Zoom out: Beyond Harris Farms
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The Harris Farms development is just the latest major move in an area of the city that's rapidly transforming.
Why it matters: Concurrent activity on multiple projects in this area is establishing a North Huntsville hub, the impacts of which will ripple across the city.
🛣️ Northern Bypass
The latest: The first phase of the Northern Bypass is around 75% complete, Davis said, as crews work on the rocky and most difficult part of the $43-million, 4.5-mile, limited-access highway.
- Once fully operational, the road is expected to cut commute time to Redstone Arsenal from north of the city by 15 minutes, he said.
- "If we can move 15,000 cars out of (the I-565/Parkway) interchange a day and give them an alternate route, it helps South Huntsville, helps downtown," Davis said. "It helps East Huntsville and West Huntsville come through that interchange every day."
What we're watching: Completion is expected by the end of this calendar year, Davis said, as the city turns its attention to the next phase: heading east toward Hwy. 72, which he said the city plans to bid next year.
🛍️ North Village Town Center
Driving the news: The Target- and Home Depot-anchored retail development is moving ahead at the Northern Bypass-Parkway intersection.
- "The project would deliver a little over 650,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, medical, hospitality, fitness, along with new residential development," Davis said.
- The first phase is set to open in 2027, with full completion in about three years.
"Our phone is ringing off the hook," Davis said. "But knowing what we were creating across the street, we wanted to make sure we got the highest and best use of city property."
- Three sit-down restaurants are coming to the out-parcels in front of Food City, he added. Other yet-to-be-announced retail spaces are "spoken for, and it's what I would call best-in-class type, brand-name."
The bottom line: "Work very quietly has been occurring with not a lot of fanfare, but the fanfare is about to start," Davis said.