After decades of planning and dreaming, Constellation Huntsville is finally under construction.

Constellation is a mixed-use development right at Huntsville’s “front door.” (Photo/Steve Babin)

Located on about 11 acres sandwiched between Memorial Parkway, Clinton Avenue and the Von Braun Center, the mixed-use project has sparked numerous questions and much speculation over the years.

Developer Scott McLain never lost faith, although it may have been shaken a bit over the last 12 years after two recessions, a pandemic and other natural bumps in the road of developing such a large project.

On the site of the old Heart of Huntsville Mall, which was demolished in 2007, Constellation Huntsville will feature 219 apartments, about 25,000 square feet of retail space, about 20,000 square feet of small office space, multiple restaurants and a parking deck.

A 200,000 square-foot office tower could be the tallest in downtown, McLain said, and “only limited by physics and economics.” A hotel will join Springhill Suites on the site.

The project is being developed by Constellation LLC, which consists of Heartland Real Estate Services (Heartland Development Services LLC of Chicago) and Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate.

The second hotel will be developed by Yedla Management Co. which owns the hotel site. Yedla lists 17 hotels in its portfolio including the Springhill Suites, AC Hotel, Aloft Hotel, Homewood Suites, TownePlace Suites, Hampton Inn, and DoubleTree Suites in Huntsville; as well as hotels in Florence, Decatur, Foley, Atmore, Charlotte and Lake Mary, Fla.

The site has the highest traffic count in the city, with Memorial Parkway, Clinton Avenue, Governors Drive and I-565 within a mile. (Photo/Steve Babin)

“Constellation is fully under construction at this point and we are excited,” McLain said. “Constellation is part of downtown Huntsville’s exciting, new mixed-use projects and is strategically located at what some say is the front door of downtown. I am exceedingly proud to see this project executed.

“The site is very important and demands a high-quality and exciting project. Being at the front door to downtown on Memorial Parkway is a responsibility to ensure that the property is fully utilized and developed to its fullest purpose to the benefit of our community.”

The site has the highest traffic count in the city, with Memorial Parkway, Clinton Avenue, Governors Drive and I-565 within a mile. The City of Huntsville has pledged $3 million for upgrades to the intersections near the site along with access to parking. Asked about potential changes to access roads on South Memorial Parkway, which are stressful at rush hours, McLain said none were planned and “it’s a U.S. highway, so the ramps are as they are.”

A 200,000 square-foot office tower is planned for this site along Memorial Parkway. Its height may be “only limited by physics and economics.” (Photo/Steve Babin)

The four-story apartment building will feature courtyards, a heated swimming pool, 1- to 3-bedroom apartments, gym facilities and meeting facilities along with other amenities. McLain said the apartments will not be completed until at least April 2022.

Retail and restaurant leasing “is in full swing, but they decide when they want to announce so we have no announcements at this juncture,” McLain said.

Total investment for Constellation will be close to $100 million, McLain said. His father, the late Gene McLain, purchased the site in the 1980s and demolished the one-story Heart of Huntsville mall in 2007. McLain died the day he and Scott were to meet with then-Mayor Loretta Spencer about the development.

A year later the worst recession since the Depression hit.

“It certainly is a highly complex project,” McLain said, “and between two recessions, two partnership deaths and the pandemic it has taken quite some time to get to this point.

“But we are extremely excited to be underway and fully under construction.”