jmanhsv

Great idea. I think a movie theater would be a great addition to Constellation. I know that in the early renderings, there was (what appeared to be) a movie theater planned as an anchor. Maybe it'll come back up in the final product. True, it might be a bit far from the core, but it's probably the most visible location. And it appears that downtown is moving in that direction, and will continue to do so as long as this height limit debacle continues....

Looks like the airport's going to have to find yet another low-cost carrier... Allegiant's leaving. http://www.digtriad.com/news/local_state/a...29&catid=57 Las Vegas, NV -- Allegiant Air will end two scheduled routes from Greensboro to Florida. The airline announced Friday it will stop service from Greensboro to Orlando and Tampa Bay. Allegiant will also end service from Huntsville, AL to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, FL. The carrier will also cancel flights between Phoenix-Mesa and Santa Maria, CA and between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Rockford, IL, Peoria, IL and Fort Wayne, IN. The carrier will continue to operate all of these flights through May 31, 2008. Customers with reservations June 1 and beyond will be contacted directly by Allegiant for reaccommodation.

Great pics! I especially like the first shot, with the new air traffic control tower in the background.

^Bryant Bank opened its first Huntsville branch at the old YMCA a few days ago.

^There's no way Constellation and/or Harris Hill will be completed to any extent this year. Both haven't started construction, except for some site preparation. Maybe in 2009. But look on the bright side- tower cranes will be making a comeback in downtown this year! I expect to see some progress on these projects this year: Councill Court- planning 200 Park Tower- rendering Lincoln Mill- construction Randolph Place- an official announcement Colonial Promenade Huntsville- construction Redstone Technology Park- construction Metro Jail- completion Rumored development at Monrovia Golf Course- announcement, construction Holmes Avenue Condos- announcement And I forgot yet another project, though this one is a stretch as well- Ovation. The developers have a month to find a restaurant in the adjacent Summit building to build the condo tower. It is unlikely that if they haven't found a restaurant by now they will find one. Thanks- must have missed that. Well, that stinks; I want to see this bypass finished in my lifetime.

On my way up to Nashville last week on 65 North, I saw a billboard near Columbia, TN advertising Allegiant Air's flights out of Huntsville International. They're finally beginning to advertise us outside of the metro area!

^When you say "Jones Valley", I'm assuming that you're talking about the St. James Place development? Only one more retail project that I can think of right now-The Streets of Madison These Publix-anchored shopping centers are already under construction, but they will be completed in 2008: Village Shops at Madison Harvest Square Some more road projects that MIGHT start in 2008: Meridian Street widening from downtown to Oakwood Avenue AL53/AL255 interchange (I think it was supposed to start in 2006) And, if we pray hard enough, we might see preliminary engineering and ROW on the Southern Bypass this year. Transit: Shuttle service will be extended to Research Park West and Bridge Street Intermodal centers/park and rides will begin construction and be completed at Bridge Street and UAH, respectively. A&M will begin and finish its new bus terminal.

A Birmingham News article about the continuing downtown redevelopment here outlines the Von Braun renovation plans: "The civic center also plans to spend up to $20 million on renovation projects and expansion in the next few years. Highlights include doubling the size of the women's restrooms, adding 1,000 floor seats in the arena for concerts, renovating concession stands, adding a mini cafe, and replacing walls along the southeast side of the arena to give a view from the cafe and concourse of Big Spring Park. About $4 million for those projects has come from a special tax district set up to fund projects in the downtown area. City officials are working to get the other $12 million to $16 million for the work, including a look at selling naming rights to parts of the civic center." Birmingham News article: Rocket City reloads

Well, I really doubt that there would be a website for this development yet b/c it hasn't been officially announced and it's probably too early to try to get prospective buyers.

I stumbled upon this rendering of a proposed condo tower called "218 Randolph Place" in downtown Huntsville. Looks like this is still in the planning stages, so it's not set in stone, but it's still pretty cool. If Google Maps is right, this will be located near the Courthouse Square. Looks like its going to be one of the taller buildings downtown if built like the rendering.

A Carmax (used car superstore chain) is planned for that area. That would be my guess.

There's another hotel coming soon in the Airport/South Madison area. A 4 story, 72 room Best Western is planned near the intersection of Madison Blvd. and Wall Triana/Sullivan, behind the Regions Bank. Construction could start as soon as this fall.

Looks like we're getting another destination from Allegiant. Probably Orlando or Tampa, like HSVTiger said. We'll know August 28th. Also, some more great news- Huntsville International traffic is up- 3.4% from last year, over 700,000 passengers. Huntsville Times

I think the wet/dry issue is stupid anywhere- it's not like anyone is forced to buy alcohol. Besides, the taxes from alcohol sold in stores and restaurants helps schools, roads, and other infrastructure; Athens has gotten millions from sales since the first referendum in 2004. Also, restaurants like Applebee's and Lone Star have opened/plan to open there since, and much of their business is alcohol sales. So, if the citizens of Athens want to screw themselves over because something's a "moral issue" for some, then so be it. This is another example of the Church and State relationship that I hate about Alabama...

^Huntsville needs a flight to the Miami metro area. It's the last "mega metro area" in the Southeast that Huntsville does not have non-stop service to. Phoenix isn't needed as much, but it would be good to get more western cities.

The old Central Bank (now Compass Bank) building may be getting a makeover. The 10-story office building built in 1967 overlooking Big Spring Park could have condos on the top 2 floors, retail on the bottom floor, and a new exterior, according to plans in The Huntsville Times. It's the building on the left...

I thought I just saw on the news this morning that Delta is adding flights from Huntsville to NYC.

Three more economic development projects were approved for Jetplex Park today by the Airport Authority. One is a 300,000 sq ft facility for International Truck and Engine, where they will manufacture new "big-bore" diesel engines for trucks. The $42 million facility is expected to be completed in March 2008, and will initially provide 70 jobs with plans to expand to 175 by 2011. The other two projects will have a combined total of 245 jobs and a payroll of about $12M a year.

That site will become a D1, which is a chain of sports training/therapy centers. They have locations in Chattanooga, Nashville, Greenville, Memphis, and Knoxville. Website: http://www.d1sportstraining.com/

My best guess would be Madison Square, possibly in the old Ruby Tuesday spot.

Frontier Airlines is creating a new airline, and one of the airports it notified was Huntsville International. From the Denver Post. "Frontier Airlines' new Westminster-based subsidiary, Lynx Aviation Inc. has applied for federal certification from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lynx will fly turboprop planes to Rocky Mountain destinations and other small airports. Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. is providing $40 million of start-up capital to Lynx. Lynx will fly Bombardier Q400 planes with 74 seats during the summer and 70 seats during the winter when more space is used for skis and other luggage. The application to the DOT was also sent to airport managers around the country who have expressed an interest in Frontier."

I also think it is a good idea; unfortunately, downtown is a bit too far for apartments geared towards UAH students. If UAH decides someday to construct more student apartments, they would probably be along Holmes or University. Though I am all for downtown living, I wouldn't want to distance myself from campus and all the activities around there. But as soon as apartments/lofts/condos become more abundant and affordable downtown, I could see some students opting for the more urban feel of the area. And I don't think a separate shuttle for UAH students is needed. There is already a Shuttle route from downtown to UAH. All it needs is extended hours (from 6am-2am, maybe) and more frequent service. And possibly some minor route changes to the areas you mentioned- Five Points, Marketsquare, etc.

The Huntsville Planning subcommittee approved a new 6-story parking garage at the airport. Construction on the 1330 space garage will start in January and will be completed in March 2008. Huntsville Times article

With these new flights to Denver, I guess we don't have a need to go after Frontier anymore. This is great news. United was the airline that we needed because of its hub at Dulles. And United is in both Nashville and Birmingham as well, giving a little hope for Southwest coming to Huntsville International....