Huntsville/Madison Development News (Decatur, Athens: scenic, staffing, how much)

[AU HSV]

By Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Blue Origin is planning a third major expansion in Huntsville in three years, a testament city officials say to the city’s worthiness as the permanent home to Space Command.

The aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has emerged as one of the top commercial spaceflight companies as the country has placed a renewed effort on returning to the moon and eventually to Mars. The company’s Huntsville presence includes a rocket building plant in Cummings Research Park.

On Thursday, the city council approved the sale of 14.83 acres to Blue Origin that’s adjacent to its already sprawling campus at the price of $1.427 million.

Blue Origin opened a 400,000 square-foot facility in 2020, then announced a 200,000 square foot expansion last year that’s near completion. With the latest land purchase, the company wants to essentially duplicate its 400,000 square-foot building, according to Shane Davis, the city’s director of urban and economic development.

https://www.al.com/news/2023/05/jeff...untsville.html

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

No, it's from downtown (near the civic center) SW to Lowe Mill area. An elevated walkway from A&M to downtown would be quite a project. Many miles.

That’s less than a mile straight distance. $20million would build a road for that much.


Correction, this sky bridge will cost an estimated $55 million when it’s all completed. This is not merging the costs in for the Coca Cola redevelopment over Pinhook creek.

https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/floa...n-project.html

So the feds gave $20 million but where is the rest of the funds coming from for this bridge?

[johnsonkk]

Just found Tile and Flooring store (former TJ Maxx) next to Home Depot in Madison has opened. Just like any of their stores, it’s huge with tons of displays and currently, few customers.

[johnsonkk]

Too bad the article about parking and Trader Joe’s doesn’t identify the real problem, which is non shoppers parking and walking over to see concerts, farmer markets or whatever else is in Midcity.

https://whnt.com/news/national/trade...-parking-lots/

No idea where the parking will be when Starbucks opens and takes that parking lot away. Parking is getting to be tight in Midcity.

[Rick In Madison]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

No you just mis read it, it’s talking about a greenway that the bridge would be part of.
“And it will be another link in a greenway trail that’s gradually stretching from Alabama A&M University in the north to the Tennessee River to the south.”

Roger that, mea culpa.

[tn_native]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Just found Tile and Flooring store (former TJ Maxx) next to Home Depot in Madison has opened. Just like any of their stores, it’s huge with tons of displays and currently, few customers.

Might be because the Floor and Decor commercial keeps stating "Coming Soon" and not "Now Open".

[Mongolian Stomper]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Just found Tile and Flooring store (former TJ Maxx) next to Home Depot in Madison has opened. Just like any of their stores, it’s huge with tons of displays and currently, few customers.

This store is in the former Publix location west of Home Depot. Just so nobody goes to the wrong place, TJ Maxx remains in its location east of Home Depot.

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

By Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Blue Origin is planning a third major expansion in Huntsville in three years, a testament city officials say to the city’s worthiness as the permanent home to Space Command.

The aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has emerged as one of the top commercial spaceflight companies as the country has placed a renewed effort on returning to the moon and eventually to Mars. The company’s Huntsville presence includes a rocket building plant in Cummings Research Park.

On Thursday, the city council approved the sale of 14.83 acres to Blue Origin that’s adjacent to its already sprawling campus at the price of $1.427 million.

Blue Origin opened a 400,000 square-foot facility in 2020, then announced a 200,000 square foot expansion last year that’s near completion. With the latest land purchase, the company wants to essentially duplicate its 400,000 square-foot building, according to Shane Davis, the city’s director of urban and economic development.

https://www.al.com/news/2023/05/jeff...untsville.html

Blue Origin has yet to prove itself. The only success they have had so far are suborbital lauches of it it New Shepherd rocket. Unless the BE-4 rocket engines built in Huntsville are successful things won't be so rosy for Blue Origin here. Hopefully, we will know better later this year if the launches of New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur launch are successful.

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

That’s less than a mile straight distance. $20million would build a road for that much.


Correction, this sky bridge will cost an estimated $55 million when it’s all completed. This is not merging the costs in for the Coca Cola redevelopment over Pinhook creek.

https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/floa...n-project.html

So the feds gave $20 million but where is the rest of the funds coming from for this bridge?

I was wondering about that also. How much is Huntsville's part of the funding? Maybe the walkway and sky bridge will be a successful addition to downtown Huntsville. I just hope the money being spent was not wasted.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by MisterEd51

I was wondering about that also. How much is Huntsville's part of the funding? Maybe the walkway and sky bridge will be a successful addition to downtown Huntsville. I just hope the money being spent was not wasted.

I suppose it's all the cost beyond the $20M federal grant they got. Thought the total was supposed to be $62M, but even 55 leaves a lot to scrape up. Hope it works out. Other projects of similar cost, like the amphitheater, is doing well but the Skybridge won't provide any income that I know of.