Huntsville/Madison Development News (Montgomery: time, white, attractions)

[RocketDawg]

How's the new interchange coming along? Are they still working on it? Will it be ready this time next year when baseball starts?

[Colin24816]

Governor kay Ivey will be in Huntsville at noon Wednesday to make a big announcement involving Limestone and Madison Counties according to WHNT TV. I would guess it involves another supplier for MTMUS is coming to the area.

[Tennhioland]

Originally Posted by Teko03

As for the west side,does it not boggle anybody else's mind that there is going to be 3 hotels...but no restaurants?

The Salt Grass, Milo's and Zaxby's are shown on the west side right across from the hotels. And there are many more out parcels shown in that area.

[guinb]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Well, if it's Bridge Street-esque, that will be pretty nice. Bridge Street is a cool place.

Do we need another one though?

Towne Madison is shaping up to be the most Madison development possible. That is to say it doesn't seem very walkable and is full of chain stuff. Its looks like a quintessential suburban development. I'm much more excited for what is happening at Mid City and along Governors with Stovehouse and Campus 805.

[Trail]

This sums up my thoughts exactly. Madison / developers can’t seem to get away from everything being cookie cutter. Each subdivision has 3-4 different plans. A strip mall is a strip mall is a strip mall, nothing exciting or new. Madison is basically Anywhere USA with very few unique qualities or developments. In my opinion the only redeeming quality is the schools right now.

Originally Posted by Teko03

It's clear Breland is stuck on the old ideas of "big retail" developments. He's stuck on big-box store anchors followed by other chains with a bunch of houses behind it. The Trash Panda stadium was originally set to be a big box retail anchor, but he struggled to get one after Cabellas's chose Hunysville/Bridgestreet. The proposed Clift Farm site plans are just as boring and generic. Town Madison should have been designed to be a larger Providence style development w/ a parking garage once the stadium was added.

According to another site plan graphic, The larger structures near Zierdt are wasted with apartments, a movie theater, a grocery store and a bunch of traditional out parcels, which will almost for sure be a waste (at one point 2 were labeled as Taco Bell & Starbucks). So like you said, what exactly do you do after the games to keep you there? Lol

As for the west side,does it not boggle anybody else's mind that there is going to be 3 hotels...but no restaurants?

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by Colin24816

Governor kay Ivey will be in Huntsville at noon Wednesday to make a big announcement involving Limestone and Madison Counties according to WHNT TV. I would guess it involves another supplier for MTMUS is coming to the area.

be even better if the state has secured funding for I-565 expansion and upgrades.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by guinb

Do we need another one though?

Towne Madison is shaping up to be the most Madison development possible. That is to say it doesn't seem very walkable and is full of chain stuff. Its looks like a quintessential suburban development. I'm much more excited for what is happening at Mid City and along Governors with Stovehouse and Campus 805.

You're right, MidCity is indeed more what we envision, especially when first announced Town Madison was supposed to be another Cool Springs Galleria-type place. But, it is what it is.

[Tennhioland]

Who knows what the heart of Town Madison will end up looking like. There is a minor league baseball stadium and a Margaritaville as anchors, which are certainly not cookie cutter. The most recent rendering shows shops, restaurants, entertainment, a brewery, etc. all next to the stadium and within walking distance down a main street. So it may end up being a walk-able development. The possible Starbucks and Taco Bell are shown along Zierdt, but not in the heart of the development. It's a huge area and having chain type restaurants and retail on the outside along Zierdt is not the worst thing. Have you seen what surrounds MidCity? (Taco Bell, Krystal, Steak n Shake, Captain D's, etc.)

The West End is an "extra" part of Town Madison that was added later in the process and is basically a separate development. Hotels, restaurants and retail that serves business travelers, employees of Integraph and the Jetplex area, and travelers to the new baseball/softball complex being built.

[harry chickpea]

"Who knows what the heart of Town Madison will end up looking like. There is a minor league baseball stadium and a Margaritaville as anchors, which are certainly not cookie cutter."

LOL! A perverse logic might dictate that if the desired crowd of monied millennials do not materialize a new class of drunk baseball fans will arrive to fill the niche. If you build it...

[Preston3124]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Is the east side aerial current? It doesn't seem to have the footprint of the apartments that are essentially framed in now, nor do I see the Margarita Hotel near the baseball stadium. I'm sure there are other differences too.

Do you see the parrot just below the baseball stadium? That is the Margaritaville Hotel.

Edit: The parrot is on the drawing of the entire development. On the east side drawing the hotel is just below the water park.