EXBubba

HOw long is the overall length of the walk? Is it about a quarter mile yet?

I believe that South Blvd will have to totally redevelop and move away from the MGM Mall model. The question is, what will attract anyone to that area without jobs in the area and horrendous traffic on East Blvd or going downtown for work. There are many more desirable neighborhoods inside the bypass. One would have thought this never would have happened with the population north of MGM Mall, but I believe that retail has gotten to the point, what with consolidaton of dept stores, that MGM just can't support three malls. I don't think income levels are high enough and the MGM Malls owners are probably looking for some way to write off the building until someone makes them an offer for redevelopment.

They would do better to build a new stadium with bonds, but then who would come?

Poonther you are correct. Jackson Hospital is in the Highland Av area off I-85. But it is definately not a hospital for those who can't pay, as I remember.

Crazy!!! Last time I was there it was St Margarets in the seventies. Shame there is no hospital to serve central MGM.

Tysons is about equidistant from both airports and isn't on either flight path. I think its just FFX conservatism/cautiousness and the realization that they don't have the roads for what is there now, much less additional 250 - 350 ft tall office buildings that will be finished and full before the Orangeline extension is complete. Tysons is just a bad dream about an inch away from a nightmare when metro and hi rise construction come together.

I would advise anyone who doesn't know what they want to do to at least figure out what they don't want to do. Then after you've narrowed the field, figure out what you like to do and see if money can be made from it. In Europe and Australia many kids work travel for whats called a "gap year" before they go to university, even if they know what they are going to do so they can get some of that freedomitis out of their system. Alabama offers most of the usual subject matter and is competitive in the southest. Unfortunately oftentimes the only school that one ever hears of ourside of football circles is UAB (kudos to them) and their medical studies and breakthroughs. Alabama has too many small colleges and does not put enough money into all of them. With only so much to go around in state that chooses not to tax itself or its industies very much.... well you can't get blood out of stone.

Believe he was proablaby quote the number of applications that have been approved... not necessarily what is expected to be built - at least not in the near future. That would include all the new subdivisions planned in the future and those being built out now.

Visualize the whol e front end gone and the main structure open to a large green lawn. Sort of L-shaped with white granite and marble front.

The St Margarets in the pictuxre is from beore 1950. The current building was built later and then added on to before going out of business. Then RSA remodelled it again.

It would seem like a winner to me. Bell St heading west was always an old throwaway mill district with some of toughest kids around and not much else besides Maxwell

Scuse me Sourthron, but thats Bell St as Bell RD is out on the east side. This will be an excellent chance for someone to develop high or medium rise condos with an incredible view of downtown and across the river.

Could be great. Keep in mind European shopping streets with a touch of Nawlins. That's what I'm thinkin.

Renovation - good - keep'em leased or get'em leased I say. The more downtown the better. Particularly in everyday services. This can only be good for increased traffice in day. But ya'll still gotta work on the night which is way harder in some ways, so as to get the right activities, especially for visitors.

Probably don't want to give homeless a place to sleep or encourage PDA on park benches?

Its a good idea, but they have to be careful how its executed as the stores are very visible and its not a shopping area. Probably needs a restaurant in the same area or at one end to attract people and should be covered at least by store awnings if not a clear cover over whole area so as to get people in during t-storms. I would think that area would offer good shade too.

Great pics and agree with the kiddie playground/sandboxes though one must be aware of stray cats and critters.

Sorry about the old article. I followed a thread to the Independant and the date was not correct. I am glad that the area is opened up but from the few pics I have seen, humans don't yet seem to be in the equation. Are people allowed to enter routinely and walk along the area? Is there police presence? While the river walk is pleasant, It desparately needs a commercial/restaurant presence, while at the same time taking cues other similar projects it must grow on its own as the city facilitates this growth with zoning for complementary structures. Best example is San Antonio Riverwalk, but only as an example of what can be done as their river is no comparison to the Alabama river, but at the same was in the middle of downtown with preexisting structures on both sides in many areas. Additionally artificial backwater (fake river) has been created allowing paths to extend to other more desirable venues (additional restaurants, statiums, hotels, and lately a new mall). Granted that SA is a much bigger city, but MGM could support similar development, perhaps through grants. Again take a cure from SA's Riverwalk as the climate is very similar to MGM. Shade landscaping is imperative for that area to thrive. Only a fool or a sorority tanning babe would site on the current design on a mid-summers day! Finally, I would submit the as much of Jubilee, if it continues should be placed down there and in the train shed to "socialize" people to a river asset that all but the fishermen and bums had abandoned long ago.

In the Independent: STILL ROLLING ON THE RIVER Construction is quickly ramping to full-speed on the next phase of development of Montgomery Riverwalk, a key component of the multi-phase, multi-year riverfront revitalization project in downtown Montgomery. Currently under construction is a new walkway that will provide both pedestrian and vehicle access from the Coosa Street entrance to the existing Amphitheater stage located on the river. The walkway will run along the grassy edge of the Amphitheater area and connect to a paved terrace that is being built behind and on both sides of the stage. The terrace will provide additional support areas for stage events as well as a spot for enjoying river views. The new walkway construction will temporarily close the Amphitheater, Welcome Terrace and Riverwalk Splashpad to the public. A date for the reopening of these venues has not been announced but is expected sometime in late spring or early summer 2006. The Riverfront Facilities Department is currently planning and scheduling a full slate of events for the 2006 season including concerts, summer film festival series, trade shows and ...(more)." Hope the MGM cops are vigilent down there. Good place for bicycle or segway cops to patrol from their new substation

One thing that worries me greatly about downtown is that it is becoming a cross between a museum and a bank. Where are the buildings full of lobbiests and lawyers. downtown should be a magnet for those types. Retail has got to be drawn downtown. Small business must be encouraged to move into those areas where they once were. Dexter Avenue was all retail until the merchants gave up as the only people who shopped downtown were the poor who used the buses to travel to and from work in east and south MGM. As for the plans, they are nice but must be completed with private funds and investment in the buildings themselves. Without the people and live/work atmosphere I don't know if this can work. Prattville I am sure is siphoning off retail as well as Millbrook (good on em) and the sales tax rate doesn't help. I just hope the hotels can make a go of it in the rinky dink civic center. I guess more bars and restaurants are the next great thing and the Baptists won't like that!

I believe what he says about the income levels except that they are overlapping each other. How much actual distance is there between the three major shopping centers - may 10 miles. Where I live there is about one mall every ten miles with a much denser population. Montgomery Mall's owners were caught flatfooted and some foxes got in the hen house when they failed to keep the mall up and plan for security at the same time both inside and outside of the mall. The stores themselves were not at fault and if their per square foot sales were keeping up with Eastdale, I believe that it would have stayed a viable location. Folks got to watch out for what they got or neglect or punks will ruin it for them. They tried up here and security was increased at all malls. Unfortunately, if parents won't watch their kids they will get out hand.

It's pretty obvious that those d*** yankees, having no personal investment in the area were willing to use the failure of MGM Mall for their own tax writeoff plans. Logically, this location is the perfect junction for MGMs SE edge of heavy development. While there are several wealthy areas nearby, there is obviously no draw to that mall after Parisian left. In other posts on this issue some have suggested conversion of the mall into an open air center. While not disagreeing in principal, I believe that there needs to be an established upscale and younger population adjancent to support the renewal of the area. There needs to be a sort of rebuilding as their own "village" in that area. MGM may not be strong enough yet to do that as well as renew downtown, which despartly needs additional retail to keep its repopulation going. Additionally, I bet those Dothan folks are looking to make a quick buck in roll the Mall property over as fast a possible to some larger entity if they are not known as large scale planners and redevelopers themselves.

Sorry, just getting used to the post. Montgomery is moving in the right direction, but the going will be slow with little wealth to propel growth of any sort. Judging by the still-large numbers of empty parking lots, the new river walk and convention center will have to attract people all by themselves