Huntsville/Madison Development News (Centre, Black: arena, assault, windows)

[RCSHSV]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

There's the AC, Hampton Inn, and Curio. What is the other one?

Haven't we heard for years that the property on Clinton, across from the VBC, is a prime hotel spot? It's the currently vacant Coca Cola plant. Think that'll ever come to fruition?

The other one is Tru by Hilton at Providence. I just hope that property on Clinton is a real skytower even though the Master Plan had apartments/condos.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by RCSHSV

The other one is Tru by Hilton at Providence. I just hope that property on Clinton is a real skytower even though the Master Plan had apartments/condos.

Tru is not downtown.There is another planned hotel(likely Residence Inn) at City Centre and another hotel (unknown) at Constellation. With the VBC expansion, new Federal courthouse, and other developments in the planning stage there will be other downtown hotels in the future.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by David1502

I don't see how The Westin could have been more than a hotel for business travelers, anyway. The only tourists coming to Huntsville are those visiting the Space and Rock Center and those folks are usually families with school aged kids who are not likely to pay the rates of a Westin Hotel. The families who visit the Space Center usually do their visits on the weekends during the school year, so any hotel here has to rely on business travelers to make it.


The Gondola at Bridge Street is still operating - it has been moved to just east of the bridge behind Chico's. The small train is operating, too. Bridge Street has become the destination for North Alabama for both locals and business travelers. You see this on the weekends when it's tough finding a parking space and during the week when Connor's and Texas de Brazil are crowded. Business travelers are the ones running up big checks at both of these restaurants and are the reason that they are still in business. Other than birthdays and anniversaries, how many locals are going to pay $50 per person to eat at Texas de Brazil on a Monday night?

Its a bit strange how people continue to underestimate what is going on in this city.
The Westin also has The Element brand on the same property
https://element-hotels.marriott.com/

As reported by the Alabama Tourism Department, 2016 was the best year for travel and tourism to Madison County… ever. The total economic impact of travel reached $1.19 billion. That’s billion, with a B. Bringing in over 3 million visitors to the Huntsville area, Madison County beat out Mobile County in 2016 to claim the title of third most visited county in the entire state of Alabama.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Its a bit strange how people continue to underestimate what is going on in this city.
The Westin also has The Element brand on the same property
https://element-hotels.marriott.com/

As reported by the Alabama Tourism Department, 2016 was the best year for travel and tourism to Madison County… ever. The total economic impact of travel reached $1.19 billion. That’s billion, with a B. Bringing in over 3 million visitors to the Huntsville area, Madison County beat out Mobile County in 2016 to claim the title of third most visited county in the entire state of Alabama.

I'm guessing #1 is Baldwin (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach). Which one is #2?

[RocketDawg]

What's happening at Constellation? I was by there yesterday, and it didn't look any different than it did a week ago. Just the beginnings of foundation dirt work, and a few pieces of equipment, but no work going on that I could see. Has work stopped?

[RCSHSV]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Tru is not downtown.There is another planned hotel(likely Residence Inn) at City Centre and another hotel (unknown) at Constellation. With the VBC expansion, new Federal courthouse, and other developments in the planning stage there will be other downtown hotels in the future.

I said Tru at Providence. Yea Residence Inn is it. It’ll be the tallest hotel downtown thank goodness lol

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

That's true about the reason for the Westin ... I don't know of anybody who makes a trip to a shopping center and spends the night in a nearby hotel. Maybe around Christmas? Same thing for the hotel at the Galleria in B'ham. There are other reasons for staying in a hotel other than business ... when my son and his family visit they sometime stay in a hotel rather than staying here, and we do the same on occasion when visiting with them. But the overwhelming reason for hotel stays in Huntsville, and most other cities that aren't resorts, has to be for business.

I often stayed at the Hyatt Galleria trying to get my Hyatt nights to maintain Globalist. I can see SPG loyalists doing the same at Westin as the only other SPG property is the 4P at the airport. I'd rather stay at a bustling shopping center than the airport that shuts down at 9pm.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I'm guessing #1 is Baldwin (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach). Which one is #2?

It fluctuates a bit from year to year, Baldwin was the largest by far with Jefferson #2, Madison #3 but Mobile county is right there in the mix as well

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Sometimes these pics are used only as placeholders on the website. Lets hope this is the case here.
The hotel is great but the design is not. Lazy cookie cutter architecture is not what Huntsville needs in a prime location. There are many excellent designs out there in many cities that become distinctive for that city. This is just like similar hotel in Mobile, Memphis, Chattanooga. Why can't we have something different that will compliment the new VBC expansion and be a building one would want to see or go in.
Something like this
Courtesy of SPL Realty Partners

I like old.and new architecture. How is this Cookie cutter? Can you show me other buildings that look exactly the same? Who cares if it looks similar to something someone else has. It's like fashion. It's whatever is hot now.

Hotels aren't going to spend money into a new hotel design just so it's "iconic".

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Tru is not downtown.There is another planned hotel(likely Residence Inn) at City Centre and another hotel (unknown) at Constellation. With the VBC expansion, new Federal courthouse, and other developments in the planning stage there will be other downtown hotels in the future.

Saw a 2-year old story on WHNT's site that showed the Residence Inn at City Centre being a 13-14 story structure. That's likely very outdated, but it's in the Photo Gallery here if interested: https://whnt.com/2016/08/11/more-cit...wn-huntsville/

And supposedly Redstone Federal Credit Union is building a downtown location on Davis Circle (a block or two from the Embassy Suites, and not all that far from City Centre).

The downtown area is filling up. I've been living here many years, and the past 5 or so have seen more changes than in the previous 45.

I really hate that they're going to demolish the white marble City Hall though. I like it, and it's a fixture in Huntsville. Somehow they need to glue the panels back on and turn it into other offices or residences or something of the sort.