North Huntsville is getting a $240 million retail center, anchored by a Super Target and Home Depot, at the corner of Bob Wade Lane and Memorial Parkway.
Why it matters: The new project signals a North Huntsville boom.
- It also gives residents in northern Madison County, especially in areas like Meridianville, Hazel Green and New Market, options closer to home.
Catch up quick: The Huntsville City Council introduced and approved three land deals at its Nov. 6 meeting, selling land to Home Depot, Target and Express Oil Change.
- Plans for the North Village Town Center include restaurants and other retail stores, and a second phase of retail on the other side of the Northern Bypass.
- Work is expected to start in spring of 2026, with stores opening in 2027.
By the numbers: The city secured an option to purchase the property about 18 months ago at $10.1 million, said Shane Davis, director of urban and economic development.
- The city is selling it for $10.16 million, but retaining property worth about $821,000 for a net transaction value of $881,408, he said at Thursday’s council meeting.
What they’re saying: “North Huntsville doesn’t have a lot of retail, doesn’t have a lot of shopping places and restaurants,” District 1 Council Member Michelle Watkins, who represents the area, told Axios Huntsville.
- “This is going to be the beginning of opportunities that people are lining up for right now.”
- Watkins and Davis compared the development to the Target-anchored shopping center on Carl T. Jones Drive, which has businesses like Barnes & Noble, Dick’s Sporting Goods, restaurants, a movie theater and more.
- “It’s time; it’s been past time,” she said.
Zoom in: The project is expected to drive further development, Watkins said, crediting the school system’s $60 million central office and Center for Technology campus, which “told developers and entrepreneurs that we believe in North Huntsville.”
- The announcement “is really a justification and acknowledgement of the work over the last three to five years,” Davis told Axios.
- The marquee development in the area is the recently completed Northern Bypass, but Davis also noted the Johnson Legacy Center, growth at the nearby Mazda-Toyota plant and multiple new housing starts.
How it works: Food City played a key role in landing the development, too, he said. The grocery chain’s 2023 agreement to build six local stores gave Huntsville input on their locations, Davis said…