil, as a result of a renewed long-term agreement between the company and Atlas Air.

Beginning Tuesday, Panalpina will operate two weekly flights from HSV to Viracopos/Campinas International Airport using Atlas Air 747-400 aircraft. The new service is called Brazil Wings.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

New non-stops to Brazil...for freight

A major air cargo carrier at Huntsville International Airport says it is expanding its controlled air freight network with a new full-freighter service to Brazil.

In addition to scheduled charter flights from Hong Kong to Huntsville, Panalpina announced Thursday it will run flights from Huntsville to São Paulo, Brazil, as a result of a renewed long-term agreement between the company and Atlas Air.

Beginning Tuesday, Panalpina will operate two weekly flights from HSV to Viracopos/Campinas International Airport using Atlas Air 747-400 aircraft. The new service is called Brazil Wings.

Beautiful photo of the bird

photos by Bob Gathany/[email protected]

Luxembourg flight being loaded in the background

[PSMadison]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Not that is a surprise, did anyone thing these projects would be done? This is mainly the University drive widening project.
North Alabama once again being held hostage by aldot, always looking for an excuse to not complete anything north of the Tennessee River.
Since when did this so called director become king?

...

What is this, a stupidity contest? This doesn't punish Holtzclaw. And it doesn't just punish N AL. It punishes all of AL by impacting economic development.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by PSMadison

What is this, a stupidity contest? This doesn't punish Holtzclaw. And it doesn't just punish N AL. It punishes all of AL by impacting economic development.

yep, but the Governor said it would not impact any development because these road projects will be done. of course it might just take 25 years.
It's supposedly against the law to use blackmail in politics.

[Tennhioland]

Really looking forward to this development when it's complete. So much potential.

“Several” more restaurants and new retail space will complement the massive brewing complex at the old Stone Middle School site currently under construction, WHNT News 19 confirmed Wednesday evening.

Last month, officials confirmed food partners Earth & Stone Wood-Fired Pizza would be joining Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing at the new site in the sprawling former middle school campus.

Wednesday WHNT News 19 confirmed with several sources the additional project already has tentative agreements to fill the new development on the site near the corner of Clinton and Lowry. Also Wednesday a new sign was posted on the property related to the additional development planned.

http://whnt.com/2015/03/04/new-additiona...ants-to-former-stone-middle-school-site/

[ThatGuy]

I wonder if the AMF bowling alley will rebuild or if that property can be combined with the old times property to make a more attractive retail site?

[thunder89]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

I wonder if the AMF bowling alley will rebuild or if that property can be combined with the old times property to make a more attractive retail site?

I've been wondering the same thing. I know at some point in the past there was a discussion to combine the area, along with he Huntsville Times building and the shopping center that now is the new Whole Worlds into a giant retail center with a focus more on entertainment. In the end I hope they rebuild the bowling alley, and make it into a more modern experience

[thunder89]

An interesting article I came across in a Birmingham discussion group about repurposing enclosed malls. I really like the idea of a college moving into the area, but seeing as how there isn't really an option looking to expand in the area that's more likely a pipedream.

All in all, Madison Square's time is slowly coming to a close. I'd love to see it become a grand open air concept with stores on the bottom floor and apartments on the second, but that's an even bigger pipedream.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/a-new-life-for-dead-malls/ar-AA9ynAo?ocid=iehp

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by thunder89

An interesting article I came across in a Birmingham discussion group about repurposing enclosed malls. I really like the idea of a college moving into the area, but seeing as how there isn't really an option looking to expand in the area that's more likely a pipedream.

All in all, Madison Square's time is slowly coming to a close. I'd love to see it become a grand open air concept with stores on the bottom floor and apartments on the second, but that's an even bigger pipedream.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/a-new-life-for-dead-malls/ar-AA9ynAo?ocid=iehp

Bridge Street pretty much sealed MS Mall's fate when it opened just a few miles to the west. They'll most likely end up imploding it now.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Bridge Street pretty much sealed MS Mall's fate when it opened just a few miles to the west. They'll most likely end up imploding it now.

Which gives MS a tremendous potential, it sits on some of the most valuable land in town