Downtown Tuscaloosa due for a makeover (with your tax dollars )

The Tuscalossa News ^ | July 09, 2003 | Adrienne Nettles

[robowombat]

Downtown Tuscaloosa due for a makeover City approves plan to begin $80 million project

By Adrienne Nettles Staff Writer July 09, 2003

The project The city and federal government plan to build upscale offices, condominiums, restaurants and a parking garage, all anchored by a new federal court building with a pond and pedestrian promenade, to an area bordered by University Boulevard, 20th Avenue, Sixth Street, Ninth Street, 22nd Avenue and 23rd Avenue. TUSCALOOSA | City Council took the first step Tuesday toward an $80 million joint venture between the city and federal government to revitalize a seven-block area of downtown over the next five years.

The project would represent a significant makeover of much of the core of downtown Tuscaloosa, uprooting longtime businesses and bringing in upscale offices, condominiums, restaurants and a parking garage, all anchored by a $50 million new federal court building with a pond and pedestrian promenade area.

Bob Almon, president of Almon Associates, presented a conceptual drawing of the project to the council during its meeting Tuesday.

After the presentation, the council unanimously approved an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration that will allow the city to use a $5 million federal appropriation to jumpstart the project. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., included the appropriation in a federal transportation bill.

“It's very exciting," City Councilman Joe Powell said. “This is a project that has been in the planning stages for some time."

Some downtown business owners were less enthusiastic.

“I'm not for giving up my business," said Richard Barton, whose business, Tuscaloosa Furniture, has been on Sixth Street for 63 years and would be displaced by the project. “I never dreamed it would come down to this area. I'm strictly against it."

The proposed area of the project is bordered by University Boulevard, 20th Avenue, Sixth Street, Ninth Street, 22nd Avenue and 23rd Avenue. Under the plan, 21st Avenue would be realigned westward to make room for the new federal building.

The infrastructure improvements and land acquisition needed to prepare downtown to support the federal building, as well as new commercial and residential development, will cost an estimated $30 million, including the $5 million federal appropriation.

“We hope all of the funding for this project will come from Shelby," said Almon, whose firm will be one of several engineering and architectural firms that will assist the city in the redevelopment. “We're hoping year after year we get more money. We're going to start the process going."

Almon said a significant amount of private enterprise is incorporated into the conceptual plan, which is not final.

“The only buildings we propose retaining are the BellSouth and AT&T switching stations," Almon said. “The architectural style of the buildings is suitable for blending in with the federal building."

Almon said the federal government would oversee the construction of the federal building.

“Basically the federal government will build the building," he said. “There wouldn't be any money coming from the city for this project. The city will have title to most of the land for the project except for the land for the federal building."

City Councilman Lee Garrison said the impetus behind the project is to create a better economic environment downtown.

“A project like this will bring more people downtown and obviously increase spending in the downtown area," he said.

The revitalization project will also spur development of the city's proposed Riverwalk project, he said.

“I think they will work together cooperatively," Garrison said. “Just like the Riverwalk, you have to invest publicly, followed by private development. It's going to take the city taking the lead in facilitating redevelopment, and when I say redevelopment, I mean on a grand scale with retail, offices and residential developments.

Now that the council has approved the agreement with the highway administration, the city can begin developing a scope of services and environmental documents for the project, said City Attorney Bob Ennis

“We will have to create an urban renewal plan that is required by state law," he said. “The plan will drive development of the area and give us the authority to condemn property and eliminate blight downtown."

However, the redevelopment will force Tuscaloosa Furniture Co. and other longtime downtown businesses, such as Campbell Body Shop and The Chukker, to relocate within the next five years.

The businesses' owners before Tuesday had only heard rumors about the massive project and were surprised to learn that they would be affected.

Ronnie Taylor, owner of Campbell Body Shop on Sixth Street, said that city officials weren't as forthcoming about the project as they should have been.

“It's been a good kept secret," he said. “I had an idea, but I didn't know when or where."

According to the conceptual plan, Campbell Body Shop would be displaced by the federal building.

“I can't replace the 15,000 square-footage I have here," Taylor said. “It's cheap. Anywhere you go its going to cost a bundle of money."

Taylor and other business owners are also concerned that they will lose their customer base, which includes University of Alabama students, faculty and downtown employees.

“The way I feel is that we don't want to move anywhere," Taylor said. “We're the one's making the city tax dollars."

But other downtown business owners said having to relocate outside of downtown is inevitable because of the limited parking. The proposed parking garage is too little too late, they said.

“It's bull, and I don't like the idea," said Ronnie Harless, owner of Auto Trim and Tire on Sixth Street. “They just spent a $3 million facelift on the federal courthouse on Greensboro [Avenue]; it's ridiculous."

“It's a big money project, and they're doing this for the doctors and lawyers. They need to look at the business downtown. We stay covered up with customers."

Some downtown business owners also complained that, while their businesses would be uprooted, commercial property at 2210 Eight St. owned by Shelby will be left untouched by the development. They said that would allow Shelby to reap the benefits of increased property values once the revitalization project is completed.

“They're not getting his property," Harless said.

Andrea Andrews, spokeswoman for Shelby, said he “has worked with the city to provide funding for revitalization, but he has left decisions regarding design and planning of the project to the city and the design and architectural professionals the city hired."

Garrison said he was not aware some downtown businesses were against the proposed project.

“The city wants to work with all business owners to make the downtown revitalization project as smooth of a process as possible," he said.

“The city's bold and ambitious plan for the riverfront and downtown area will be welcomed by many, but we'll also have individuals who are hesitant about these progressive changes."

Reach Adrienne Nettles at adrienne.nettles@tuscaloosanews.com or 722-0207.

[robowombat]

A fascinating example how the feds and local porkaticians concoct deals that obliterate the property and livlihoods of unimportant 'normal Americans'.

[So Cal Rocket]

Groucho Marx: "I shot an elephant in my pajamas... how he got in my pajamas, I'll never know. After I shot him, I tried to pull the tusks out, but I couldn't. But of course, in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa".

[bourbon]

The Chukker, to relocate within the next five years.

The government(s) are forcing the Chukker to move? Those B@$tards!!! Have they no shame?

[robowombat]

The film version of The Decievers was released in 1988 and was apparently shot on location in India with virtually and all Indian cast. This film is available on DVD for purchase.
Has anyone seen it?