Catch up quick: More big land moves
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Huntsville City Council also made big residential development decisions Thursday.
Zoom in: A big annexation for a new residential development near Gurley and a 300-acre neighborhood in Limestone County are moving ahead, as is the new parking deck at the Orion Amphitheater.
Catch up quick: The council approved a construction services contract for just under $33 million, to build a 924-space parking deck for the Orion Amphitheater.
- Ricky Wilkinson, director of general services, said that while parking fees for Orion events are included in ticket prices, parking for the general public visiting MidCity will be free.
📍 Cleary Annexation
Driving the news: The council also voted to annex almost 537 acres near Gurley, where private developers are planning 400-500 single-family homes over the next 15 years.
- Thomas Nunez, manager of planning services, said 270 of those acres are mountainside and set to remain in their natural state.
🏘️ Graham Farms
The latest: On the other side of the city, Huntsville is moving forward with a public-private partnership on Graham Farms, a major mixed-use development in Limestone County.
- Davis told council members the Graham family has been working on this for seven years, and that they and the city want to develop it to "create a sense of community."
By the numbers: In total, over the next 10-15 years, the development plans 1,050 single-family lots, 100 residences dedicated to adults 55 and up, 85 townhomes, 30 live/work units, 630 multi-family units, a 125-room hotel, 25,000 square feet of office space and 255,000 square feet of commercial.
- Phase 1 includes 350 lots, 20,000 square feet of "town square commercial" development, 200 multi-family units, 150,000 square feet of commercial/retail and 15 acres of open space.
Zoom out: "I'd say in the last 10 years, we've been [focused] on supporting new residential, but in a way to deliver new housing stock that provides wider pricing and amenities along with these retail opportunities," Davis said.