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A hint of things to come? The city wants more office space downtown.
Wouldn’t be surprised if a project is announced in the coming months/year.
A recent article from Al.com had some interesting quotes from Mayor Battle and
Rob Buddo CEO of Downtown Huntsville inc.
Buddo said that with “historically low vacancy rates and robust metro growth” in and near Huntsville, “expanding the downtown office inventory is paramount.” Low vacancy rates slow growth and recruitment.
Battle, a former commercial real estate broker himself, said his administration understands. Big buildings are going up downtown including a federal courthouse and new City Hall, he said, but they’re not rental properties. “Office buildings are always predicated by financing,” Battle said, “and financing is always predicated by anchor tenants.
“You’ve got to have an anchor tenant who will take 20-30,000 square feet or 20 to- 30 percent of the space and then you’ll fill up with other tenants,” Battle said.
“So, we keep looking for that,” Battle said. The plan is to find that tenant, work with it to choose among “five or six different opportunity sites” downtown and create office and mixed-use space “that adds to the skyline of what we know as Huntsville right now.”
When announced, this was going to have the largest screen in the state.
Given the state of the exhibition and movie industries, I expect it's dead and that the chain can be thankful that they pocketed the money from selling the Madison Square property.
Still shows on the Touchstar site, though it is one of four cinemas listed there and I am reasonably sure that the number was larger at one point. Maybe they are slowly liquidating.
Touchstar still owns a lot on Sanderson Rd. in Mid City adjacent to the Encore Apartments. However, there was a recent article on one of the local TV websites in which they interviewed a project manager with RCP, the owner of Mid City and she indicated that they have only built 30% of what they are going to build. Therefore, it would seem that they will need the lot which Touchstar purchased several years ago, in order to have the land for more development. Most of the new construction at Mid City is now 5 or 6 stories tall, so they are really packing out the density.
Anyway, speaking of the lack of demand for seeing movies at a theatre, one has to wonder if Cinemark at Bridge Street will continue to operate, or if the building will be repurposed for another use. There's an article out today on the CNBC website, saying that while Macy's is planning on closing 150 existing stores, they are looking at opening new, smaller format stores (some as small as 30,000 sq. ft.) in new markets. The Huntsville market would be attractive to them, and Bridge Street has the most foot traffic of any retail center in Northern Alabama. The Cinemark building could provide them a way to enter this market in a thriving retail center.
Touchstar still owns a lot on Sanderson Rd. in Mid City adjacent to the Encore Apartments. However, there was a recent article on one of the local TV websites in which they interviewed a project manager with RCP, the owner of Mid City and she indicated that they have only built 30% of what they are going to build. Therefore, it would seem that they will need the lot which Touchstar purchased several years ago, in order to have the land for more development. Most of the new construction at Mid City is now 5 or 6 stories tall, so they are really packing out the density.
Anyway, speaking of the lack of demand for seeing movies at a theatre, one has to wonder if Cinemark at Bridge Street will continue to operate, or if the building will be repurposed for another use. There's an article out today on the CNBC website, saying that while Macy's is planning on closing 150 existing stores, they are looking at opening new, smaller format stores (some as small as 30,000 sq. ft.) in new markets. The Huntsville market would be attractive to them, and Bridge Street has the most foot traffic of any retail center in Northern Alabama. The Cinemark building could provide them a way to enter this market in a thriving retail center.
"A brief Mid City update from WAFF
Tupelo Honey and Blue Oak BBQ are two new dining options under construction. Nadia Niakossary with RCP Companies said there is still so much more to come, but progress will take patience.
“I think we have at least another 10 years for MidCity, we’re only about 30% done with MidCity right now,” Niakossary said. “What you see out there today doesn’t even scratch the surface on what it will be in 10 years.
As for what’s next, Niakossary said they have three hotels in design and are currently planning their next phase of construction. Once some of the current projects wrap up, they will begin building even more shops and restaurants behind the Orion Amphitheater.
A hint of things to come? The city wants more office space downtown.
Wouldn’t be surprised if a project is announced in the coming months/year.
A recent article from Al.com had some interesting quotes from Mayor Battle and
Rob Buddo CEO of Downtown Huntsville inc.
Buddo said that with “historically low vacancy rates and robust metro growth” in and near Huntsville, “expanding the downtown office inventory is paramount.” Low vacancy rates slow growth and recruitment.
Battle, a former commercial real estate broker himself, said his administration understands. Big buildings are going up downtown including a federal courthouse and new City Hall, he said, but they’re not rental properties. “Office buildings are always predicated by financing,” Battle said, “and financing is always predicated by anchor tenants.
“You’ve got to have an anchor tenant who will take 20-30,000 square feet or 20 to- 30 percent of the space and then you’ll fill up with other tenants,” Battle said.
“So, we keep looking for that,” Battle said. The plan is to find that tenant, work with it to choose among “five or six different opportunity sites” downtown and create office and mixed-use space “that adds to the skyline of what we know as Huntsville right now.”
A caveat to this is the huge daytime medical workers downtown. Twickenham Square and the nearby City Centre development serve lots of daytime workers and visitors. The city should plan a major upgrade of the Church street/ Gallatin street corridor between Huntsville Hospital/ Federal Courthouse and Big Spring Park.
Further north The Church Street overpass @Big Spring should begin the upcoming year, will be similar to the Monroe Street overpass. You will be able to walk from the Courthouse Square to Lowe Mill with onl crossing one road including the coming Skybridge to Mill Creek.
There are plans in the works to landscape/upgrade Lowe Ave between Gallatin and Dr. Joseph E Lowery Blvd.
[Madison] Long discussed traffic circle at Browns Ferry and Burrgreen will start construction this summer. Another traffic circle being planned for Hardiman where the new neighborhood is going in…
Re. Airport and Breeze discussion, surprised that Jet Blue doesn’t fly into HSV from NY LGA. There is no competition on that city pair and with JetBlue’s new code share agreements and international routes it would add another one stop to Europe.
[Madison] Long discussed traffic circle at Browns Ferry and Burrgreen will start construction this summer. Another traffic circle being planned for Hardiman where the new neighborhood is going in…
Re. Airport and Breeze discussion, surprised that Jet Blue doesn’t fly into HSV from NY LGA. There is no competition on that city pair and with JetBlue’s new code share agreements and international routes it would add another one stop to Europe.
There is a big difference in the business models of the Ultralow Cost Carriers which have provided service to HSV, (by these I mean Breeze, as well as Frontier, which discontinued service) verses a Jet Blue or Southwest. The difference is that Jet Blue and Southwest provide service on the routes they fly seven days a week whereas the Ultralow Cost Carriers (Allegiant, Breeze and Frontier) provide service only two or three days a week, which means they are catering almost exclusively to leisure travelers who are more flexible on their schedule.
If Jet Blue or Southwest were to begin service out of HSV, they would have the challenge of selling seats on their flights seven days a week and in order to do that, they would have to convince some of the thousands of business travelers who have accumulated elite status through Delta's Skymiles program (or the equivalent programs at American and United) to start flying their airline, which is going to be almost impossible to do.
If you have ever boarded a Delta flight out of HSV, you would think that three fourths of the passengers are in Sky Priority because that group far outnumbers the passengers who aren't. Those passengers will continue to fly Delta because they want the perks of early boarding, and seat upgrades, plus the ability to make a connection at ATL to almost anywhere in the world they want to visit.
We all wish Southwest or Jet Blue would begin service out of HSV, however, for now, we should be grateful that Breeze has continued service (and expanded it, too), when in the past all of the other low fare carriers have discontinued service out of HSV.
[Madison] Long discussed traffic circle at Browns Ferry and Burrgreen will start construction this summer. Another traffic circle being planned for Hardiman where the new neighborhood is going in…
Re. Airport and Breeze discussion, surprised that Jet Blue doesn’t fly into HSV from NY LGA. There is no competition on that city pair and with JetBlue’s new code share agreements and international routes it would add another one stop to Europe.
One would think that just business travel would justify flights to one of the NYC airports. Tourism would only add to that need. Surprised it hasn't already happened.
A hint of things to come? The city wants more office space downtown.
Wouldn’t be surprised if a project is announced in the coming months/year.
A recent article from Al.com had some interesting quotes from Mayor Battle and
Rob Buddo CEO of Downtown Huntsville inc.
Buddo said that with “historically low vacancy rates and robust metro growth” in and near Huntsville, “expanding the downtown office inventory is paramount.” Low vacancy rates slow growth and recruitment.
Battle, a former commercial real estate broker himself, said his administration understands. Big buildings are going up downtown including a federal courthouse and new City Hall, he said, but they’re not rental properties. “Office buildings are always predicated by financing,” Battle said, “and financing is always predicated by anchor tenants.
“You’ve got to have an anchor tenant who will take 20-30,000 square feet or 20 to- 30 percent of the space and then you’ll fill up with other tenants,” Battle said.
“So, we keep looking for that,” Battle said. The plan is to find that tenant, work with it to choose among “five or six different opportunity sites” downtown and create office and mixed-use space “that adds to the skyline of what we know as Huntsville right now.”
At least conceptually, the Front Row development, if it ever really gets off the ground, is supposed to have a large (compared to other downtown buildings) office building. I don't think it's in the first phase; the small hotel and apartments seem to be the first to be built.
There is a big difference in the business models of the Ultralow Cost Carriers which have provided service to HSV, (by these I mean Breeze, as well as Frontier, which discontinued service) verses a Jet Blue or Southwest. The difference is that Jet Blue and Southwest provide service on the routes they fly seven days a week whereas the Ultralow Cost Carriers (Allegiant, Breeze and Frontier) provide service only two or three days a week, which means they are catering almost exclusively to leisure travelers who are more flexible on their schedule.
If Jet Blue or Southwest were to begin service out of HSV, they would have the challenge of selling seats on their flights seven days a week and in order to do that, they would have to convince some of the thousands of business travelers who have accumulated elite status through Delta's Skymiles program (or the equivalent programs at American and United) to start flying their airline, which is going to be almost impossible to do.
If you have ever boarded a Delta flight out of HSV, you would think that three fourths of the passengers are in Sky Priority because that group far outnumbers the passengers who aren't. Those passengers will continue to fly Delta because they want the perks of early boarding, and seat upgrades, plus the ability to make a connection at ATL to almost anywhere in the world they want to visit.
We all wish Southwest or Jet Blue would begin service out of HSV, however, for now, we should be grateful that Breeze has continued service (and expanded it, too), when in the past all of the other low fare carriers have discontinued service out of HSV.
Passenger traffic at HSV in 2023 was up almost 23% over 2022. If it continues at that pace, or even close to that, new routes will come. Breeze is already beginning non-stop service to LAX starting in June. That's a good start.
Growth at HSV will happen. When I first started traveling for work in the 1970s, some of those flights would go through Nashville (although it's only about 100 miles away). At the time, the Nashville airport very much resembled a bus station - small and crowded. Now, it serves well over 20 million passengers a year and is rapidly growing. Huntsville could have a similar expansion in the coming years if the present growth continues.
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