Bridge Street gets new landscaper
O&S Holdings' hotel division hires new vice president

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

From staff reports
Huntsville Times

O&S Holdings LLC has hired a new contractor to handle the landscaping portion of the Bridge Street Town Centre project.

ValleyCrest Landscape Development, a division of Calabasas, Calif.-based ValleyCrest Companies, will be responsible for landscaping, irrigation, lighting, perimeter streetscapes, pond/lake coordination and parking structure landscape.

O&S Holdings is in final negotiations with a Southern-based, national contractor to complete the building construction. Last month, the developer parted ways with its general contractor, Turner Universal Construction, over financial disputes.

"We hope to make an announcement in the next 30 days," on a new general contractor, said Brett Thornton, senior vice president of development for O&S Holdings.

O&S Holdings also said one of its divisions, Huntsville Hotel Partners LLC has hired Steven A. Ragsdale to be vice president of hotel operations. He will oversee the newly created hospitality division of the company, working out of the Huntsville office.

Ragsdale has more than 31 years of experience in the hospitality industry. For the past six years, he was the general manager/vice president of operations for the Huntsville Marriott. Before that, he served in a similar capacity for several Southern-based franchised hotels.

"The hospitality industry is gaining such importance in our core business of developing mixed-use retail and entertainment properties," said Gary Safady, managing member of O&S Holdings. "We are actively seeking hotel development deals, and Steve's role is vital in establishing how the hotel component will be incorporated into all of our Bridge Street Town Centre developments."