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By Steve Doyle, The Huntsville Times
The $11.5 million Belk Hudson Lofts on Washington Street should help with one of the major problems downtown — lack of affordable housing. Construction is expected to start anytime and will take about a year. (Courtesy Schoel Architecture)
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Mayor Tommy Battle called Thursday night´s downtown ideas summit a “continuation of a conversation” started by Huntsville´s earliest residents in the 1820s.
But it´s a safe bet that the city´s founders never talked about Wi-Fi accessibility, electric car charging stations and skydiving tunnels.
Those were among the more than 500 downtown improvement ideas submitted by the public over the past month on the city´s website, huntsvilleal.gov, and Facebook page.
A standing-room-only crowd packed the Big Spring Partners building on the courthouse square Thursday to hear Battle reveal the most popular suggestions.
A permanent sidewalk market was the top vote-getter, followed by a unique skyscraper to transform the skyline, SmartCode zoning and a downtown greenway or riverwalk.
The No. 5 idea drew chuckles from the crowd: move Huntsville City Hall, which hogs a chunk of prime real estate overlooking Big Spring International Park.
One voter recommended turning the eight-story building into a boutique hotel.
Many other ideas landed just outside the top five: a late-night diner, better public transit, commuter rail service, a fountain depicting Huntsville´s role in space exploration.
In response to an audience question, Battle said one idea on the list – a new downtown ballpark – has been batted around recently.
He said a developer suggested that the city sell the Joe Davis Stadium site to Walmart, which would like to open a megastore around Airport Road, and use the proceeds to build the Huntsville Stars a new home downtown.
“It´s an interesting thought,” Battle said.
Another idea mentioned Thursday – more affordable downtown housing – may be the closest to reality.
Husband-and-wife developers Charlie and Sasha Sealy held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for their $11.5 million Belk Hudson Lofts project.
The couple is turning the vacant Belk department store building on Washington Street into a 75 loft apartments renting for $850 to $1,3000 per month.
The city is paying them $450,000 over five years to leave the building´s Depression-era outer walls intact – a development incentive known as a facade easement.
Charlie Sealy said Huntsville is teeming with people who hail from bigger cities – Washington, St. Louis, Denver – and crave downtown living. He said he initially thought the lofts would mainly appeal to young professionals, “but we´ve had interest from all age groups.”
The city is also looking at SmartCode zoning, which puts a premium on walkable neighborhoods where homes, schools, shopping and workplaces mix comfortably.
Providence was this area´s first SmartCode development.
Acting Planning Director Marie Bostick said the city has no restrictions on building heights right around the courthouse, making a cloud-skimming skyscraper a future possibility.
However, there´s a three- to five-story limit on streets where downtown meets Twickenham and Old Town.
Battle said whatever happens downtown should not “step on the toes” of people living in the nearby historic neighborhoods.
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