Huntsville/Madison Development News (crime rate, dental, builder)

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Huntsville Hospital’s plan for a new downtown multi-story bed tower has been approved by the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board.
The $150 million West Bed Tower project should begin rising along Gallatin Street in early 2019. Construction is expected to take about two years. This is just north of Blackwell and south of Twickenham Square. Exixting buildings on that block will be demolished.


The new tower will have 72 private patient rooms and 24 operating rooms, plus shelled-in space for future needs. It will sit directly across from the hospital’s front entrance and be connected by an elevated walkway over Gallatin Street.

Construction started in early August on a new 600-space parking deck serving Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children.
The project requires Lowell Drive to be permanently closed to through traffic. However, drivers can still reach all hospital facilities on Lowell including the Women’s Pavilion, Franklin Medical Tower/TOC, the 420 Lowell Professional Office Building and the 401 Lowell medical plaza.


Also downtown the VBC expansion groundbreaking is tonight
from WAAY TV
The Von Braun Center is breaking ground on phase one of a multi-million dollar expansion project tonight.
The public is invited to help celebrate the Music Hall groundbreaking.

The event is Wednesday, August 15th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Monroe Street.
There will be live music, and the VBC is providing free hot dogs, sodas, and water to those in attendance.
Local food vendors will also be at the event with food and ice cream for purchase.
There is also a chance for one person to win a certificate for two tickets to the first performance in the Music Hall.
Free parking will be available in VBC parking lots.

My doctor is in the 420 Lowell Building. To get to the building, I used to turn onto Lowell from Madison Street. Now I have to turn on Rand Ave (1 block north of Lowell), going east, and it loops south to cross Lowell so parking for 420 can be accessed. There's a Stop sign at Rand/Lowell for Rand, but it's pretty much blocked by overhanding branches, so care is needed there.

[r x f]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

There's a Stop sign at Rand/Lowell for Rand, but it's pretty much blocked by overhanding branches, so care is needed there.

https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/residen...rvice-request/

The city has been responsive to items I've put in the app.

[Preston3124]

Several years ago a sign went up and land was cleared for a strip center just south of Eastview on the west side of Slaughter Road. Well they have finally started building it and it is moving along fairly quickly. It looks like there will be room for up to about 8 stores. Anybody know what's gonna go in there? I'd love a neighborhood bar or at least some kind of food place. My guess is the usual nail salons, dry cleaners and real estate offices.

[NoleFanHSV]

Huntsville Housing Authority looks to move families throughout Madison County

Let the gentrification continue. I'm sure the land will get scooped up for another brewery.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Huntsville Housing Authority looks to move families throughout Madison County

Let the gentrification continue. I'm sure the land will get scooped up for another brewery.

Moving Section 8 housing into existing, upper middle class neighborhoods is the opposite of gentrification. I'm not sure how the city can justify negatively affecting home values in neighborhoods by adding low-income housing.

[AznDreamer]

Originally Posted by Preston3124

Several years ago a sign went up and land was cleared for a strip center just south of Eastview on the west side of Slaughter Road. Well they have finally started building it and it is moving along fairly quickly. It looks like there will be room for up to about 8 stores. Anybody know what's gonna go in there? I'd love a neighborhood bar or at least some kind of food place. My guess is the usual nail salons, dry cleaners and real estate offices.

I took a glimpse of the sign while driving and it seemed that it's going to be a dental office and several other offices, but not sure.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Huntsville Housing Authority looks to move families throughout Madison County

Let the gentrification continue. I'm sure the land will get scooped up for another brewery.

It's hard to see gentrification taking place on that section of Holmes Ave. where Sparkman Homes now sits. If you look at the neighborhoods across the street and further west on Holmes, it's unlikely that a builder could sell $300,000 homes in that area. This is a lot different from the new homes being built adjacent to Lowe Mill - those houses will be in walking distance to Huntsville's biggest arts and cultural facility.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Moving Section 8 housing into existing, upper middle class neighborhoods is the opposite of gentrification. I'm not sure how the city can justify negatively affecting home values in neighborhoods by adding low-income housing.

No, the gentrification part is where they take the land where the housing is at and put an attractive business there. That raises the home prices around the area where renters can no longer afford the rent which is another problem.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by David1502

It's hard to see gentrification taking place on that section of Holmes Ave. where Sparkman Homes now sits. If you look at the neighborhoods across the street and further west on Holmes, it's unlikely that a builder could sell $300,000 homes in that area. This is a lot different from the new homes being built adjacent to Lowe Mill - those houses will be in walking distance to Huntsville's biggest arts and cultural facility.

Mason court is easy walking distance to 805.


Gentrification doesn't require new homes. Just the home values to go up.

I generally have no issues with a poor area becoming more attractive. I do have a problem with it when it forces low income families from their homes because they can't afford to rent anymore. I also have a problem with it when it's driven by government instead of free market forces.

I'm getting off topic here so I'll leave it at that. It's just another possible new Huntsville development.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

No, the gentrification part is where they take the land where the housing is at and put an attractive business there. That raises the home prices around the area where renters can no longer afford the rent which is another problem.

Yes, I know what it is. But the article said they didn't know what they'd do once they demolished the public housing. The reason for demolishment wasn't to put something nicer there, it was because the housing supposedly had become unlivable. The result is what I was talking about ... de-gentrification if you will.

In general though, there are more positives than negatives with making run-down areas more attractive and safer. If the city comes in and raises property taxes to the point that homeowners can't keep their property, then that's an issue.