South Parkway Development (Montgomery, Huntsville: hotel, new home, construction)

[Tbill63]

With all of the new homes going in around Redstone Road and south toward the river, why is there not more retail, restaurants, groceries, etc. coming in those areas?

[unlblkrubi]

There have been a lot of new strip malls being built, businesses will come.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by unlblkrubi

There have been a lot of new strip malls being built...

Now, that's a depressing statement.

[writerwife]

When they started all the new overpass construction on S. Pkwy a lot of businesses shut down. Difficult access... just like what happened with N. Parkway. I would guess that when that's all done and the New Grissom High School is built some things will change to a degree. For the south end of town, back by Bailey Cove, Four Mile Post and that area...that's where all the new stores and developing seems to be going on right now.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by writerwife

When they started all the new overpass construction on S. Pkwy a lot of businesses shut down. Difficult access... just like what happened with N. Parkway. I would guess that when that's all done and the New Grissom High School is built some things will change to a degree. For the south end of town, back by Bailey Cove, Four Mile Post and that area...that's where all the new stores and developing seems to be going on right now.

Yeah and the areas along north Parkway look like a 3rd world country. I wish they could make the entire Parkway a little more attractive ... it's looking pretty junky almost all along the entire length.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Yeah and the areas along north Parkway look like a 3rd world country. I wish they could make the entire Parkway a little more attractive ... it's looking pretty junky almost all along the entire length.

I agree. It's like a tour through a third-world city. It certainly doesn't highlight what the city has to offer.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Yeah and the areas along north Parkway look like a 3rd world country. I wish they could make the entire Parkway a little more attractive ... it's looking pretty junky almost all along the entire length.

I agree and the reason a large portion of the Parkway looks like a third world country is that most of the businesses along it were built during the boom period of Huntsville's growth from the late 1950's to about 1968. The newer developments have resulted from something old being torn down and replaced. Two examples are Parkway Place Mall and the land just north of it where the new development is being built including a Chuy's Restaurant and an Ulta store - Parkway Place was originally a no frills strip center called Parkway City which was anchored by a G.C. Murphy's (an early version of K-Mart) and a Montgomery Ward department store. As a result of tornado damage, it was redeveloped into a one story mall with Parisian added as an anchor and later in the 1990's torn down and rebuilt into the two story mall that is there today. Where Chuy's will be built was an old manufacturing plant that looks like it was straight out of the 1950's.


Another 1950's development is the Holiday Office park located just south of the Joe David Stadium - there was also a Ramada Inn next door which was originally a Holiday Inn.


For the areas on the far south and north ends of the Parkway, it appears that the income levels (or demand for retail)in the surrounding residential areas is not sufficient to warrant tearing down the existing older buildings and building new. Perhaps, in the next few years this will change.


University Drive also has stretches in need of redevelopment. Some portions have already seen this - for example, there was the Carriage Inn (one of the better places to stay in the 1970's) just east of Jordan Lane . It was torn down for the Walgreens and Waffle House which are now there. Directly across the street, Century Automotive bought and bulldozed the old Holiday Inn in order to expand their dealership.


Directly across University from UAH is a property in dire need of redevelopment - Believe it or not, but it was originally a Sheraton Hotel.


I believe that it is more important to form a Committee of 100 for the improvement of the Parkway than it is to have such a Committee for Downtown Huntsville. The Parkway covers a lot greater area and gives a bigger first impression. Downtown Huntsville is off the beaten path and is small in size.

[writerwife]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Yeah and the areas along north Parkway look like a 3rd world country. I wish they could make the entire Parkway a little more attractive ... it's looking pretty junky almost all along the entire length.

Agree. Most of the parkway thru Huntsville is abysmal.

[writerwife]

Originally Posted by David1502

I believe that it is more important to form a Committee of 100 for the improvement of the Parkway than it is to have such a Committee for Downtown Huntsville. The Parkway covers a lot greater area and gives a bigger first impression. Downtown Huntsville is off the beaten path and is small in size.

This

[NoleFanHSV]

The parkway and it's developments won't bring in new money. Places like 805 and downtown will. Went down to 805 on a Wednesday and it was slammed.

Once the parkway gets raised on the north side Lowe's and surrounding places will struggle. Even the Starbucks will close or move.

Huntsville has issues with saying yes to building when it should say no and no when it should say yes. Huntsville won't do anything about areas that surround the new developments. The area north of whole foods to Govenors is a dumpster fire. 805 is a great concept until one realizes it's fairly disconnected from downtown.

And I still get a chuckle about those new strip malls north of the Walmart at the South end in the middle of old worn down businesses.