4 major developments under construction in Huntsville, including MidCity District

Despite the ongoing uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huntsville has several exciting construction projects in the works. Keep reading to learn more about four major construction projects underway in the Rocket City, including the MidCity District.

1. MidCity District ($1 billion+)

Cited as one of the 12 largest commercial real estate projects in the nation by National Real Estate Investor, Huntsville’s MidCity District is a planned mixed-use community located on the former site of the Madison Square Mall. With private investments in the project expected to total over $1 billion (with a B) over the next five years, MidCity District will be an exciting addition to the Rocket City.

Once complete, MidCity District will include:

• Upwards of 1,400 residential units in apartment communities like Metronome at MidCity
• 650 hotel rooms
• 400,000 square-feet of office space + 350,000 square-feet of retail space
• A 40-acre park & functional lake system
• An exciting lineup of shops & restaurants, including Huntsville’s first Trader Joe’s
• A TopGolf
• A one-mile bike & running trail, surrounding the lake system

And that’s not all! Several exciting “mini-projects” in the MidCity District could easily stand alone, such as:

A. Huntsville Amphitheater ($40M)

As a fan of live music, I am extremely excited to visit the Huntsville Amphitheater in the MidCity District. In the works since 2017 (but officially approved in 2020), this upcoming outdoor amphitheater will be ready to host world-class concerts and seat upwards of 8,000 guests by 2022. Reminiscent of an ancient Roman amphitheater, the Huntsville Amphitheater will be a venue for concerts as well as hundreds of community-wide events throughout the year.

Involved in the $40M Huntsville Amphitheater project are Birmingham-based contractor Robins & Morton and architects Matheny Goldmon and David M. Schwarz.

Learn more about the Huntsville Amphitheater project here.

B. Touchstar Cinemas

Another exciting addition to the MidCity District project is the upcoming, state-of-the-art Touchstar Cinemas. Since 2001, Touchstar Cinemas has been a beloved part of the former Madison Square Mall—in fact, Touchstar Cinemas survived the closing & demolition of the mall due to overwhelming public support for the theater.

Once complete, the Touchstar Cinemas at MidCity District will include:

• Alabama’s largest movie screen (a title that is currently held by the Lakeshore Premiere LUX Cine in Birmingham)
• 50,000 square-feet of theatre space, including 14 sprawling wall-to-wall screens
• 4K laser projectors, with 3D capabilities, Dolby Atmos & DTX immersive sound
• In-theater dining
• 21+ VIP Suites, with heated, reclining seats, a privacy enclosure, private lounge AND access to a full-service bar

2. Clinton Commons ($325M)

Earlier this year, the Huntsville City Council unanimously approved plans for a $325M mixed-use development known as the Clinton Commons. Led by New York developer Rocket Development Partners LLC, the Clinton Commons project will transform a vacant, 13-acre plot of land into a unique place for retail & office space, new restaurants and hospitality options. During the first phase of development, the Clinton Commons project will include:

• 26,000 square-feet of retail space
• 40,000 square-feet of office space
• A 100-room hotel
• Multi-family housing options
• An 800-space, multilevel parking deck
• Several public spaces, including a surface parking lot

Click here for more information on Clinton Commons in Huntsville.

3. Facebook Data Center ($1 billion+)

In order to handle traffic from their nearly 1.9 billion daily active users, Facebook currently operates a fleet of 13 data centers throughout the United States. Each data server contains rows upon rows of computer servers, which work together to handle Facebook’s massive daily traffic.

As announced earlier this year, Facebook plans to invest a hefty sum in their Huntsville Data Center, located in the North Huntsville Industrial Park. Currently, construction of the campus’ third building is well underway. Once complete, the Huntsville Data Center campus will include nearly 2.5 million square feet of space, representing a $1 billion investment from Facebook.

The Huntsville Data Center is expected to be fully operational by 2024.

Click here to learn more about Facebook’s Huntsville Data Center.

4. Amazon Fulfillment Center

In May, Amazon announced their plans to open a 1 million square-foot fulfillment center in Huntsville, creating 500 new jobs and expanding the company’s presence in Alabama. Located near the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing US facility in Greenbrier, Amazon plans to have their new Fulfillment Center ready for operation in Fall 2021.

At the Fulfillment Center in Huntsville, Amazon employees will specialize in packing & shipping large, bulky Amazon purchases, such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment, rugs and more.

Click here to learn more about the upcoming Amazon Fulfillment Center in Huntsville.

Which upcoming construction projects in Huntsville are you looking forward to? Tag us at @thebamabuzz on social media to let us know!