Huntsville/Madison Development News (Birmingham, Montgomery: annually, percentage, fastest)

[AU HSV]

Madison county third for tourism behind Baldwin and Jefferson.
Officials in Madison County celebrated more than 3.35 million visitors to the county last year, an increase of 6 percent over last year. Those visitors had an economic impact in Madison County of $1.4 billion.
Over 15 billion was spent statewide last year.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Madison county third for tourism behind Baldwin and Jefferson.
Officials in Madison County celebrated more than 3.35 million visitors to the county last year, an increase of 6 percent over last year. Those visitors had an economic impact in Madison County of $1.4 billion.
Over 15 billion was spent statewide last year.

That's pretty good considering you have to want to come here to be here ... meaning, there's very little chance of pass-through traffic deciding to stop, considering there really aren't any major highways going through the county, unlike Jefferson, so there's not much pass-through traffice to begin with. Baldwin County beaches are an obvious destination.

[AU HSV]

Looks like the city is ready to enter into a development agreement for Constellation downtown. A two phase project, Phase 1 will include an apartment complex of 218 units, an office building (20,000 sq ft) and several stand alone buildings for restaurant/retail and a one level parking structure as well as surface and street parking. Phase 2 if built would consist of a 100 room hotel and a large office building. Timeline may not be quick, Phase 1 must start no later than 18 months and can take up to 5 years. Phase 2 can start before completion of Phase 1.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Looks like the city is ready to enter into a development agreement for Constellation downtown. A two phase project, Phase 1 will include an apartment complex of 218 units, an office building (20,000 sq ft) and several stand alone buildings for restaurant/retail and a one level parking structure as well as surface and street parking. Phase 2 if built would consist of a 100 room hotel and a large office building. Timeline may not be quick, Phase 1 must start no later than 18 months and can take up to 5 years. Phase 2 can start before completion of Phase 1.

There have been several false starts on that development, so it'll be believable once something other than moving dirt happens. Phase 1 doesn't sound all that impressive, but Phase 2 could be, depending on how "large" the office building will be. That area is too valuable to not build something that's outstanding. The Springhill Suites looks awfully lonely sitting there by itself, and it's a pretty nice hotel.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

There have been several false starts on that development, so it'll be believable once something other than moving dirt happens. Phase 1 doesn't sound all that impressive, but Phase 2 could be, depending on how "large" the office building will be. That area is too valuable to not build something that's outstanding. The Springhill Suites looks awfully lonely sitting there by itself, and it's a pretty nice hotel.

Yeah but this is a big step forward with the city signing on. There are now deadlines albeit long ones. The main agreement is for parking and infrastructure. This will also allow some VBC parking as well.
It all depends on the architecture as far as being impressive and will have to be approved by the city first I believe.

[Teko03]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

There have been several false starts on that development, so it'll be believable once something other than moving dirt happens. Phase 1 doesn't sound all that impressive, but Phase 2 could be, depending on how "large" the office building will be. That area is too valuable to not build something that's outstanding. The Springhill Suites looks awfully lonely sitting there by itself, and it's a pretty nice hotel.

The basic site plan attached to the city council agenda for the most part still aligns with what was revealed 2 years ago. The tall building at the southwest corner of the lot would be the 60,000 sq. ft. of office space.

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Yeah but this is a big step forward with the city signing on. There are now deadlines albeit long ones. The main agreement is for parking and infrastructure. This will also allow some VBC parking as well.
It all depends on the architecture as far as being impressive and will have to be approved by the city first I believe.

The 218 unit apartment complex design appears to be the same as well, minus the attached parking deck. It looks like Phase 1 has been scaled back a bit building wise, to add more surface parking since the parking deck seems to be out of the picture. Which is odd considering the agenda mentions a "one level parking structure" being part of phase one

[AU HSV]

not good that the main thing you see going southbound is a parking lot. Think the city can yay or nay the design or request changes if this thing doesn't fit the overall master plan.
Key to Constellation is the planned Pinhook Greenway and the proposed Sky Bridge over Memorial Parkway.
Also seems the long development plan 5 years or more will hurt but it is a demand driven project which makes it easy for other development to surpass it (Coke site, City Centre, even StoveHouse.
The development at the coke site will be a much better project

[RCSHSV]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

not good that the main thing you see going southbound is a parking lot. Think the city can yay or nay the design or request changes if this thing doesn't fit the overall master plan.
Key to Constellation is the planned Pinhook Greenway and the proposed Sky Bridge over Memorial Parkway.
Also seems the long development plan 5 years or more will hurt but it is a demand driven project which makes it easy for other development to surpass it (Coke site, City Centre, even StoveHouse.
The development at the coke site will be a much better project

Yea I need to see new renderings to have any hope in anything besides the tall office lol

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by RCSHSV

Yea I need to see new renderings to have any hope in anything besides the tall office lol

this thing has been a cluster from the get go. Wish it would be scrapped and real developer would start over. The city should expect more than another half ass project.
It should have strong presence along Clinton (is a gateway road) and the Parkway which it somewhat does. Park like landscaping along Heart of Huntsville and parking should be kept internal to the site.
Very early concepts had these characteristics now its just boring. The view from the apartments will be a parking lot. Looks like another great potential project that will end up being done as cheaply and minimally as possible.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

this thing has been a cluster from the get go. Wish it would be scrapped and real developer would start over. The city should expect more than another half ass project.
It should have strong presence along Clinton (is a gateway road) and the Parkway which it somewhat does. Park like landscaping along Heart of Huntsville and parking should be kept internal to the site.
Very early concepts had these characteristics now its just boring. The view from the apartments will be a parking lot. Looks like another great potential project that will end up being done as cheaply and minimally as possible.

One of these days they're going to have to totally rebuild the Parkway/565 interchange (sooner rather than later would be good) somewhat on the order of what now's being done in B'ham. The way it is now is a mess. They have to have room to do that, so maybe a surface lot is not a bad thing if it's in the right place.