Bridge Street shutting down (Huntsville, Madison: cost, transportation, budget)

[dijkstra]

Originally Posted by BHarrison84

I am assuming when Huntsville started getting some big time employers back in the day, there wasn't even a research park. They came anyway.

True, and one of them started research park where most of them are now located. If we didn't have research park do you know what would have happened?.......someone else, probably a developer would have built one and they would all be located in it. If we didn't have a place called "Research Park" right now, I would guarantee you almost all of the technology companies would be concentrated in one particular area regardless of the name. It would be somewhere close to the Arsenal with easy access considering they do so much business there......oh I don't know, probably somewhere similar to exactly where it is right now. lol

[BHarrison84]

Originally Posted by dijkstra

True, and one of them started research park where most of them are now located. If we didn't have research park do you know what would have happened?.......someone else, probably a developer would have built one and they would all be located in it. If we didn't have a place called "Research Park" right now, I would guarantee you almost all of the technology companies would be concentrated in one particular area regardless of the name. It would be somewhere close to the Arsenal with easy access considering they do so much business there......oh I don't know, probably somewhere similar to exactly where it is right now. lol

You are making my point for me though. There is no real advantage to being in a "research park", the location seems to be the main advantage in locating there. It is a branding thing. Nothing wrong with that though.

I have nothing against the research park, just that expression makes me laugh when I see or hear it.

Actually, when people come to my house in the city that I live in now, I take them out and point to some office buildings and say that is our city's high tech research park, and they are always believe me. LOL

I would say the "research park" in Huntsville is probably UAH and the NASA stuff.

[dijkstra]

Exactly, it is really just the location and the simplicity along with being convenient to other companies with which you do business. Typically contracts on big projects are divided between multiple contractors or one of the big firms wins an overall contract and subcontracts portions out to the other companies. Being located in one area just makes it convenient. Other than that, it isn't utopian or any unicorns grazing in the place. lol

[Tourian]

When did this thread get all serious again? I do think it is mostly marketing to call it research. Theres nothing special about the dirt. Just special tax incentives for tech companies. It is still natural for like and supporting businesses to gravitate towards one another though.

I did not realize that the BS developers had such grandiose plans that they could draw shoppers from Nashville Birmingham or Atlanta. If that is true then I can at least say from my experience they've missed the mark on making that impression on Birmingham. BS isn't on the radar around here for shopping. I doubt it is even for Cullman residents. There's no way with the current track they are on that they will create that kind of draw.

[BHarrison84]

Originally Posted by Tourian

When did this thread get all serious again? I do think it is mostly marketing to call it research. Theres nothing special about the dirt. Just special tax incentives for tech companies. It is still natural for like and supporting businesses to gravitate towards one another though.

I did not realize that the BS developers had such grandiose plans that they could draw shoppers from Nashville Birmingham or Atlanta. If that is true then I can at least say from my experience they've missed the mark on making that impression on Birmingham. BS isn't on the radar around here for shopping. I doubt it is even for Cullman residents. There's no way with the current track they are on that they will create that kind of draw.

Well I thought I was being satirical not serious. It's fun to have a laugh at some things about your city and other cities.

Can anybody point to an old article prior to BS being built that proves the developers claimed it was going to be some kind of tourist attraction?

I just don't believe that. It is a standard "lifestyle" center mall that is going to draw people in from the metro and small towns nearby but that is it. They would have to have some kind of non-shopping attraction to get people to drive at least 2 hours to Huntsville for it.

Bridgestreet sure impressed everybody that came to visit me when I was in Hville. So did the Providence thing. Really, the whole city did because people don't expect much in Alabama due to the negative perceptions out there.

Is the Chilis still at BS? I don't remember seeing that.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by BHarrison84

You are making my point for me though. There is no real advantage to being in a "research park", the location seems to be the main advantage in locating there. It is a branding thing. Nothing wrong with that though.

I have nothing against the research park, just that expression makes me laugh when I see or hear it.

Actually, when people come to my house in the city that I live in now, I take them out and point to some office buildings and say that is our city's high tech research park, and they are always believe me. LOL

I would say the "research park" in Huntsville is probably UAH and the NASA stuff.

you underestimate what Huntsville has created because people had vision. It has taken 50 years to develop the park where 30,000 people work. Nearly every city in America would love to have something like it or just a portion of what it is.

Quick Facts

[BHarrison84]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

you underestimate what Huntsville has created because people had vision. It has taken 50 years to develop the park where 30,000 people work. Nearly every city in America would love to have something like it or just a portion of what it is.

Quick Facts

Nah, they'd love to have all those government jobs that attracts the other companies. It isn't a "research park" bringing the companies in, that is just the effect, not the cause.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by BHarrison84

Well I thought I was being satirical not serious. It's fun to have a laugh at some things about your city and other cities.

Can anybody point to an old article prior to BS being built that proves the developers claimed it was going to be some kind of tourist attraction?

I just don't believe that. It is a standard "lifestyle" center mall that is going to draw people in from the metro and small towns nearby but that is it. They would have to have some kind of non-shopping attraction to get people to drive at least 2 hours to Huntsville for it.

Bridgestreet sure impressed everybody that came to visit me when I was in Hville. So did the Providence thing. Really, the whole city did because people don't expect much in Alabama due to the negative perceptions out there.

Is the Chilis still at BS? I don't remember seeing that.

Not to be uncooperative, but no I won't 'point' to an old article because you can google as easily as I can. I will tell you that when you do google the name you will get some amazing articles that don't seem to mesh because the developers were doing another development under the same name. Part of the problem of what people were expecting. Even I did not notice the first time I did read an article that is was not Huntsville. I believe the other one was in Illinois. At any rate it was going to be huge and encompassing unimaginable amounts of sq. footage and even moving a freeway. And much more water.
I first looked it up because reading here on Huntsville forum I was reading someone's anticipation had been skewed by this other development. They were writing about how Von Maur was coming in and indeed when I read the article, it had been in negotiation at the other BS , but VM sensed the issues and moved into another development that is open there now. (they have about six stores in Illinois including four in Chicago)
It is not the cities' fault that they over hyped it and the fact that the other one either wasn't built or was not built as specified was no surprise as it was certainly hit by the economic collapse.

I promise you that if you have the slightest interest you will find reading about this developer and what they were planning in both places at he time to be an insight into retail voodoo. The article I keep referring to, one of the main first that come up even made the erroneous claim that the Galleria in Birmingham was owned by the same people doing BS. GGP, A FIFTY-FIFTY partner is based in Chicago, there was no other connection.

I would add that when something is being hyped by a developer people in the city of note have no idea what kind of things are being said elsewhere or what kind of signs have been put up along freeways outside of cities. So yes, people can be duped at least once into coming. But BS is a pleasant place to meet up with people to go elsewhere or grab a bite or even take a walk around. The musical performances are enjoyable when available. I'm in and out of town and it is a landing drop off point for me but I would never have a reason to come and shop there. When staying for a few days I usually go to PP if I need something because I book over that way.

Enough of me. I hope you read up on this interesting mix up by this company. Huntsville is very lucky they got what they did built and then sold out of it. The company would not have kept it up or expanded and redeveloped the way that Bayer does the Summit.

raj

[huffbuffer]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

Not to be uncooperative, but no I won't 'point' to an old article because you can google as easily as I can.

raj

Inb4 "drivel" comments :P

Regards
Huffbuffer

[stewartbra]

Originally Posted by BHarrison84

Is the Chilis still at BS? I don't remember seeing that.

There has never been a Chilis at BS.