Cool News (Birmingham, Huntsville, Jacksonville: living in, buses, light rail)

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

I wonder about the residential potential of it. Hey, I'm a fan of downtown residential development, but I think the market needs to do some absorption first. Maybe student housing. Not so sure about upscale.

Agree. The biggest phase of 20 Midtown has sat cleared and empty with little to no activity for the better part of a year. If there was a lot of pent up demand for downtown rentals at the prices the developers expect to command, it would have been going vertical months ago.

[TimCity2000]

not saying you're wrong, but there could be any number of reasons that cause a construction delay.

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

I wonder about the residential potential of it. Hey, I'm a fan of downtown residential development, but I think the market needs to do some absorption first. Maybe student housing. Not so sure about upscale.

I missed the part about a residential component. I think "mixed-use" for this location means commercial and retail. Agree that residential here doesn't seem like a good idea.

[_OT]

It said nothing about residential

[steveklein]

Most mixed-use developments in this part of the city include a residential element.

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

not saying you're wrong, but there could be any number of reasons that cause a construction delay.

Of course. After it had sat dormant for a few months, I posted a question about it... and like clockwork we got this article: Construction on third 20 Midtown building to start within 45 days | AL.com noting that final approval had been given and construction was 45 days out... but now we are well over 100 days and not much activity. So maybe me raising this issue again will mean the developer starts pouring concrete next week.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by _OT

It said nothing about residential

Well, the term "mixed use" is vague. It could mean a mix of retail, office, and/or residential.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Of course. After it had sat dormant for a few months, I posted a question about it... and like clockwork we got this article: Construction on third 20 Midtown building to start within 45 days | AL.com noting that final approval had been given and construction was 45 days out... but now we are well over 100 days and not much activity. So maybe me raising this issue again will mean the developer starts pouring concrete next week.

Considering I have some daily involvement in the development industry at the moment, just because "final approval" of permitting occurs doesn't mean the land disturbance and site grading will occur immediately. I know of several sites that have been approved in Atlanta in high demand areas that doesn't see anything until at least 24 months after final approval of permitting from the City of Atlanta. Usually, the holdups are financing not demand. The same is likely here with the next phase of 20 Midtown. It's a very successful project because the residential component is over 85% fully occupied.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Of course. After it had sat dormant for a few months, I posted a question about it... and like clockwork we got this article: Construction on third 20 Midtown building to start within 45 days | AL.com noting that final approval had been given and construction was 45 days out... but now we are well over 100 days and not much activity. So maybe me raising this issue again will mean the developer starts pouring concrete next week.

It could be any number of things. Maybe the civil engineering work hit a snag. Maybe the permitting needed further review. Maybe the people doing the earthwork were shorthanded. Lots of construction work going on in this town at the moment.

Let me put it this way. Ever had a construction project on your own home? Ever had it go according to schedule? I am in the middle of a kitchen renovation. It was supposed to start a month ago. The contractor is only arriving tomorrow.

[jero23]

https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingh...funds-for.html

It's behind a paywall, but the Birmingham City Council has approved $20M local match to the federal funds needed to construct the bus rapid transit (BRT) system. It's another step towards needed mass transit within the city. Hopefully, this will another step toward encouraging the OTM municipalities to step up on their local funding of the area's mass transit system, so things will become regional in scope.