The latest project the City has invested into North Huntsville is the planned Legacy Park near the Johnson Legacy Center (JLC), which sits at the old Johnson High School campus on Cecil Fain Drive.

The Huntsville City Council approved a $4.6 million contract with Consolidated Construction Services to build what has been called a “unique recreational space’’ at what used to be the high school’s main parking lot.

Devyn Keith, the City Council’s District 1 representative, will host a community meeting regarding the Jaguar Hills redevelopment and surrounding area and to discuss final plans for Legacy Park on Tuesday, June 7, at 5:30 p.m. at the JLC.

“The new Legacy Park will be a game changer for North Huntsville,” he said. “Seeing the Johnson High School campus come to life in a new way is already paying dividends for our community.”

Keith said the park is more piece in a much larger plan to continue the erasure of blight and to invest in high-quality projects to “increase the life of the community and the equity of the community as well.’’

The Jaguar Hills project, with the JLC as the centerpiece, is being unfolded in four phases. Keith said dividends are already being seen as a house on Thorton’s Way Circle, which runs through Jaguar Hills, recently sold for $365,000.

“Homes in North Huntsville are selling on par with homes in other communities,’’ he said.

The JLC, a membership-based city recreation center, will complement the planned Legacy Park, which also be within walking distance of a variety of new single-family homes.

“Combined with the success of the JLC and other new residences and amenities popping up in the area, Legacy Park will provide a wonderful space that citizens of all ages can take pride in,” said James Gossett, Director of Huntsville Parks & Recreation.

New hardscapes and sidewalks
Landscaping and irrigation
Two pavilions
One entertainment pavilion with terraced seating for up to 200 people
Plaza with monument sign
132-space parking lot
Modern playground

The park will also feature a concrete pad for a future National Fitness Campaign (NFC) Fitness Court Installation. NFC’s Fitness Court is an innovative outdoor bodyweight circuit training center created to improve quality of life in cities, schools, parks and trails across America.

Designed for adults of all ages and abilities, each Fitness Court® provides a free full body workout in just seven minutes. Users will be able to rotate through all seven Fitness Court® zones, leveraging their bodyweight at different angles and levels of resistance to improve performance over time.

The installation is a collaboration between NFC, the City of Huntsville and Arts Huntsville. Local artists will have a chance to compete for space on the structure through the Huntsville Public Art Program.

According to the city, work will begin at Legacy Park within 10 calendar days of the issuance of notice to proceed and take no longer than 270 days to complete.

The JLC is just one of ongoing projects Keith says will continue to help revitalize north Huntsville. There’s also a mixed-use complex at Max Luther Drive and construction has been ongoing for a Memorial Parkway overpass at Mastin Lake Road.

Keith said the city will court big-name tenants whether it be grocery chains or fast food stops, and hopes increased traffic on the parkway with quicker access to the north part of town will result in business success that will spread into what he calls “infield spots’’ along roads such as Pulaski, Oakwood and Winchester.

“It’s really important that the standards we set in other parts of the community are carried throughout,’’ he said.

Images courtesy of the City of Huntsville.