If you didn’t realize that Huntsville is growing at an astounding rate, you have not been paying very close attention to the Rocket City lately. But do you realize that in 2022, the city gained more than 450 new residents per month?

To put that into perspective, the city’s Inspections Department issued more Certificates of Occupancy than any year since the department began keeping records in 1983. Wow!

Construction projects in the Huntsville area have received more permits than the rest of the state combined when it comes to multi-million-dollar building projects.

Areas of the city seeing exponential growth include MidCity, Downtown and North Huntsville, among other spots. And if your city is attracting more than 450 new residents per month, you’re going to need multiple city hotspots.

The opening of the Orion Amphitheater in May was a milestone project for the City, bringing in more than 150,000 people in its first season, and helped fuel additional commercial and residential growth within the MidCity Entertainment District. As the district continues to rival downtown as the city’s after-hours hotspot, growth is expected to continue in the 110-acre master planned development.

Some of the highlights at MidCity in 2022:

In September, the Anthem House project broke ground, a $110 million mixed-use building consisting of 30,000 square feet of retail space, 20,000 square feet of office space, and 330 residential units.
In December, work began on Wellory Living, a $108 million multifamily development that aims to be the Southeast’s first net zero multifamily development.
Construction also kicked off on the five-story, 120-room Hotel Indigo.

More residents, more services

No other part of Huntsville is experiencing a growth boom as significant as its historic downtown. This year saw upgrades to the Von Braun Center, and a new hotel – the Autograph by Marriott – is under construction adjacent to Big Spring Park. This is good news for those 450 new residents per month the city added last year.

Here are some of the projects Downtown that are underway:

Along Lowe Avenue, a $100 million federal courthouse is taking shape. Several blocks away, construction is progressing on a new City Hall and parking garage that will help make municipal government more efficient by putting more departments under one roof.
Construction on the new Front Row Huntsville development, an 11-acre mixed-use development at the former Big Springs Bottling plant, is expected to begin in spring 2023.
Following the recent completion of the Eclipse, CityCentre at Big Spring is expanding its downtown footprint and will add two additional phases. Phase 2 includes a food hall, a Moxy Hotel and parking deck. Phase 3 will include mixed-use retail, office and residential space. Both Phase 2 and Phase 3 will be under construction in 2023.
Vista at Councill Square, a five-story, 336-unit residential development that will also include retail opportunities, also broke ground in 2022.
Additional developments in the downtown core include mixed-use projects along Oakwood Avenue, Meridian Street, Pratt Avenue, Lowe Mill and Governors Drive.

Growth in North Huntsville

North Huntsville is experiencing a renaissance. In 2022, residential growth continued to thrive in developments like Jaguar Hills, which offered new single-family homes at previously unheard-of price points. Additional residential developments are under construction in the Blue Springs, Pulaski Pike and Bob Wade Lane corridors.

In addition to residential growth, the City announced it was donating 14 acres to Huntsville City Schools at the intersection of North Memorial Parkway and Max Luther Drive. The property will be the new home for Huntsville City Schools central office and a new technical education academy.

Huntsville, Alabama

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