Council approves HCS construction of new Central Office

The Huntsville City Schools Board of Education will soon have a new home as will the Career Tech Center, and both will share the same campus at the corner of Max Luther Drive and North Memorial Parkway.

The Huntsville City Council approved the transfer of 14 acres of what is the old Builder’s Square property to the Board to construct a Central Office complex.

Both facilities will operate under the same timeline. Bidding and awarding for the project will be in December 2023. Construction is expected to begin March 1, 2024 and be completed by July 1, 2025.

“We’ve been able to align these so they’ll start concurrently,’’ said Shane Davis, the city’s Director of Economic and Urban Development. “Huntsville City Schools has done an excellent job in showing partnership in  adjusting a schedule, adjusting a site plan so that you can stage this site for both projects to start at the same time.’’

Though Council President John Meredith (District 5 representative) was absent from the meeting, President Pro Tem Jennie Robinson (District 3) announced he had passed word to go ahead with a vote on the proposal.

She also said he wanted to put in the record that, “He really wants a school in West Huntsville.’’  The grade-level the school would be was not specified.

In a related move, money previously designated for development of the former Builder’s Square site will now go toward a site development farther north on Memorial Parkway.

The city considered two properties, one at the corner of Sparkman Drive and Memorial Parkway and the second at the intersection of Wincherster, Memorial Parkway and Hollow Road.

The council passed a purchase option for the 35-acre Hollow Road location.

Plans at that site call for commercial space facing the parkway, land for retail and townhomes, and a single-home community development on the backside of the property that will exit to Hollow Road. 

“It’s kind of like getting redevelopment of two sites for the price of one as far as this council is concerned for your investment,’’ Davis said. “There’s $5 million that we had that we will be placing elsewhere on the parkway.’’

Council member Devyn Keith (District 1) thanked his colleagues for “taking this issue very seriously.’’

“North Huntsville, as we’re elected to have a perspective about our districts, is very unique in what I would call the renaissance of Grow North. I’m one of the biggest cheerleaders of this city, but more particularly of Northwest Huntsville.’’

Davis added that an announcement would be coming within weeks regarding property at the corner of Winchester and the parkway opposite the site that was approved for a purchase option.

“It’s not the role of the City of Huntsville to be in the real estate business,’’ Davis said. “You’ve heard us say that time and time again. But there are certain opportunities where we need to do that to make sure our city grows in the right direction with the highest and best uses in certain locations. We’re not going to buy property up and down the parkway and then become real estate brokers.

“But, there are key points that we want to ensure provide the right return on investment and the right retail or the uses for our community. And we’ve identified some of those.’’