Goodall Homes Named Single-Family Home Developer for Hays Farm

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Goodall Homes has been named the exclusive, single-family home builder for more than 400 houses at Hays Farm, it was announced Tuesday.

Goodall is a Clayton Properties Group builder and  a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Hays Farm is a master planned community in  South Huntsville, just minutes from downtown Huntsville and adjacent to Redstone Arsenal with  direct access through Gate 3.

Hays Farm features 440 single-family homes, 600 multi-family units, a premier office park, a  9.5-acre urban park surrounded by retail, a 440-acre nature preserve, 8 miles of hard surface  greenway, and a Publix anchored grocery center. The outdoor amenities, combined with the  convenience of nearby retail, creates an extraordinary living setting.

“For more than 30 years Goodall Homes has built a legacy of quality and value,” said John Hays, developer and owner of the master-planned community. “Their commitment to excellence combined with their unmatched  ability to buildout a development of this scale makes them a natural fit for Hays Farm.”

Hays Farm has been in the Hays Family since 1906. The land has been cultivated for  generations and now the 850 acres of forests, fields, and springs will serve the families of South  Huntsville for generations to come.

“With its more than 400 acres of greens space and miles of trails, Hays Farm will be a  development like no other in the greater Huntsville area,” says Goodall Homes President and founder Bob Goodall. “In the next few years, we look forward to building beautiful homes in Hays Farm’s three distinct neighborhoods, homes where families come together and  memories are made. Together Hays Farm and Goodall Homes will introduce a balance of  living unrivaled in North Alabama.”

With an estimated timeframe of three to five years, Goodall Homes will be constructing homes in Hays Farm’s three neighborhoods; The Forge, The Forest, and The Fields, offering a variety  of square footage, layout, and price range options. According to a recent HAAR report, housing inventory continues to register at historic lows in Huntsville.

“The partnership between Hays Farm and Goodall Homes will bring more housing options to existing South Huntsville residents and new families moving to the area,” said Bekah  Schmidt, executive director of the South Huntsville Main Business Association. “The subdivisions at Hays Farm have been the most anticipated new construction in the greater Huntsville area.

“This is a buyer’s last opportunity to be a part of a large-scale master planned community in the Grissom High School district.”

Madison Crossings Senior Community Slated to Open in Spring

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MADISON – Madison Crossings, a Phoenix Senior Living community, will offer senior living services with  personalized care and luxury-style accommodations with a comfortable, smalltown feel.

The 132-unit senior living community on County Line Road will provide independent and memory care units. It is slated to open next spring.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Phoenix Senior Living for the development of Madison Crossings,” said Dean Kiriluk, chief investment officer for Kirco, a real estate development and construction company. “This marks our second project with the company in the state of Alabama, where our dedicated team is applying our unparalleled development and construction experience to help create optimal living environments for the underserved senior market.”

Madison Crossings offers independent living, memory care, respite care and senior day programs.

“We are pleased to work in partnership with Kirco and Kirco Manix as they share our unwavering commitment to offering best-in-class senior living options focused primarily on the well-being of the residents, their families and our associates,” said Jesse Marinko, founder and CEO of Phoenix Senior Living. “We are very excited to expand our footprint in Alabama. Our continued and strategic growth allows Phoenix to invest into our organization’s human capital and creates jobs throughout the Southeast for individuals who are passionate and bring a servant heart to the organization.

“Our organization was recently certified as a Great Place to Work which is a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment to our associates.”

The facility will include 105 independent apartments and 27 specialized apartments for memory care. Amenities will include an outdoor pool; wellness center; industry-leading dining experience; beauty salon and spa; yoga studio; and pickle ball court. Visit www.phoenixsrliving.com/madisoncrossings/.

Turner Construction Reaches Milestone on Monroe Street Parking Garage

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 Turner Construction Company has begun precast erection on the Monroe Street parking garage expansion and renovation in downtown Huntsville, the company announced Monday. The milestone signifies that vertical construction has begun.
The $14.4 million Monroe Street Parking Garage project includes the demolition of the two-story west section of the parking garage that fronts Monroe Street and the construction of a five-story parking garage with an additional entry from Clinton Avenue, containing approximately 725 parking spaces.

Construction is progressing on the Monroe Street parking garage. (Photo/Marty Sellers)

Construction began in July, with completion expected in August 2021. The City of Huntsville engaged Turner, who is collaborating on the project with Fuqua & Partners Architects and engineers SSOE Group, LBYD Engineers and Schoel Engineering.

This project is essential to the redevelopment of the Big Spring Park area, which continues to see new hotels. These include the new Autograph Collection by Marriott hotel, which will be connected to the new parking deck in the southwest corner. The Autograph joins several other hotel projects within walking distance of the nearby Von Braun Center multipurpose complex, which are being built to accommodate larger conferences and events.
“The expansion and renovation of the Monroe Street parking garage is a key project within the ongoing redevelopment of downtown Huntsville. Once completed, this piece of infrastructure will make it possible for residents and visitors to conveniently enjoy one of the many events at the Von Braun Center, Big Spring Park, or at one of the other attractions in downtown Huntsville,” Ricky Wilkinson, director of general services for the City of Huntsville, said in the statement. “The city is very appreciative of the partnership with Turner Construction Company and the rest of the project team for this project. We look forward to seeing the garage go vertical and begin to take shape.”
The garage will feature 3D-printed composite rain screen panels on the Monroe Street and Clinton Avenue entries, which will provide a modern skin for the garage, visually blending its new and old sections together with the Von Braun Center and Mars Music Hall.
“This parking deck represents a commitment to continuing Huntsville’s growth by bolstering its downtown attractions,” said Brandon Tucker, a project executive for Turner. “With start of the precast structure, the look of Big Spring Park will begin to change very quickly in the coming weeks. Turner is proud to be a part of this project with the city of Huntsville and its design partners.”
As part of the project, a parking-control system will be installed for the new entries on Monroe Street and Clinton Avenue, while existing parking control equipment at both Church Street entries will be replaced. This will bring state-of-the-art remote payment options and increased 24/7 accessibility to the deck, which previously required operation by a city employee. In addition, the deck’s new parking systems will incorporate parking integration for the forthcoming hotels, allowing parking densities to increase without taking away from the beauty of downtown Huntsville and Big Spring Park. Security cameras will also be installed at multiple locations in the new construction and the existing deck, and conduits will be created to accommodate License Plate Recognition cameras.
The existing parking deck was built in the late 1970s, and additional floors were added to the east half of the deck in 2005, which will remain standing.

House Prices Continue to Rise; Availability Narrows

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The price of housing continues to rise in the Huntsville area and houses are on the market for just a little more than two weeks, according to the latest report from the Alabama Center for Real Estate.

The average sales price in Huntsville for October was $284,489, a 14 percent increase from October 2019 and a slight increase over September’s average of $283,868.

“Historical data indicates that October average sales prices on average (2015-19) increase by 1.3 percent from September,” the report said. “The current month’s average price increased 0.2 percent from the prior month.”

The ACRE report also showed houses are on the mark for just 16 days – one less day than September and 15 days less than last October. It is a trend that ACRE said is likely to continue.

“The 5-year days-on-market average (2015-19) for the month of October is 64 days, which is 48 days above current results,” ACRE said. “Average DOM is anticipated to remain within the current range (15 – 65 days) for the foreseeable future.”

The number of houses available also continues to drop compared to a year ago and to this past September.

There were 832 houses listed for sale in October, the report said. It is a 28.7 percent decrease from the 1,167 houses that were available last October and an 8.6 percent drop from the 910 houses on the market in September of this year.

Broken down, there were 410 single-family houses available in October, compared to 778 in October 2019 and the number of new-built houses dropped from 509 in October 2019 to 422 last month. The report showed there were no condos listed for sale last month, compared to 21 a year ago.

“Historical data indicates that October inventory on average (2015-19) decreases 2.3 percent from September,” ACRE said. “The current month’s inventory decreased 8.6 percent from last month’s total of 910 homes.”

 

 

South Huntsville Companies Host Private Topping Out Ceremony

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Freedom Real Estate and Capital, Invariant and Torch Technologies hosted a Topping Out ceremony for their multi-tenant facility in South Huntsville.

Due to COVID restrictions, the event was held privately Friday. In building construction, topping out is a builders’ rite traditionally held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction. The completion date for the facility at 4040 Chris Drive is set for early next summer.

Joining Freedom CEO Bill Roark at the ceremony were Huntsville Madison County Chamber CEO Chip Cherry, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Invariant Director of Advanced Technology John Montgomery, Torch Technologies Senior Director Brady Porter and Turner Construction’s Project Executive Brandon Tucker.  Turner raised the final beam atop the structure.

“Congratulations to our design and construction partners for keeping the project on schedule and moving forward safely during COVID,” said Freedom’s Director of Capital Projects Lee Holland.

The design is led by Arcspace Studio and construction is led by Turner Construction. The project has achieved 25,000 work hours to date with no lost time accidents or injuries.

The 4040 Chris Drive Development is 92,000 square feet and will feature a mix of office, research and development labs, light manufacturing, assembly, and integration space along with a high bay.

Slyman Named State Building Group’s Builder of the Year

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Todd Slyman

Todd Slyman of Huntsville has been named the Home Builders Association of Alabama’s Jerry Kyser Builder of the Year for 2020. He was honored during the HBAA’s Convention awards presentation recently in Destin, Fla.

The Jerry Kyser Builder of the Year Award recognizes a builder member from a local association with more than 500 members who has shown outstanding service to their local and state associations, their community and the building industry as a whole.

Slyman of Placemakers North America has been a member of the Huntsville Madison County Builders Association since 1993. He has served in numerous leadership roles there, including president in 1999. He was inducted into the HCMBA Housing Hall of Fame in 2008.

Slyman has also been active within the HBAA, serving as president in 2012. He has also served on the HBAA’s Governmental Affairs Committee, Affordable Housing Committee, and the Alabama Home Builders Foundation.  He was inducted into the Alabama Building Industry Hall of Fame in 2018.

T. Lewis Real Estate & Design Expands to Huntsville

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Seizing on what founder Therese Winnington calls a “city of incredible opportunity,” Tennessee-based T. Lewis Real Estate & Design has opened an office in Huntsville.

“Huntsville is a city of incredible opportunity, and we want to be a part of the continued growth and revitalization that is happening here,” said Winnington, owner and founder of T. Lewis Real Estate & Design. “I am excited for this expansion and look forward to the ways we will be able to better serve clients from Huntsville to Middle Tennessee, and the counties in between.”

Winnington recently bought 14 properties in Huntsville to revitalize and manage as rental homes.

T. Lewis Real Estate & Design specializes on revitalizing spaces by incorporating high-end design elements that turn properties into modern, intentional homes. Winnington has used this approach in the sales of residential and commercial real estate in Madison, Tenn., and the surrounding area.

“I like to find what makes a property or area unique and work to restore its original charm with a few modern flares.” said Winnington. “The goal is to find what is good in a space and give it an opportunity to really shine.”

T. Lewis Real Estate & Design is in the Regus office space on Old Madison Pike.

City Opens Haysland Road from Grissom High School to Redstone Road

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Things are moving along in South Huntsville and they will be moving along a lot easier now.

On Tuesday, “Phase II” of Haysland Road through the Hays Farm development was opened from Grissom High School to Redstone Road.

Mayor Tommy Battle, City Council President Jennie Robinson, and Director of Engineering Kathy Martin cut the ribbon for the two-mile roadway.

The two-mile roadway includes a 12-foot-wide multiuse path through approximately 250 acres of preserved open space. (Photos/Steve Babin)

Haysland Road provides a parallel road in the city’s growing southern corridor to ease congestion on Memorial Parkway as well as provide direct access to Grissom High School and Redstone Arsenal.

The $8 million project includes a 12-foot-wide multiuse path through approximately 250 acres of preserved open space.

The Hays Farm development will include single-family homes, apartments and townhouses to complement retail businesses and a nine-acre city park.

Area Housing Market Builds on Summer Success; Sales, Prices Up; Inventory Continues to Dwindle

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The Huntsville area housing market continues to show its resilience in the wake of the pandemic.

The number of house sales and prices in the third quarter increased over the third quarter last year while the number of available houses continues to fall, compared to the same period in 2019.

The latest quarterly Huntsville Area of Real Estate Economic Report by the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors illustrates the strength of the local market.

“This summer, we reported a successful quarter through the pandemic largely because of the responsible and dedicated work of our Realtor members in our communities,” said HAAR President Sha Jarboe.“Our latest report shows higher-than-usual sales activity for this time of a typical year. We are thankful for our partnership with the UAH College of Business to offer this analysis to the public.”

According to the report:

  • Residential real estate prices continue to rise while the number of homes sold remains at a record level. The median sales price climbed to $254,991 in the third quarter of this year, some $33,193 above the median sales price of $221,798 in the third quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, there were 2,621 houses sold with 759 sales pending compared to 2,250 sales and 595 pending in the third quarter last year.
  • Inventory continues to register at historic lows, falling in every price range this quarter. There were 910 houses available at the end of the third quarter.  There were 926 homes available at the end of June (second quarter) and 1,226 at the end of the third quarter 2019. Of the homes available, there were only 40 homes priced below $150,000.  The greatest number of homes listed for sale was 227 in the $350,000-$500,000 price range.  The $200,000-$250,000 price range had the second most with 170 homes listed which was down from 207 homes in the second quarter.
  • Houses stayed on the market for less than three weeks (a record low of 19 days) in the third quarter, half as long as this time last year.
  • Months of Supply fell to less than one month (24 days) compared to nearly two months at the end of the third quarter in 2019.
  • 17 homes valued more than $800,000 were sold in September 2020, contributing to a monthly sales total double that of any other month since 2010 when this data was first recorded by UAH.

 

 

City Unveils Rendering of New City Hall

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You may not be able to beat City Hall, but you can sure build one.

Rendering shows the new Huntsville City Hall on Gates and Fountain Circle, across from the current municipal complex. (Rendering by Goodwyn Mills Cawood)

And the City of Huntsville will be doing just that.

The city unveiled architect renderings of its new City Hall planned for downtown.

The building is expected to cost between $60 million and $70 million and the city is hoping for a ground-breaking next spring. Construction is expected to last about 18 months.

The architectural firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood is overseeing the project and unveiled the renderings at Thursday’s City Council meeting.

The new City Hall will house all of the city’s departments. Currently, some departments, such as engineering, community development and inspections, are leasing office space outside of City Hall.

A birds-eye view of the proposed Huntsville City Hall (Rendering by Goodwyn Mills Cawood)

City officials have said moving all departments under one new roof will save money and be more energy-efficient.

The building will occupy the site of the municipal parking garage at Gates Avenue and Fountain Circle, across the street from the current building. The city had said plans call for six office levels and an adjacent five-level parking garage.

The city approved plans for the new municipal building last year because the current City Hall, which was built in 1963, does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, building or fire standards.

Also, citing the building’s failing structural integrity, facade issues and mechanical systems (elevators, HVAC and the like) that are “at the end of their useful life,” city officials agreed renovations would cause a financial burden.