Find out where Huntsville ranks in the “The Top 10 Best American Cities to Work in Tech in 2016” in the original posted on SmartAsset.com on July 6, 2016.
Want to work in tech but not sure Silicon Valley is the place for you? You’re not alone. America’s tech scene isn’t just a California phenomenon. And in fact, when you factor in the cost of living, you might be surprised by the cities that turn out to be America’s best places for tech workers.
CityCentre announces AC Hotels construction timeline, artisanal food hall
By Lucy Berry
June 16, 2016
Work will begin this month on a new-to-Alabama hotel at one of the city’s most anticipated projects in downtown Huntsville.
RCP Companies and Yedla Hotel Management confirm grading will start before the end of June on AC Hotels by Marriott, a proposed 150-unit boutique hotel at CityCentre at Big Spring at the old Holiday Inn site, which was razed in January 2015. Vertical construction will follow early this fall.
The hotel will be the 10th U.S. location for AC Hotels, a global joint venture with Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalán. Yedla Management Company, which owns and operates Starwood, Marriott and Hilton franchises, will run the property.
RCP Director of Acquisitions and Asset Management Odie Fakhouri said the hotel will be customized for Huntsville and have integrated new restaurants with rooftop bars and outdoor terraces overlooking Big Spring International Park.
“The results are delivery of a special hotel experience that resonates with the local market and embodies a unique personality within the brand,” he said in a statement.
Plans to get started on the European-inspired hotel were delayed last year due to an internal impact study by Marriott, which determined the property will not pose an unfair competitive advantage over other Marriott brands in the city. Fakhouri said the hotel will be complete by next summer.
CityCentre at Big Spring, a $100 million project, will also feature a 12,000-square-foot artisanal food hall called The Public Market designed by The Gravity Company, an Orlando consulting firm. Ray Schaefer, founding partner of The Gravity Company, said food halls offer a “snapshot of a community’s culinary and cultural identity.”
The food hall at CityCentre will be inspired by Ponce City Market and Krog Street in Atlanta, Eataly in Chicago and The Source in Denver.
“Food halls are a part of a culinary trend spreading throughout the U.S., born of an era in which the old way of buying and consuming is new again,” Schaefer said. “They celebrate emerging talent and give small purveyors a chance to display their creative skills in a brick-and-mortar location.”
More CityCentre details are expected this summer.
The project as a whole will feature approximately 50,000 square feet of retail, upscale homes, structured/street-level parking, and regional and local cuisine. It will also have pedestrian crossings, bike pathways, walkways and a linear park that connects visitors to Big Spring Park, the VBC, Twickenham Square, medical district and other nearby properties.
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Huntsville Chamber releases report on state of the regional economy
By Lucy Berry
May 19, 2016
A new study by UAH shows the future is looking bright for one of the 40 fastest-growing major U.S. metros in north Alabama.
The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County recently commissioned a regional study analyzing the impact of the 68 economic development projects announced by the Chamber from 2013-15. The report focuses on projects within Madison County, as well as the contiguous counties of Jackson, Limestone, Marshall, Morgan and Lincoln County, Tenn.
The study, which does not measures job losses or company closures, said the estimated economic impact of the projects includes a $4.2 billion expansion of the regional economy, 15,200 operations-related jobs and $989 million in additional yearly payroll.
“Overall, people are very pleased, the consultants we work with understand the market and have faith that if they bring a project here, it has a good chance of being successful,” said Chamber President/CEO Chip Cherry. “And then the workforce is what kind of makes us or breaks us and that’s what has allowed us to grow and excel because they find the people they need to make their companies successful.”
UAH said the economic development announcements created a $1.46 billion impact from capital investment, resulting in 11,300 jobs and $567 million in capital investment-related payroll.
That three-year period also includes a $128 million increase in net annual taxes (employment, state, and local), as well as $52 million in net local sales, property and other taxes. Jeff Thompson, research scientist in the Center for Management and Economic Research at UAH, conducted the study with UAH business lecturer and economist Brinda Mahalingam using IMPLAN software by MIG, Inc.
Thompson said the supply chain that follows an economic development project is as important as the announcement itself.
“If that company can’t get that supply — raw materials or people or whatever it is they need — they can’t be successful,” he said. “In this case, this is a measure of major success in this region.”
Madison County has continuously led the state as one of the top counties for capital investment and job-related announcements over the past few years. In 2015 alone, the area generated 1,226 new jobs and $71 million in new and expanding investment.
Remington Outdoor, Polaris Industries, Toyota Alabama, Science and Engineering Services and GE Aviation are just a few of the companies who have made high-profile jobs announcements in recent years. Cherry confirmed they are working about 48 active projects for the future.
“We have a number of projects that are really close to being closed, so it’s going to be a good year from a project count number,” he said.
While Huntsville/Madison County has enjoyed several economic successes, some neighboring communities haven’t been so lucky. Thousands of people lost their jobs from 2013-15 during nearby plant closures or layoffs at International Paper, Hillshire Brands, HON Company, Navistar, izzy+, Pilgrim’s Pride, Shaw Industries Group and more.
Cherry said it can be difficult for rural areas to have economic development success because they sometimes struggle with workforce perception, the recruitment of senior-level talent and infrastructure issues.
Every new or lost job is vital to the economy, Thompson added.
“You don’t exist as an island to yourself no matter how great a city or county you are or state for that matter,” he said. “You’re interdependent upon your neighbors and that’s really what I think drives this.”
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Census: Huntsville and Auburn growing rapidly, Montgomery shrinking
By Challen Stephens
May 19, 2016
Huntsville continues to lead the growth in Alabama, according to new Census estimates released today, adding more than 10,000 residents since 2010. That’s more than any other city in the state.
At the current rate of growth, Huntsville would pass Birmingham as the state’s largest city within 15 years.
“I’m not worried about being biggest,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle when told about the new estimates, “I just want to make sure we keep giving a good quality of life.”
In Alabama, there are only four major cities, each hovering on either side of 200,000 people. And among these four, Montgomery is shrinking, while Mobile and Birmingham have been essentially stable since 2010.
Meanwhile, the new estimates for city populations in 2015 show growth in Huntsville picking up, as the city added 2,377 of those new residents from 2014 to 2015.
“You have to grow as a city to be a successful, healthy city,” said Battle, but added: “That’s a fine line to make sure your community grows but you don’t outgrow your infrastructure.”
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Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in Alabama
Explore the best suburbs to raise a family. Niche ranks US suburbs based on age demographics, school ratings, crime rates, and access to affordable housing, child care, libraries, and grocery stores. A high ranking indicates that a suburb attracts young families with good schools and a safe community.
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