The fast-growing success of Downtown Huntsville continues to receive great coverage from local media outlets. Both WAFF and WHNT have recently featured the Downtown development boom on their television and web platforms.
The WAFF story highlighted major projects like the AC Hotel and VBC Music Hall—both under construction in the city center. The article features a great quote from Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle on the positive impact of Downtown growth not just in the city’s core but throughout Huntsville as a whole:
We're having more and more emphasis on Downtown and as Downtown grows, we spread out and we see more development as you go down South Parkway and North Parkway. The success of Downtown grows to the whole city. It's what we would call the living room of our city and people come down there, we have retail, shops, dining. It gives everyone an identity for this city so it's great to see all those things happening, he said.
Meanwhile, WHNT recently published this story and this story highlighting the Downtown Huntsville Annual Meeting and Downtown Awards that featured the exciting group of groundbreakings slated for 2019 in the city center. In addition to featuring the also “under construction” Curio Hotel, WHNT noted the big new investment dollar-wise in Downtown Huntsville:
Building continues at a feverish pace in Downtown Huntsville, part of what Emerson says is over $250 million worth of investment to attract more foot traffic.
The exciting growth in Downtown isn’t just limited to development projects though. In fact, a major $500,000 plus investment in public art was recently announced for the city’s core near the new City Centre and Redstone Federal Credit Union projects:
Arts Huntsville announced an international Request for Qualifications to design a large-scale, multi-site public art installation in downtown Huntsville.
The project, expected to span three sites will include a renovated plaza area in Big Spring Park, an interior plaza at RCP Companies’ City Centre mixed-use development, and a pocket park adjacent to Redstone Federal Credit Union’s new branch located along Huntsville’s developing greenway system. The award for the project is $530,000, making it the largest-scale public art project ever recorded in Huntsville.
Last, but certainly not least, one of the biggest announcements was the International Downtown Association’s selection of Downtown Huntsville for its national Place Branding and Placemaking Summit this May. This huge honor directly results from the continued successes in our city center and will bring hundreds of the leading Downtown marketing and promotional minds to the Rocket City for three days of interactive sessions, Master Talks, and unique receptions.
Registration is now open here. If Downtown marketing, promotions, and creative placemaking interest you, we encourage to register soon and support this great event in Downtown Huntsville!