Council prep
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Huntsville City Council has another big agenda tonight.
The big picture: Development is the focus, from the North Village Town Center project to Eli Lilly (more on that below) and the city's ambitious PARC project.
- A plat for Phase 1A of the North Village Town Center project — set to bring Home Depot, Target and more to North Huntsville at the new Northern Bypass — will go to Mayor Tommy Battle for a signature.
- The city is also looking at a $25.8 million option to purchase almost 516 acres, part of 686 acres the city annexed at the end of last year, set for commercial and industrial development.
Walking around money
Multiple pedestrian infrastructure projects are set for a vote, including a $69,450 contract with GTEC, LLC to design three pre-engineered pedestrian bridges across Pinhook Creek for the PARC project.
- The design for the bridges, none of which is the so-called "Skybridge" is due back to the city May 14.
Two multi-use paths are on the agenda, one along 2.4 miles of Bailey Cove Road and the 1.6-mile second phase of the Miller Branch Greenway from Swancott Road to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
- Each is about $1 million, with an 80-20 split between federal funds and city funds, respectively.
Doubling down on sound
The city is turning again to consulting firm Sound Diplomacy, with a $25,000, 12-week agreement on the agenda for an analysis of its music ecosystem and economic impact.
- The study is performed by the same firm that conducted Huntsville's music audit in 2018 that helped lead to the Huntsville Music Office.
- This time, they'll provide an economic impact assessment, a look at the changes, growth and new assets since 2018, and provide case studies on the South Star Festival, The Orion Amphitheater and the Von Braun Center.
What we're watching: It's not on the agenda, but expect another round of public comments pushing the council to adopt a resolution committing to not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
- The chambers were cleared at the last meeting, after the second round of public comments got heated.