Huntsville/Madison Development News (Triana: tickets, properties, place)

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

And a lovely lodging tax increase to help pay for it. Can't these expansions pay their own way at some point? (Sorry, rhetorical question.)

The referenced briefing has cherry-picked statistics. Like pointing out how much higher the room rates are in downtown Huntsville vs. the rest of Huntsville and Madison County. Well duh - downtown Huntsville has a grand total of 3 hotels, all 3 of which are fairly new and among the nicer properties in Madison County. The rest of Huntsville and Madison County of course include the lower end hotels and all of the old hotels.

How about the America's Best Value Inn on North Parkway - looking at hotels.com, it doesn't get such good room rates. Or the King's Inn on South Parkway. So of course room rates are higher at the 3 properties that are counted as being in downtown Huntsville.

I thought I saw somewhere that some parking was going to be eliminated, but can't find anything that says that. Hopefully parking won't be affected. edit: looks like some parking will be added.

Kind of a shame the VBC was built in the wrong place. I know Huntsville wants it downtown, but the hotels are largely elsewhere. Imagine if the VBC were in Research Park West, near Bridge Street and the Space and Rocket Center.

It's old too, and it was there long before bridge Street. Most arenas I've been too aren't in the nicest areas of town, but they pull enough people to have nice hotels.

[AU HSV]

look for this to lead to at least 2-3 more downtown hotel properties and the development of Clinton the old coke site.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

And a lovely lodging tax increase to help pay for it. Can't these expansions pay their own way at some point? (Sorry, rhetorical question.)

The referenced briefing has cherry-picked statistics. Like pointing out how much higher the room rates are in downtown Huntsville vs. the rest of Huntsville and Madison County. Well duh - downtown Huntsville has a grand total of 3 hotels, all 3 of which are fairly new and among the nicer properties in Madison County. The rest of Huntsville and Madison County of course include the lower end hotels and all of the old hotels.

How about the America's Best Value Inn on North Parkway - looking at hotels.com, it doesn't get such good room rates. Or the King's Inn on South Parkway. So of course room rates are higher at the 3 properties that are counted as being in downtown Huntsville.

I thought I saw somewhere that some parking was going to be eliminated, but can't find anything that says that. Hopefully parking won't be affected. edit: looks like some parking will be added.

Kind of a shame the VBC was built in the wrong place. I know Huntsville wants it downtown, but the hotels are largely elsewhere. Imagine if the VBC were in Research Park West, near Bridge Street and the Space and Rocket Center.

In 1975, when the Von Braun Center opened, Cummings Research Park West was an 800 acre privately owned cotton farm which the City of Huntsville would not purchase until 1982 and the Space and Rocket Center was a smaller tourist attraction than what it now is. In fact, the highway which is now called, "Research Park Boulevard" (called Rideout Road and it ended at University Drive) was the edge of the developed area at that time. Madison, was a small town of 3,000 people. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that a large arena, concert hall and convention center would have been built in what at that time was a semi-rural area. The development on University Drive ended at what is now the Hooters just before Wynn Dr.


The opening of Madison Square Mall in 1984, along with development of the western portion of Research Park, were the catalyst for the trend for a lot of growth in the western areas. The first, "large subdivision" in Madison was Stone Ridge off Hughes Rd. in the early 1980's. Monrovia was a rural farming area and didn't see much residential development until after Madison had significant development. Interstate 565 was talked about a lot, beginning in the late 1960's, however, construction would not begin until 1987. The first overpasses on Memorial Parkway (outside of the two originals over Holmes and Clinton) were just beginning to be built in the mid 1970's.


I say all of this to give you a picture of how the Huntsville area looked in the early 1970's when the decision to build the Von Braun Civic Center (the original name) was made. Therefore, it is logical that the City of Huntsville would have built a city owned facility central to the population at that time of a lot smaller city and developed area.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by David1502

In 1975, when the Von Braun Center opened, Cummings Research Park West was an 800 acre privately owned cotton farm which the City of Huntsville would not purchase until 1982 and the Space and Rocket Center was a smaller tourist attraction than what it now is. In fact, the highway which is now called, "Research Park Boulevard" (called Rideout Road and it ended at University Drive) was the edge of the developed area at that time. Madison, was a small town of 3,000 people. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that a large arena, concert hall and convention center would have been built in what at that time was a semi-rural area. The development on University Drive ended at what is now the Hooters just before Wynn Dr.

The opening of Madison Square Mall in 1984, along with development of the western portion of Research Park, were the catalyst for the trend for a lot of growth in the western areas. The first, "large subdivision" in Madison was Stone Ridge off Hughes Rd. in the early 1980's. Monrovia was a rural farming area and didn't see much residential development until after Madison had significant development. Interstate 565 was talked about a lot, beginning in the late 1960's, however, construction would not begin until 1987. The first overpasses on Memorial Parkway (outside of the two originals over Holmes and Clinton) were just beginning to be built in the mid 1970's.

I say all of this to give you a picture of how the Huntsville area looked in the early 1970's when the decision to build the Von Braun Civic Center (the original name) was made. Therefore, it is logical that the City of Huntsville would have built a city owned facility central to the population at that time of a lot smaller city and developed area.

My post was intended to be idle speculation (except the complaints about the tax increase.)

It was the best decision at the time, no doubt. Perhaps even by the mid 80s when growth took off and Research Park exploded there was already too much sunk money in the existing location.

But if magically you could flip a switch, how different things would be.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by David1502

...I say all of this to give you a picture of how the Huntsville area looked in the early 1970's when the decision to build the Von Braun Civic Center (the original name) was made. Therefore, it is logical that the City of Huntsville would have built a city owned facility central to the population at that time of a lot smaller city and developed area.

I read that there was a sizable parcel of land surrounding the Madison County Coliseum (Jaycee County Fairgrounds) in the 1960's and 1970's. I suppose that was more on the outskirts of town at the time. It would be quite centralized these days.

Northeast Alabama State Fair

[AnotherBravesFan]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I don't 100% know, but I've been told that it's the genuine item. I certainly hope that it's the case.

I confirmed the address with staff while I was getting new tires last month at Discount Tire's Franklin, TN location.

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by AnotherBravesFan

I confirmed the address with staff while I was getting new tires last month at Discount Tire's Franklin, TN location.

Woo-hoo! It is definitely looking more and more like a DT. Thanks for confirming...

[cooldiver]

I went to the Home Depot in Madison last night - noticed the new Cineplanet theatre seemed to be doing a pretty good business for a week night. May have to check it out this weekend.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Woo-hoo! It is definitely looking more and more like a DT. Thanks for confirming...

Let's hope the location here is as good as they seem to be everywhere else. I've never actually used them but have heard really good things about them from the Corvette Forum.

[DaMadHatter]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

I went to the Home Depot in Madison last night - noticed the new Cineplanet theatre seemed to be doing a pretty good business for a week night. May have to check it out this weekend.

The Home Depot *near* Madison. This is why i go to Lowes because it's *in* Madison.