Tuscaloosa Discussion thread

Maki Fresh opening Tuscaloosa location

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2014/06/24/maki-fresh-opening-tuscaloosa-location.html
Birmingham-based Maki Fresh is taking its fast-casual sushi concept to Tuscaloosa.
John Cassimus has decided to open a location in the home of the University of Alabama.
The 1,517-square-foot location will be at the Indian Hills Square retail center at 1530 McFarland Blvd., according to a release from Progressive Properties PLLC. Eric Rogers and Sam Brewer of Progressive Properties represented Maki Fresh in the deal. Jay Evans with Wellington Properties represented the landlord.
Maki Fresh has been experiencing growth in the past few months after the Cahaba Village staple announced it would open a downtown location at the Wells Fargo Tower in March.
The fast-casual Japanese eatery opened the downtown location in late May.
Maki Fresh's website has two other locations listed under “coming soon.” A Montgomery location open in the next couple weeks and a Huntsville store is planned.
The location should be open in the next 60 days.
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Progress at the Ferguson Center

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And then the Fresh Food Company. Nice outdoor seating and a fireplace.

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Interesting, especially with the new Embassy Suites Hotel already being built downtown

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140706/NEWS/140709817?p=2&tc=pg
Developer planning Hilton, Marriott hotels for Tuscaloosa

A Birmingham-based hotel developer is planning two new hotels on a 2.99-acre tract near the corner of Courtney Drive and Greensboro Avenue that will add about 180 rooms to the Tuscaloosa market.

Last week, the Tuscaloosa City Council annexed the land, located just north of the Cobb Hollywood 16 theater and near Interstate 20/59. The hotels would be adjacent to three hotels — the Hilton Garden Inn, the Courtyard by Marriott and the Fairfield Inn — already operating in the area.

Later this month, the council is expected to rezone the annexed property to the “highway business” zoning classification in order to accommodate the hotels, city officials said.

Chiman S. Patel of Tuscaloosa Hotel Partners 1 LLC, the development company behind the project, said he is planning to bring a Marriott-brand and Hilton-brand hotel to the tract, with construction expected to begin on the Marriott-brand hotel within the next 30 days.

The Hilton-brand facility is expected to get underway sometime later this year, he said.

No estimated completion date was given.

According to documents submitted to the city’s Department of Planning and Development Services, each hotel will feature about 90 rooms with a shared parking lot between and behind both buildings.

Tina Jones, the director of corporate and group tourism for the Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission, said the addition of these hotels, once complete, will be a benefit to the city and existing hotels alike.

At convention and conference trade shows, Jones said she can only bid to bring events here based on the number of hotel rooms the city can offer.

With the $31 million, 150-room Embassy Suites hotel at the corner of Greensboro Avenue and University Boulevard nearing completion and the $13 million Hilton Home2 Suites extended stay hotel in the 2600 block of University Boulevard approved for construction, Jones said she already can bid on bigger and better conferences and conventions than before.

“By adding new, quality hotel rooms in the market, that allows me to bump up to the next level on what I’m bidding on,” she said.

About 3,000 hotel rooms are now available in the Tuscaloosa market.

Additionally, Tuscaloosa Hotel Partners 1 is the company behind the nearby 122-room Hilton Garden Inn, meaning Patel has an understanding of what this area needs.

“He is presently invested in the Tuscaloosa market and he understands what the Tuscaloosa market is right now,” she said.

In a related matter, the council voted to withdraw a vote and take no action on Tuscaloosa Hotel Partners 1’s request to vacate an 0.27-acre portion of land at the southwest corner of Greensboro Avenue and Courtney Drive.

The council decided to withdraw the vote after Philip O’Leary, assistant director of the Department of Planning and Development Services, informed council members that the land was, in fact, owned by the Tuscaloosa County Commission.

The commission recently voted against conveying the small strip to the City Council, meaning Tuscaloosa Hotel Partners 1 will have to go before county officials to obtain the land.
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Brandon Van de Graaff said:
More...

@JB_Morton: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fresh Market, PetSmart and DSW Shoes are coming to Tuscaloosa with the Shoppes at Legacy Park shopping center.
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Saw where it was being placed too. This is great news. 500+ new jobs and more development on an area that is dying for some businesses. Still an eye sore to where the tornado went through. Putting that there to compliment Midtown Village and be right across the Lofts at City Center will be great.
 
bamaraider said:
Interesting, especially with the new Embassy Suites Hotel already being built downtown

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140706/NEWS/140709817?p=2&tc=pg
Click to expand...

I saw the Embassy Suites a couple of weeks ago and it's a very impressive building, a great spot for game lodging with a river view and close to the amphitheater. I'm interested to learn what Marriott badge they will use for this proposed hotel. There is already a Courtyard and Fairfield in town. I doubt it will be a straight Marriott, so my guess would be a Spring Hill Suites.

RTR,

Tim
 
Brandon Van de Graaff said:
More...

@JB_Morton: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fresh Market, PetSmart and DSW Shoes are coming to Tuscaloosa with the Shoppes at Legacy Park shopping center.
Click to expand...

They just broke ground for this not even a month ago I believe. Right now Dick's building is up. My problem with it is that McFarland Blvd is going to be a mess now with all this damn traffic. There's still a lot of room after this development, I'm hoping a parking deck will be put in place. Odd to have one where it is, but it is needed.
 

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