14 minute read
By Lori J. Connors
from HBJ Feb 22 issue
Let’s Play: Main Event Makes Its Way to the Rocket City
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Main Event, the Texas-based family-friendly entertainment center is making its way to Bridge Street Town Centre in late February.
Taking over what was once Toys R Us, the Main Event entertainment space is a sizable 49,330 square feet. There’s plenty of room for hosting events of all sizes, from groups of 10 up to 1,000.
From baby’s first birthday party to the annual corporate Christmas party, Main Event encourages fun play over competition, social over solo, and accessible to everyone. They endeavor to stir children’s imaginations and inspire adults to play like kids again.
Twenty-four years ago, the Main Event concept was unique and the first of its kind. Back in 1998, the founders thought that the league-driven, dusty bowling centers of the time were limited in providing a full-range of familyoriented entertainment and activity space.
They wanted to go beyond bowling and thus created a haven for families to share in a variety of activities all under one roof.
Main Event Huntsville will feature a broad assortment of enticing entertainment options, such as 22 lanes of state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag, gravity ropes, a zipline, virtual reality, billiards, and over 120 arcade games.
Main Event will also serve as an ideal venue for special events, such as birthday parties, holiday festivities, and team building activities. It will feature full-service catering with private party rooms, free WiFi, big screen TVs, and the latest in audiovisual technology. Main Event also can help with event details, send out the invites, and tackle the clean-up afterwards.
There’s also dedicated meeting room space, perfect for workshops, mini retreats, and training sessions.
This will be Main Event’s very first location in Alabama, and it will feature a full-service dining menu and a bar well-stocked with craft beers and cocktails. “We couldn’t be more excited about becoming part of the Huntsville community and bringing our unique family entertainment experience to the area,” said Chris Morris, Main Event’s CEO. “Our brand promise is to provide guests an opportunity to make memories together while enjoying the best activities and games imaginable all in the comforts of one fun-filled location. We are committed to doing that every single day. The team at Bayer Properties was instrumental in making this a reality and we are thankful to be working with a top-notch group on our first-ever location in Alabama.”
For one-of-a-kind experiences and real fun, the party is always on at Main Event. For career opportunities, go to: https://careers. mainevent.com/. w
NALZS Update: It Takes a Community to Build a Zoo
By Lori J. Connors / Photo courtesy of NALZS
Build it and they will come. But first, funds need to be raised to buy the land to build it on.
Bringing a world-class zoo and aquarium to north Alabama is no easy feat. Despite the excitement and enthusiasm that’s been generated, coupled with the many endorsements received from government leaders in North Alabama, generating the financial wherewithal continues to be the biggest hurdle that the North Alabama Zoo Society (NALZS) faces.
The most immediate need are funds for purchasing the land itself. Last years’ announcement of NALZS’s intent to acquire two properties in Limestone County put the project on the radar of developers, eager to transform the area into the latest and greatest subdivision.
“It’s not uncommon for municipalities, counties, and states to provide some support to zoological facilities,” said Ethan Woodruff, NALZS Executive Director. “For planning purposes, NALZS has facilitated these conversations. More importantly, we need to secure land funding first. We don’t expect county or municipal funding for the purchase of land.”
The properties are situated along Limestone Creek and are filled old growth trees, natural springs, and nature trails, ideal for a zoo and an aquarium. They are also near Madison, and all the new industry that is popping up along the I-65 corridor. It’s also an area that would be ideal for a residential community, to serve the needs of the area’s workforce.
As pressure mounts for the owner to sell the property to developers, NALZS is faced with a sense of urgency to purchase the land. To that end, NALZS rolled out its “Claim Your Spot” fundraising campaign to kick off the new year. To date, there has been a modest, yet generous outpouring of contributions by members of the community.
Once the land is purchased, Woodruff believes that more funding channels will open. However, the entire process is and will continue to be a lengthy endeavor.
Zoos and aquariums have been shown to provide mental and emotional benefits, as well as serve as an economic and tourism generator. Not only will the presence of a zoo serve the community in the form of revenue generation for the region, but it will also provide job opportunities.
“This project will bring a new quality of life component to our county and all of our visitors,” said
Colin Daly, Chairman, Limestone County Commission. “The County Commission looks forward to welcoming this unique project to our county and looks forward to being part of its future success.”
Since the big announcement last August, Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks has received numerous positive comments about the project. “The community feels that this is something to “roar” about for our area,” said Marks. “Thank you for investing in our community and working to add another qualityof-life experience in Limestone County.”
“We are extremely pleased that leaders of our communities see and are endorsing the value of bringing a world-class zoo and aquarium to North Alabama,” said Woodruff. “This project provides so many great benefits: STEM biological sciences education, improved emotional and mental quality of life for our communities, recreation, added tourism, and being part of world-wide conservation efforts. Everyone we talk to says they can’t wait, and this is what our community needs.” “The community has made it very clear that they want a zoo in North Alabama,” said Fitzgerald. “We won’t give up our efforts to make it happen.” w
The Great Resignation’s Impact on Huntsville’s Workforce
By Mike Easterling
While economists have called the recent trend of employees leaving their jobs “The Great Resignation,” questions have come into play about renaming the movement a migration.
While there is little question job openings, which have reached record levels, are unfilled there is evidence it’s because workers are leaving former positions for more lucrative ones.
This can also be evidenced behind the number of unemployment claims being at the lowest point since 1969.
“This Great Resignation story is really more about lower-wage workers finding new opportunities in a reopening labor market and seizing them,” Nick Bunker, director of economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told the New York Times.
“Much of the discussion about the increase in quitting has focused on white-collar workers re-evaluating their priorities in the pandemic,’’ reported The Times. “But job turnover has been concentrated in hospitality and other low-wage sectors, where intense competition for employees has given workers the leverage to seek better pay.’’
“This Great Resignation story is really more about There is no doubt a hole in the lower-wage workers finding new opportunities lower-wage workforce. “Workers Wanted” signs dot landscapes, including the Tennessee Valley. in a reopening labor market and seizing them,…” “I think we’re still in a lot of limbo with people feeling comfortable in some service jobs,…” Lucia Cape, senior vice president of economic development and workforce at the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, said trepidation surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19 and its variants is as much problematic in finding employees, along with the search for better opportunities. “I think we’re still in a lot of limbo with people feeling comfortable in some service jobs, feeling like environments are safe with the Delta variant and now the Omicron surge,’’ she said.
This is the atmosphere as some 40 new restaurants have either recently opened or are preparing to in the city.
“A lot of the jobs that are having trouble finding people are struggling because either people don’t feel comfortable going back to work yet, or it’s that companies are not pay-
ing competitive wages,’’ Cape said. “They’re having difficulty because of the number of people that are or are not available because of concerns about safety. Those factors are all working together to create a lot of uncertainty.’’
While food service jobs are plentiful, Cape said there are other options. “We do see people looking for work,’’ she said. “It may not be the same work they did two years ago. So we’re working to make sure that the awareness of opportunities is out there and that people understand what training is available to them if they do want to change what they’re doing. They want to move from one type of job to another either because of their safety concerns, or because of wage issues.’’
The Chamber of Commerce offers job search tools on its website www.hsvchamber.org. On the site, click the link “jobs’’ to access the workforce aimed “asmartplace.” w
Huntsville’s new City Hall is now a step closer with the signing of a contract between Turner Construction Company and the City of Huntsville to build both the new City Hall building and the adjoining parking garage.
Construction will take place at the location of the current parking garage on Fountain Circle, directly across the street from the current Municipal Complex, which opened at 308 Fountain Circle over 50 years ago.
Designed by architectural firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the new City Hall will have a ground-floor entrance off of Fountain Circle and a second-floor entrance at the intersection of Fountain Circle and Madison Street.
Goodwyn Mills Cawood project architect Mark Coyle said the exterior of the new City Hall will consist of a precast veneer engineered to resemble limestone but be less expensive and more durable over time.
Coyle explained that the overall exterior look of the building draws a lot of aesthetic from the historic First National Bank building across the street from the existing City Hall.
As for the interior, Coyle explained that the new City Hall won’t be a “gold-plated building,” but will rather contain a “fairly efficient finishes package.” Public spaces like a common area on the second floor and the meeting chambers and public meeting rooms on the sixth floor will feature ornate touches.
“In those areas, we’ll be bringing in some of the exterior finishes,” Coyle explained. “As you move up the rest of the building, the finishes package is much more utilitarian and easier to maintain.”
Unlike traditional office buildings with separate offices, the new City Hall has a more open concept floor plan in order to promote efficiency and collaboration. “There will be a lot of modern technology that will make it far more efficient for [employees] to perform their duties,” Hamilton said.
Nearly every aspect of the future City Hall was planned with the needs of the public in mind, from convenient entrances to groupings of similar departments.
In order to create this accessible design, City leaders sought feedback from the community, holding three public input sessions in early March 2020. In addition, the project has been discussed at numerous City Council and Planning Commission meetings, allowing the public opportunities to weigh in on the subject.
“Of all the things the City has built over the last few years, this has been presented and discussed more than any other,” said City Administrator John Hamilton. “It’s important the public has input into their City Hall.”
The grouping of similar departments will make it easier for residents and business owners to renew licenses, get building permits, pay taxes, and conduct City-related business.
Frequented by builders and contractors,the Fire Marshal and Inspection departments will be located on the ground floor. Engineering and Planning will share a floor, as well as the Clerk Treasurer and Finance departments. The sixth floor will hold the City Council offices along with
By Dawn Suiter / Photos courtesy of Goodwyn Mills Cawood
By Dawn Suiter / Photos courtesy of Goodwyn Mills Cawood
public meeting space. The Office of the Mayor, along with Communications and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will be on the seventh floor.
The primary public entrance to the new City Hall will emerge on the second floor, which will house the Human Resources Department and City Council chambers, where most public meetings take place.
The facility will provide 175,000 square feet of administrative space and will be occupied by approximately 370 employees. Its design will allow for future growth: “It will be City Hall for 75 years or more,” stated Hamilton.
The adjacent seven-floor parking deck will measure 195,000 square feet and will have 568 spaces in the attached garage with some spaces designated for public use.
Construction is expected to take approximately two years to complete, with an anticipated total budget of $85 million. When construction begins, Fountain Circle will close to accommodate workers and construction materials.
Hamilton explained that while there are many reasons for replacing the old, outdated City Hall, the primary motivation is a better and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Due to limited space, for instance, some departments currently operate out of leased buildings elsewhere. The current building also has maintenance issues, which grow more costly as the building ages. Hamilton jokingly praised the City’s maintenance crews for keeping it functional with “bubble gum and baling wire.” The building and garage will fill the entire block, but will include ample sidewalks and landscaping following the streetscape design standards used throughout Downtown Huntsville.
The new location is a perfect fit for the City of Huntsville, according to Hamilton. “It keeps our City Hall at the heart of our City, on the central square and in proximity to other public and private institutions with whom we closely partner.”
“City Hall is meant to be a symbol of our community and plays a role in civic pride,” Hamilton continued. “It’s going to be functional, maintainable, and efficient, but it’s also going to be a building our community can be proud of.”
“This building will have a huge impact on our city and we’re so proud to be part of it,” Turner Construction Company business leader Brendan McCormick said.
Turner Construction has also completed a number of other prominent projects in Huntsville, including Phase IV of the Von Braun Complex on Redstone Arsenal; renovation and expansion of the Torch Technologies 40,000 square foot headquarters, including an adjacent 10,000 square foot conference center known as the Freedom Center; and the new Huntsville Botanical Garden Guest Welcome Center. w
