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The Kress Building downtown --heck pretty much all Kress Buildings everywhere in America-- is one of my favorite buildings, I'm glad to see their are plans for it.

I don't have a new picture of this, but I was driving past it on Wednesday, after not being downtown for awhile. Located on the corners of Bibb and Commerce directly across from the Hank Williams Museum, the smallest building with the greenish awnings which extends to the one with the concaved entrance door, which contains a Chinese Restaurant and Sous le Terre has completely redone its siding and painting. These are the projects --one's with preexisting owners fixing up old buildings to keep up with the Joneses-- that really revitalize a city. Next time I'm downtown I will post a new picture.

I realize that I am apparently the only person who regularly seems to check this page out, but just in case there is anyone else... Montgomery is changing One Court Square into Questplex, which will be a library and children's museum at the bottom of Dexter Ave. They have also sold a bunch of the buildings down on Dexter Ave and hope to connect Lower Dexter to the Alley and the Riverfront. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20110219/NEWS01/102190305/One-Court-Square-gets-new-name- I realize I haven't posted any new Montgomery pictures (again mostly for me) in almost 2 years, so I'll add pictures in a few weeks of the work on Dexter Ave and the area in general. Montgomery's downtown is coming along nicely, despite economic hardships --or perhaps because of them-- maybe people will start visiting it again soon.

Does anyone know who bought the old Alabama Theater on N. Perry and Monroe? It is not a property that was owned by the city like 71 and 11 Dexter (which have also been bought). There was a for sale sign on it for the longest time, but now there is a sale pending sign. Just curious to know if anyone knows who the potential buyer is.

According to the Ledger-Enquirer CSU is facing a budget shortfall of about 6.1 million. They will be laying off some faculty.

I tried to take some shots of Columbus's skyline this last weekend. Mostly from Phenix City. What I realized is that due to the fact that Phenix City is much lower than Columbus taking a good encompassing photo of the area is near impossible, especially without a good camera. Either way here are the photos that aren't a complete waste of bytes. This is overlooking the 13th Street Bridge. The bridge brings together Columbus, GA and Phenix City, AL. On the Phenix City side, they are planning on building the Phenixian (10 Story Condo High-Rise), Troy University-Phenix City and Chatahoochee Valley Community College are building an offshoot campus that would include a 6 story building for the School of Business. The shot only includes the Eagle-Phenix Lofts, which are almost complete. You can barely make out the Ledger-Enquirer Building and the tip of the Holy Family Catholic Church. This is on a walking bridge over the Chatahoochee on Phenix City's Riverwalk right near 13th Street across from Piggly Wiggley. If they ever get around to it Columbus and Phenix City have agreed to further breach the damn to create urban White Water rafting. You can make out Synovus, Columbus State, and part of the Marriot Downtown Hotel. You cannot see the Ledger-Enquirer Building, nor Sun Trust, nor the RiverCenter, nor Government Center. It’s not the most flattering angle. This is the widest shot I could get. I would have included more, but the area I was standing on was only about an acre. You catch part of the TSYS Campus, The SunTrust Building, The Aflac Building, The Carmike Building. If the shot went further left, you could see the Doctor’s Hospital and Columbus Medical Center. If it went to the right, you would see all the shots from the first two photos, as well as some of the buildings in the last shot below. This is the final shot of any value. I found this accidentally when looking at an old loft building on 6th Ave. I drove up Linwood Blvd, and caught this in the rear view mirror. You can make out Government Center, The Ralston Towers, a few buildings that I don’t know, and some of the buildings along the river front. None of the photos I had got a good shot of the Ledger-Enquirer Building, and as I stated in earlier its hard based on the flat land in Phenix City to get any really good photos of Columbus’s skyline.

sorry to follow Columbus, with more Columbus, but I recently refell in love with their uptown.

Thanks for that posting, I think it serves as a real reality check. Greenville is still working on their revitalization after 30 years, and Montgomery is just 7 years in. I don't want to wait 30 years, but until merchants fully buy in, like in Greenville, there will be a whole lot of slow work being done. For the record, I think what Montgomery has done so far has been amazing. Out of curiousity, does anyone know the approximate timeline of the Chatanooga revitalization?

MATS has added an "Entertainment Route" which will be runnig from Maxwell through Downtown and Cloverdale. http://www.montgomerytransit.com/Maps/EntertainmentRts18_19.pdf I really do like what MATS as done in the last few years, they are slowly bringing back buses, and while there is no news on streetcars the buses are a good step. The city of Montgomery, has also been very good about trying to incorporate Maxwell into Downtown, whether this be the attempt to rename and renovate Bell Street or this I think these are positive signs.

When I left Alabama in 2002 the Poarch Creek Indians in Wetumpka had just finished their bingo hall with a bit of fanfare. Last I heard they had planned for a 140,000 square foot casino, with the help of Harrah's. Did this happen? I imagine not as I could not find any information on it. I did however see they had a small hall in Montgomery now. If this didn't happen, I'm curious as to why it did not. I know that Victoryland in Shorter has switched to bingo machines, which Bob Riley is against. Are there still plans for this casino to happen? And if so what effect could it have on Montgomery?

I actually just did a post about thriving downtowns in the South Forum. I can't think of too many Southern cities that do have big drawing downtowns other than ATL. I had a friend in Birmingham who went to school at Auburn, and after we graduated I came down to visit him. I remember asking him what there was to do, and him replying that it was just a bigger Auburn. You could go shopping at The Summit, or go to the movies and that was about it. Montgomery has the potential right now, depending on what they put downtown to change that. I am a big believer in museums and walking tours. Montgomery's history could make for a great walking tour (Civil Rights, Pre Civil War times, Confederate History) and the warehouses could easily be converted into museums, or nightclubs. This could make for an interesting downtown.

I'm wondering if anyone knows any stores that are planning on locating to Downtown. I was mostly wondering about museums, entertainment complexes (Jillian's, Dave and Busters). And I was also curious if anyone knows if the Downtown businesses are ever planning on having better weekend hours. Also, ice cream. I was craving ice cream and there was no place to get ice cream downtown (closed, open, or otherwise).

Upon further investigation (surfing the internet) I found this. http://doverkohl.com/files/pdf/Montgomery_low%20res.pdf I'm sure lots of people have seen it, but figured I would post it anyway. I really like the idea for South Court Street and have seen it beginning to take place.

[continued] Now, as excited as I was I have to bring up my first big negative. There was a lack of people, such a lack that I literally stood in the middle of what should have been two moderately busy streets (Dexter Ave and Lee Street I believe was the second one) to take these pictures. Such a lack of people that a Subway sandwich shop right a college (Troy Montgomery), the capital building, and walking distance from other attractions did not even have Saturday or Sunday hours. At this point, I had lost track of street signs, but heading up what I think was Court Street (according to the sign that I can barely make out in the photo) at a triangular intersection by the Federal Building I met some very nice people by New South Inc Publishers, and a Smoothie store. They were working on putting up an art gallery, which will be opening next month. I asked the owner if it would have weekend hours, and he said he didn’t know yet. I also saw a few newer (or at least newer to me restaurants, bars, and such). I also wanted to stop into the Civil Rights Museum, but guess what? They’re not open on Saturdays. And then more empty streets that should be busy at about 1:00 on a Saturday. From there, I headed down towards Lee and Montgomery Streets. Another newer restaurant and a lot of empty buildings by the Troy Montgomery Campus, but a huge amount of work going into the Federal Building. Closer to Troy Montgomery was very cool. The Davis Theater had some really cool shows coming including some Broadway Shows (yes it’s the Wedding Singer, and yes I will go to see it possibly spending the night in the Renaissance or Embassy Suits). I would love to see the Shakespeare Festival or someone else put another theater in downtown. Also the Rosa Parks Museum, which surprisingly was open, has a nice urban feel to it. I also saw the Montgomery Advertiser building. I wonder if there are any plans for this building (since newspapers are dying and all). I finally walked back to Union Station and back to my car before leaving downtown. First and foremost, I felt like I was watching stage hands rush to put the scenery together for opening night's first act of a play. People were getting into their places, and the things were coming together very nicely downtown. It truly was as if I was in the middle of something very exciting about to happen. I saw some other buildings that I was too tired to take pictures of, including a really cool building which i think was a Mosque, though it may have been a church. (anyone know what I'm talking about?) Even ASU's campus, which I took no pictures of, was having all kinds of street improvements. The city is really ready to make a big leap, maybe not to the New Orleans, Atlanta or even Birmingham type of status, but definitely to a Chatanooga or Savannah like status. My only downside was after being thrilled by the downtown I still saw the lack of life. I saw very few people eating at the restaurants, and next to no one walking on the streets, and it was a beautiful day. I think Montgomery is maybe two or three years away with its downtown. However, the rest of the city I was less excited by. I still have not seen Old Cloverdale (could anyone give me an intersection to look for), Five Points (whose construction I don't believe has begun yet), the work going on near the RSA parking deck, or the construction that is happening to the Normandale Mall. I did not venture up to the Capital or the SPL Center because I have seen those enough times, and I'm sure I will be Downtown in a week or two. Still, the circle (North-East-South) Boulevard is dead or dying. The outskirt malls are still taking a lot of shoppers away from Downtown and with the Museum of Fine Arts, the Shakespeare Festival, and the Zoo so far from the downtown it is going to hinder the growth a bit. I also hope that the downtown stores start to get better (or at least some) hours for Saturdays and Sundays. I walked around from about 11:30-2:00 and most stores were either not open at all, or not open until I left. On the other hand, I like how the work is being done at a good pace, starting with the River Walk, and moving outwards. I really did feel excited, and almost electric, while walking through what is turning out to be quite an eclectic downtown.