Huntsville/Madison Development News (Triana, County Line: airplane, homeowner, countries)

[RocketCityMama]

Does anyone know what is going to replace Veloce on Old Monrovia Rd? I noticed some constructions signs and movement there this past week.

[RCSHSV]

Originally Posted by RocketCityMama

Does anyone know what is going to replace Veloce on Old Monrovia Rd? I noticed some constructions signs and movement there this past week.

I was told some car place.

[RocketCityMama]

Originally Posted by RCSHSV

I was told some car place.

because we definitely need more of those!

[RCSHSV]

Originally Posted by RocketCityMama

because we definitely need more of those!

Some type of center for a dealership we already have

[AU HSV]

Major revitalization coming to University Dr around UAH.

https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.co...lion-facelift/

A 45-acre block off University Drive at Independence Drive and Lancewood Drive will be revitalized in a $27 million acquisition by Philadelphia-based Penn Capital, an integrated private investment company.

The company has purchased the former GuestHouse Suites from the Huntsville Hospital Foundation as part of the acquisition. The project includes renovating and redeveloping three properties along University Drive across from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

In addition to the former GuestHouse Suites at 4020 Independence Drive, Penn Capital is revitalizing the former North Ridge Apartments and the Continental Apartments adjacent to it. The project totals 458 apartments along University Drive and creates a 45-acre “super block” of 546 apartments. It is strategically aimed at revitalizing the surrounding community, which has suffered from blighted conditions over the past 10 years.

[AU HSV]

The terrace level bar at the AC hotel downtown is finally ready to open
BarVista, an accurately named open-air bar holding its soft-opening Feb. 10 at the AC Hotel, address 435 Williams Ave. S.W. in Huntsville.
Later the restaurant opens
Late summer, food options widen further. Three-time James Beard-nominated chef Lee Gregory is opening a new restaurant, The Wescott, on the AC Hotel’s first floor. Gregory is known for his Richmond, Virginia restaurants Alewife, which GQ and Esquire have feted, and Southbound. The Westcott concept is farm-to-table, Southern-inspired seafood. The new restaurant will seat around 110 guests inside a 4,000-or-so square-foot space, with another 35 to 40 seats on an adjacent patio.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Major revitalization coming to University Dr around UAH.

https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.co...lion-facelift/

A 45-acre block off University Drive at Independence Drive and Lancewood Drive will be revitalized in a $27 million acquisition by Philadelphia-based Penn Capital, an integrated private investment company.

The company has purchased the former GuestHouse Suites from the Huntsville Hospital Foundation as part of the acquisition. The project includes renovating and redeveloping three properties along University Drive across from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

In addition to the former GuestHouse Suites at 4020 Independence Drive, Penn Capital is revitalizing the former North Ridge Apartments and the Continental Apartments adjacent to it. The project totals 458 apartments along University Drive and creates a 45-acre “super block” of 546 apartments. It is strategically aimed at revitalizing the surrounding community, which has suffered from blighted conditions over the past 10 years.

When I was a co-op student in the late '60s, I lived, along with my roommates, in the University Apartments, which must be what is currently called the North Ridge Apartments referred to in the article. They were quite nice, especially for the day, and the area was safe. The article said they were built in the middle 60s so they were new. The Continental Apartments were just to the east, and were a bit more upscale.

It'll be nice to see that area looking good and hopfully being safe once again.

[John Williams]

Originally Posted by MisterEd51

It seems that some people look at new development in Southwest Huntsville in a negative way. As a resident in Southwest Huntsville I look foreword to development here. This part of Huntsville has been neglected too long.

It seems that the success of Lowe Mills on Seminole Drive made Southwest Huntsville a more desirable place to development in. I can only speculate but maybe Huntsville city leader saw the potential of this area and wanted to move the Downtown Rescue Mission to make this area more desirable. Whether you agree or disagree with this decision there may have a reason for doing this.

This lead to Campus No. 805, Stovehouse, and now the new development west of Stovehouse. It is apparent they want to tie these three developments together by plans to build pedestrian walkways between them.

Gentrification seems to have a negative meaning to many people. It happens when underdeveloped and undervalued parts of a city suddenly see a rise in economic interest. Many economists think it a natural cycle. It has been taking place in growing cities all over the world for thousands of years. How do people think a city like Huntsville should grow?

Personally, I look at it as a bittersweet thing. It's great that a long-neglected part of HSV is finally getting some serious love, but I have to keep in mind where the current residents are going to go once the usual economic pressures that come with gentrification (higher rents and property taxes, etc.) finally come to bear.

With that said, I wonder if there'll be any affordable places left in HSV within the next 10 years...

[David1502]

I will take a contrary view. There are vast swaths of Huntsville where the home values (according to Zillow) are $120K or less - many neighborhoods where the values are less than $100K. I'm thinking of most of the Northwest and most of the old Southwest (west of the Parkway and along Bob Wallace and all along Drake going west to the Arsenal). The home values in these areas have been stagnant for twenty years. However, at the same time, the City of Huntsville is responsible for providing services - Police, Fire and Schools and the city employees are needing pay raises, yet the residential tax base is stagnant.


Even in far south Huntsville (From Weatherly Rd. to the Tennessee River) on both sides of the Parkway, there are many neighborhoods where the home values are under $200K and these neighborhoods are in the highly rated Grissom High School District. They really are a great value for the quality of the public schools.


While there is some gentrification currently taking place in a small area near Lowe Mill, it doesn't seem like it's taking place on a large scale - I don't see any evidence of it in the vast majority of the older SW Huntsville. Also, some parts of SE Huntsville are showing their age - It's surprising that the older 1960's and 70's era homes along Weatherly and Mountain Gap are not being renovated.


Another area which has potential for renovation and improvement is the area west of the Parkway, north of Homes Ave. and south of Oakwood Ave. which is zoned for Huntsville Middle and Huntsville High Schools. There are many well built, four sides brick, homes which are valued far less than the rest of the district. However, there doesn't seem to be any wave of renovation and gentrification taking place so far, anyway. Several of these neighborhoods most likely have a good number of rentals.


In order for the City of Huntsville to continue to provide quality services, the home values (and thus the tax base) needs to increase in many areas of Huntsville.

[dehsv]

Originally Posted by David1502

Even in far south Huntsville (From Weatherly Rd. to the Tennessee River) on both sides of the Parkway, there are many neighborhoods where the home values are under $200K and these neighborhoods are in the highly rated Grissom High School District. They really are a great value for the quality of the public schools.

Any thoughts on how the school zoning might alter over the coming years with influx of new families/population due to developments such as Hay's Farm and Valor's Merrimack Park/Colonnade developments that are also zoned for those schools?