Huntsville City Council approves development next to Joe Davis Stadium

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) -New development is coming soon to the Joe Davis Stadium and John Hunt Park area. City council members recently gave their stamp of approval on the Stadium Commons project, which will include retail, dining, apartments, a hotel, office space, and a parking garage.

City Councilman Bill Kling, who represents that part of the city, said he thinks it will be a great addition to his district.

“These are nice things that are bringing people to this area of the city,” Kling said. “This is what we want, the central area of Huntsville to be a nice, liveable place.”

While Kling thinks the development will be a great addition, one nearby resident disagrees. Gail Oliver lives near John Hunt Park and says the area is already too busy. With new development moving in, she’s afraid the traffic will only get worse.

“I’m concerned because if we put a development down there we’re going to have more people which will create more traffic,” Oliver said. “We don’t have the roads or the facility to move traffic through.”

In response to these concerns, Kling said this is just apart of the procedure when bringing in new development.

“That’s a part of the process, people have concerns and these things can be looked at,” Kling said. “But again, I think this is a positive investment.”

Executive Director of the Huntsville Sports Commission Mark Russell agrees, saying this will be the perfect addition to the John Hunt Park area.

“John Hunt Park is just a tremendous jewel for the City of Huntsville,” Kling said. “It’s 400+ acres in the middle of our city, we’ve got great sporting venues and now we’re going to have great commercial options for our citizens to enjoy.”

Developers hope to begin construction by mid-2024. The project is expected to generate over $32 million in tax revenue over the next 10 years.

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