CityCentre at Big Spring timeline (Birmingham, Huntsville: apartments, hotels, bankrupt)

[MisterEd51]

Does anyone know the current timeline for development at CityCentre at Big Spring?

Note AC Hotel Huntsville Downtown, the first tenant of CityCentre at Big Spring, opened on March 25, 2019 ahead of the previously announced April 15 date.

[lindy112]

The apartments will start next ... late spring/early summer this year. Restaurants and retail will probably be in the fall.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by lindy112

The apartments will start next ... late spring/early summer this year. Restaurants and retail will probably be in the fall.

Isn't there supposed to be another hotel there, or has it been shelved because of the new upscale Marriott that will be built on part of the VBC parking garage footprint, essentially across the street from the AC?

[lindy112]

The 2nd hotel is still currently part of the plan.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by lindy112

The 2nd hotel is still currently part of the plan.

I can remember when there was only one downtown hotel, that being the Hilton which changed to a Holiday Inn before closing. Now, it appears that there are 5 either finished, under construction, or about to start: The Curio, the Mariott AC, the Hampton Inn and Suites, the top-of-the line Marriott taking up part of the VBC parking garage footprint, and another at some point in CityCentre. These join the Embassy Suites that was finished some years ago. There will probably be one on the Coca Cola site also.

They need to figure out some way to enlarge the main arena at the VBC. I'm guessing the only way to do that would be to raze what's there and build from scratch. To attract major events, the capacity would need to be close to 20,000 like the BJCC rather than the 10,000 we have now. Something of that nature will likely be well in the future.

Any idea when the decision on the amphitheater will be made? I suppose the design phase currently ongoing will take some time. It would be nice to perhaps have NCAA basketball Regionals here some day. Could probably have the women's now based on existing capacity.

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I can remember when there was only one downtown hotel, that being the Hilton which changed to a Holiday Inn before closing. Now, it appears that there are 5 either finished, under construction, or about to start: The Curio, the Mariott AC, the Hampton Inn and Suites, the top-of-the line Marriott taking up part of the VBC parking garage footprint, and another at some point in CityCentre. These join the Embassy Suites that was finished some years ago. There will probably be one on the Coca Cola site also.

They need to figure out some way to enlarge the main arena at the VBC. I'm guessing the only way to do that would be to raze what's there and build from scratch. To attract major events, the capacity would need to be close to 20,000 like the BJCC rather than the 10,000 we have now. Something of that nature will likely be well in the future.

Any idea when the decision on the amphitheater will be made? I suppose the design phase currently ongoing will take some time. It would be nice to perhaps have NCAA basketball Regionals here some day. Could probably have the women's now based on existing capacity.

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago the city of Madison planned their own arena with a capacity of 15000. I think they were lucky that the project fell through. If built it would have hurt Huntsville's own arena. It was also a big gamble for Madison because the debt might have bankrupted them.

Huntsville has wanted a bigger arena for years now. By the emphasis in recent construction it is apparent that there are other things with a higher priority right now.

BTW, Huntsville can't just look at the size of Birmingham's arena for guidance. A study would have to made to determine the size of a arena that best fits the market Huntsville is able to compete in.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by MisterEd51

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago the city of Madison planned their own arena with a capacity of 15000. I think they were lucky that the project fell through. If built it would have hurt Huntsville's own arena. It was also a big gamble for Madison because the debt might have bankrupted them.

Huntsville has wanted a bigger arena for years now. By the emphasis in recent construction it is apparent that there are other things with a higher priority right now.

BTW, Huntsville can't just look at the size of Birmingham's arena for guidance. A study would have to made to determine the size of a arena that best fits the market Huntsville is able to compete in.

Yes, I remember when Madison put forth the idea of a large arena. I don't think they were ever really serious, and it does indeed belong in Huntsville and not the outlying areas, but it prompted Huntsville to actually go ahead and do something with the VBC. It's not the current expansion; it was the previous one, when the concert hall was updated, and several other changes were made.

I merely used the BJCC as an example. Birmingham has issues getting big acts too with Atlanta just over the horizon. Our main competition for good acts, I believe, is Nashville, not B'ham. And trying to keep up with them is absolutely impossible. But ... we could use a larger arena for better draws. The current site was built in the 1970s when Madison County's population was half what it is now, and Limestone was about a third the present number.

[TimCity2000]

I had forgotten about Madison's arena proposal. Was there ever a rendering involved with that, or was is simply a proposal on paper? I can't remember.

What would y'all say is the main driver for hotel growth downtown? Business or pleasure? I'd have assumed most business travelers would stay out on I-565 or 72.

[HsvMan11]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

I had forgotten about Madison's arena proposal. Was there ever a rendering involved with that, or was is simply a proposal on paper? I can't remember.

What would y'all say is the main driver for hotel growth downtown? Business or pleasure? I'd have assumed most business travelers would stay out on I-565 or 72.

I honestly think a lot of it has to do with the general growth of downtown as a whole. Business travellers are probably a big draw for downtown hotels so they have better access to what Huntsville's downtown has to offer. I know I personally prefer to stay downtown rather than a little farther out when I travel to other cities on business, even knowing my commute will be longer. I like having walkable areas near my hotel with local restaurant options so that I can get a taste of that city. I would imagine that as downtown continues to transform and grow, this kind of demand will continue to increase as well. Also, considering our traffic situation to get to Redstone or Research Park from downtown is very easy compared to what you would get from other big cities and is not much different than other area hotels, it all makes sense to.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I merely used the BJCC as an example. Birmingham has issues getting big acts too with Atlanta just over the horizon. Our main competition for good acts, I believe, is Nashville, not B'ham. And trying to keep up with them is absolutely impossible. But ... we could use a larger arena for better draws. The current site was built in the 1970s when Madison County's population was half what it is now, and Limestone was about a third the present number.

75, 80% of acts that plays in nashville, atlanta, and new orleans plays a show in birmingham on that same tour. And this is while legacy arena is in it's current form. Once the upgrades are finished will increase to odds of more acts making a stop for a show there.