Montgomery development news

[Brown Duckz]

Here is a .pdf map of the area of which the extension could run to reach I59/I20 in west Alabama.

http://www.i85extension.com/PDF/I85_EXTENSION_STUDY_AREA_MAP.pdf

[Chad Emerson]

...well, I just received word that City Council approved my option agreement with the city for the old city firehouse at Five Points (the Goldwaithe, Mobile one).

The plan is to turn it into a restaurant/gathering place type establishment.

The firehouse dates to the late 1800s and is in amazingly great shape (probably because it has served as storage for fire dept. records).

If anyone would like to know more about it or knows someone who might be interested in opening an establishment there, just drop me a line at [email protected] or 334.386.7536.

[thoraudio]

Congrats. You'll have to take us on a tour.

I've been trying my hardest to get involved... but the people I deal with want the impossible... to be able to get in early (cheap), but to have the growth established.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Chad Emerson

...well, I just received word that City Council approved my option agreement with the city for the old city firehouse at Five Points (the Goldwaithe, Mobile one).

The plan is to turn it into a restaurant/gathering place type establishment.

The firehouse dates to the late 1800s and is in amazingly great shape (probably because it has served as storage for fire dept. records).

If anyone would like to know more about it or knows someone who might be interested in opening an establishment there, just drop me a line at [email protected] or 334.386.7536.

Chad, do you know if the city is getting the five points intersection ready for a roundabout? I noticed all the traffic signals were taken down.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

Congrats. You'll have to take us on a tour.

That will be a good idea for a tour during a forum meet! I think Chad would be a great guide for a tour.

Originally Posted by thoraudio

I've been trying my hardest to get involved... but the people I deal with want the impossible... to be able to get in early (cheap), but to have the growth established.

thoraudio, are the folks you're dealing with mainly into condos, or other businesses too?

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by bystander1

thoraudio, are the folks you're dealing with mainly into condos, or other businesses too?

I think they're mainly into shooting down my ideas.


Chad... a natural for you.





Seriously, I looked into a coffee shop idea in downtown last year. In the old Alabama Wildlife Federation building between the two Regions Towers. Start-up money was in the $100,000 range (equipment, furniture, a/v, ad's etc...) + liquid cash (you're supposed to have a years worth in the bank).

I'd needed to have sold about 300 cups of coffee a day to maintain my current high rolling lifestyle . High, but doable in the location, especially when the Hotel opened up.

Rumors of Regions pulling up stakes and a Starbucks in the Civic Center killed that idea though.

I'd love to see a coffee shop up there... but even after complete revitalization, I think even 100 cups a day would be pushing it... It could work maybe as a secondary location, but I don't think anybody would be able to make enough there for that to be their main income.

[thoraudio]

Chad,



Your parking is limited... will the planning commission allow on the street parking for a restaurant?

[thoraudio]

smart growth?

SomerHill recalls old home styles

By Paul W. Sullivan
Montgomery Advertiser


Although SomerHill officially opened this week, 30 homes in the new subdivision between Bell and Vaughn roads have been sold since November 2006.

Ted Watts Sr. said SomerHill eventually will include 600 homes along with parks, three lakes and a shopping area.

Prices at the Watts Development will begin at about $120,000 and rise to $300,000. The homes will offer two to four bedrooms, and two to four-and-a-half baths. Home sizes will range from 1,100 to 3,000 square feet.

Mayor Bobby Bright admitted that once the subdivision begins to fill, it could have a negative effect on already crowded Bell and Vaughn roads. But he said as far as the city is concerned, it is a small price to pay for creating new neighborhoods in areas such as Montgomery midtown.

"It's well worth it when you have a developer willing to go into a part of the city where some thought people were leaving and to put up homes like this," he said.

Bright said "where some people thought" because he said midtown, where SomerHill is located, and several other parts of the city actually are booming.

"A lot of people just don't realize how much development is going on and how many new neighborhoods are being created in these areas," he said.

SomerHill, one of Montgomery's newest neighborhoods, will look a lot like one of its oldest ones.

Ted Watts Sr. and his son, Ted Watts Jr., said the homes' windows, carriage garage doors and columns will remind people of Old Cloverdale.

They said home styles such as craftsman, bungalow and French country will be featured along with more traditional ones.

Ted Watts Sr. said he purchased the land about four years ago and waited for Young Meadows Boulevard to link Vaughn and Bell roads before starting to build.

Ted Watts Jr. said the development will be the city's newest SmartGrowth neighborhood. SmartGrowth emphasizes a community approach to living with more front porches, sidewalks and areas for neighborhood businesses and individual contact, said Slade McElroy, vice president of marketing for Watts.

The new development can be reached from Vaughn Road by entering Ida Belle Young Park at Young Meadows Road and going past the Grove Park neighborhood.

Watts' other developments include Bridle Brook Farms, The Highlands, Foxfire, Whitewater Ridge, the Barrington Place at Somerset and Chapel Lakes luxury apartment home communities.

[Chad Emerson]

The SmartCode would allow on street parking and parking within a certain distance to be counted for the parking requirements. That's really what makes the site realistically doable.

Regarding the actual facility, it certainly wouldn't work as a coffee house only. Plus, the Grandview has a space set aside for a coffee house already.

Rather, it would have to be something more akin to the Mission House or, alternatively, a restaurant with a coffee or wine bar.

Once the fire department gets their files and stuff out of there, I'll gladly arrange a tour. Earlier this year, I toured the facility with a couple of friends in the development industry and they remarked about how amazingly well the building was constructed and kept up.

Ultimately, I'm simply looking to find the right developer to do the project. One of my main reasons to get an option on the building was that--under the zoning code--the building could be tore down and replaced with a building up to 3 or 4 stories (sorry, I don't have the code and map in front of me to know exactly which one). The firehouse, while adjacent to the Cottage Hill historic district, is not located within it.

While a tear down might make better business sense, it would be a shame at that intersection where, yes, I'm told that the city is preparing for some different improvements.

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

smart growth?

Nice to see that they decided to build a little bit of house next to those carports.

[thoraudio]

I had identified a potential property in that area... say about 25 feet north of Chad's .

The owner is willing to sell, but in no hurry (not listed right now). BUT, he wants the existing (non-historical, ugly) buildings to remain. To the point where he has pursued getting a facade easement that he'd give to the city to ensure the buildings wouldn't be changed... But these buildings have 0 appeal.

He doesn't want to sell to someone who will sit on the property (although that is exactly what he is doing) or to somebody who will tear it down.

I had an excellent proposal laid out for use of the property (you'd love it, Chad), but the people I was talking with think the Grandview will fail, and they'd be stuck with worthless property... IF they moved on it, they'd want to just sit on it until growth started to happen.



IF you could get something started + Grandview + my proposals... that'd really get the synergy working and the ball rolling in that area.

[Brown Duckz]

DOT urges driver care near road work areas

By Kenneth Mullinax
Montgomery Advertiser


Signs warn of construction and the presence of workers on the Interstate 65 bridge over the Alabama River in Montgomery on Friday.


As the weather warms up and road work picks up, the risk to road crews and inattentive drivers increases as well.

There were 49 people killed in Alabama and 1,079 killed nationwide in road work zone-related crashes in 2005, said Norman Lumpkin, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Transportation.

"Fortunately, these deaths can be avoided if drivers will just change their driving behavior, such as speeding through work zones, inattention to the workers present and driving too close to other vehicles," Lumpkin said.

No one understands that better than the friends and family of Lloyd Tabb of Selma.

Tabb, 53, served as a sign crew team leader when he was killed July 21 on Selma's bypass as a driver went past a flagman and hit the aerial bucket that he was occupying while installing a road sign, said Rex Thompson, the manager of ALDOT's district office in Selma.

"Lloyd's death impacted our district office tremendously because he was a great person, a close friend and a man who would share anything he had with you," Thompson said.

Thompson said that if drivers would pay closer attention for just a few minutes, they could save a life that might be their own.

The state's transportation director agrees with Thompson's assessment.

"Most people are not aware that the majority of fatalities in work zones are the occupants of the vehicles involved in the crash," said Joe McInnes, state transportation director.

While motorists have flashing message boards to remind them of the dangers, Thompson said his greatest reminder is the loss of a friend.

"When I stood by Lloyd's grave beside his sweet wife Bettye and his brother Albert, I realized how a moment's distraction can impact a group of family and friends for an eternity. For goodness sake, please slow down when you see workers in the road," he said.

[bystander1]

Mayor Bobby Bright admitted that once the subdivision begins to fill, it could have a negative effect on already crowded Bell and Vaughn roads. But he said as far as the city is concerned, it is a small price to pay for creating new neighborhoods in areas such as Montgomery midtown.

"It's well worth it when you have a developer willing to go into a part of the city where some thought people were leaving and to put up homes like this," he said.

Bright said "where some people thought" because he said midtown, where SomerHill is located, and several other parts of the city actually are booming.

"A lot of people just don't realize how much development is going on and how many new neighborhoods are being created in these areas," he said.

Could you really consider Somerhill a part of midtown?

[neilson]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Could you really consider Somerhill a part of midtown?

This is the same baffoon that thought Washington, DC was in New England.

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Could you really consider Somerhill a part of midtown?

It's between Wynlakes and Downtown so


hmm.... I thought we'd gotten rid of one baffoon.

[bystander1]

^^
The 'B'Advertiser agrees that it's part of midtown too.
But their writers aren't too 'bright' either...

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

It's between Wynlakes and Downtown so


hmm.... I thought we'd gotten rid of one baffoon.

I consider Midtown to be bound by Perry Hill Rd to the East, McGhee & Woodley Rd to the south, Mulberry, Ann St, & Federal Dr to the West, and the North border would be the Morningview neighborhood east of Federal Dr. The reason I include it would be because of the redirecting of Ann St traffic onto Federal Dr. I have a feeling this is going to do good for that complete area. They need to finished the 4-laning of Ann St, completely remodel Lee High School, then redirect traffic onto Federal and widen & relane it as well.

[neilson]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

I consider Midtown to be bound by Perry Hill Rd to the East, McGhee & Woodley Rd to the south, Mulberry, Ann St, & Federal Dr to the West, and the North border would be the Morningview neighborhood east of Federal Dr. The reason I include it would be because of the redirecting of Ann St traffic onto Federal Dr. I have a feeling this is going to do good for that complete area. They need to finished the 4-laning of Ann St, completely remodel Lee High School, then redirect traffic onto Federal and widen & relane it as well.

What I don't get is why the area south of Woodley Road/McGehee Road is as rough and bad as it is?

Help me understand why there's such a sudden and blatant transition from nice area to very ugly?

[Brown Duckz]

Originally Posted by neilson

What I don't get is why the area south of Woodley Road/McGehee Road is as rough and bad as it is?

Help me understand why there's such a sudden and blatant transition from nice area to very ugly?

I think it's been quite some time since it was nice, I don't think it's just gone down in the past 5 years or something. It's slowly been going down for probably most of my life. That area needs revitalization on the major thoroughfares first... & that wouldn't take much, but it's going to be a hard time getting any private investment anytime soon. If Montgomery Mall is sold and is put to good use SOMEHOW, that could spur some development/revitalization. It would have an effect on the area as a whole you'd HOPE. The city has already opened it's arms for improvement as the Mayor has publicly said the next owner would have the city's assitance on repaving roadways and the like.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

I consider Midtown to be bound by Perry Hill Rd to the East, McGhee & Woodley Rd to the south, Mulberry, Ann St, & Federal Dr to the West, and the North border would be the Morningview neighborhood east of Federal Dr.

I generally agree with that assumption...definitely within the bypass.