Shopping complex to include park areas

Sunday, November 11, 2007

By MARIAN ACCARDI

Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com

Harris Hill development will be at U.S. 72, Moores Mill

After two years of planning and research, developers are poised to start a park-like commercial project at what they call the main intersection for northeast Madison County and northeast Alabama traffic coming into Huntsville.

Harris Hill, a development at U.S. 72 East at the Moores Mill Road extension, would include a hotel, shops, restaurants and office space. In all, the project would include about 600 acres, with 200 acres set aside for parks, greenspace and trails.

"Sites like this with natural beauty - there aren't many of them left," said Cole Walker, a partner in Walker Family Properties, the Harris Hill developer. "We thought that this site deserved to be preserved as much as possible" while building a project to serve that growing area.

About 70,000 people live within five miles of that intersection, he said, and an average of 45,000 cars travel daily on U.S. 72 at Moores Mill Road.

"Our goal is to start phase one in '08," with site work starting possibly in the spring, Walker said. "For the first phase, in addition to a hotel and retail, we expect to have a heavy focus on restaurants because we continue to have a lot of interest from people in that area for sit-down restaurants." Mainly fast-food restaurants are in the area now.

Some hiking and biking trails and the first section of the park should be finished next year, Walker said, "and some commercial activity should be open in '08."

Walker said the site could support up to 1 million square feet of retail, office, residential and hotel space. All phases of the project are expected to be completed within seven years. "We have interest from a number of tenants," Walker said, but he declined to be more specific.

The house on the Harris Hill property that's visible from U.S. 72 and the pasture in front of it will be left intact, Walker said.

A cemetery, documented to include the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, will be protected and incorporated into the first phase. "It's the first pocket park in a planned series of parks and greenways that will be integrated throughout the development," he said.

The Harris Hill site adjoins the 154-acre tract on Monte Sano's north slope that Alabama's Forever Wild conservation program has agreed to buy from the Terry family. Trails at Harris Hill will tie into trails at the Hawks Ridge residential development atop Chapman Mountain.

"This will put in place the final link for hiking trails" that ultimately tie in to Monte Sano, Walker said.

A couple of years ago, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. backed off plans to build a supercenter on U.S. 72 at the base of Chapman Mountain. Then, Walker family members bought the 60-acre tract known as Harris Hill Farm from the family of local Realtor Arlene Stewart, who died in December 2001.

Walker Family Properties includes Walker; his parents, Ben and Sally Walker of Huntsville; and his brother, Dr. Ben Walker of Birmingham. "We're aligning with outside partners" for some projects such as the hotel.

"A project of this size takes multiple years to unfold," said Cole Walker. "It's not a sprint; it's a marathon."

Road work already planned for the area "demonstrates to retailers that this is where the growth is," Walker said.

The road project involves extending Moores Mill to the south of U.S. 72. At the end of the Moores Mill extension, a connector road will be built to the east to Old Gurley Road and to the west to High Mountain Road on Chapman Mountain. That should be completed late next year or in early 2009.

The Moores Mill extension and service road will tie into the proposed interchange at U.S. 72 and Moores Mill when the limited-access portion of the highway is extended east. The project will give drivers on Old Gurley Road a safer entry to U.S. 72 at the Moores Mill intersection, which will include a new traffic signal system.

"I think the service road will be a big asset to the Chapman area," said Crawford Howard, the chairman of the Huntsville Planning Commission who lives in that area. It will provide "two outlets out of that shopping complex going east or west."

The residential area of Harris Hill, to be built toward the toe of the slope, would have a mix of town houses and multistory flats or condominiums, Walker said.

The high-density residential pockets "allow you to disturb as little greenspace as possible."



Shopping complex to include park areas Sunday, November 11, 2007 By MARIAN ACCARDI Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com Harris Hill development will be at U.S. 72, Moores Mill After two years of planning and research, developers are poised to start a park-like commercial project at what they call the main intersection for northeast Madison County and northeast Alabama traffic coming into Huntsville. Harris Hill, a development at U.S. 72 East at the Moores Mill Road extension, would include a hotel, shops, restaurants and office space. In all, the project would include about 600 acres, with 200 acres set aside for parks, greenspace and trails. "Sites like this with natural beauty - there aren't many of them left," said Cole Walker, a partner in Walker Family Properties, the Harris Hill developer. "We thought that this site deserved to be preserved as much as possible" while building a project to serve that growing area. About 70,000 people live within five miles of that intersection, he said, and an average of 45,000 cars travel daily on U.S. 72 at Moores Mill Road. "Our goal is to start phase one in '08," with site work starting possibly in the spring, Walker said. "For the first phase, in addition to a hotel and retail, we expect to have a heavy focus on restaurants because we continue to have a lot of interest from people in that area for sit-down restaurants." Mainly fast-food restaurants are in the area now. Some hiking and biking trails and the first section of the park should be finished next year, Walker said, "and some commercial activity should be open in '08." Walker said the site could support up to 1 million square feet of retail, office, residential and hotel space. All phases of the project are expected to be completed within seven years. "We have interest from a number of tenants," Walker said, but he declined to be more specific. The house on the Harris Hill property that's visible from U.S. 72 and the pasture in front of it will be left intact, Walker said. A cemetery, documented to include the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, will be protected and incorporated into the first phase. "It's the first pocket park in a planned series of parks and greenways that will be integrated throughout the development," he said. The Harris Hill site adjoins the 154-acre tract on Monte Sano's north slope that Alabama's Forever Wild conservation program has agreed to buy from the Terry family. Trails at Harris Hill will tie into trails at the Hawks Ridge residential development atop Chapman Mountain. "This will put in place the final link for hiking trails" that ultimately tie in to Monte Sano, Walker said. A couple of years ago, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. backed off plans to build a supercenter on U.S. 72 at the base of Chapman Mountain. Then, Walker family members bought the 60-acre tract known as Harris Hill Farm from the family of local Realtor Arlene Stewart, who died in December 2001. Walker Family Properties includes Walker; his parents, Ben and Sally Walker of Huntsville; and his brother, Dr. Ben Walker of Birmingham. "We're aligning with outside partners" for some projects such as the hotel. "A project of this size takes multiple years to unfold," said Cole Walker. "It's not a sprint; it's a marathon." Road work already planned for the area "demonstrates to retailers that this is where the growth is," Walker said. The road project involves extending Moores Mill to the south of U.S. 72. At the end of the Moores Mill extension, a connector road will be built to the east to Old Gurley Road and to the west to High Mountain Road on Chapman Mountain. That should be completed late next year or in early 2009. The Moores Mill extension and service road will tie into the proposed interchange at U.S. 72 and Moores Mill when the limited-access portion of the highway is extended east. The project will give drivers on Old Gurley Road a safer entry to U.S. 72 at the Moores Mill intersection, which will include a new traffic signal system. "I think the service road will be a big asset to the Chapman area," said Crawford Howard, the chairman of the Huntsville Planning Commission who lives in that area. It will provide "two outlets out of that shopping complex going east or west." The residential area of Harris Hill, to be built toward the toe of the slope, would have a mix of town houses and multistory flats or condominiums, Walker said. The high-density residential pockets "allow you to disturb as little greenspace as possible." © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.