Huntsville is the Best Place for Families to live, According to US News and World Report
ttps://www.alabamarealtors.com/posts/2023/08/21/huntsville-is-the-best-place-for-families-to-live-according-to-us-news-and-world-report Huntsville is the Best Place for Families to live, According to US News and World Report August 21, 2023 Huntsville is the best place for families to live in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report. The news magazine’s rating is out today, ranking cities according to affordability, quality of life and job markets. The ranking takes into account not just the cost of living and average annual salary, but quality of high school education, average commute time, crime rates, health care access and other factors. Huntsville edged out San Jose, Calif.; Green Bay, Wisc.; Fayetteville, Ark. and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The magazine notes that Huntsville’s median annual salary is above the national average, but residents spend about 19.62% of their median annual household incomes on the cost of living. According to U.S. News, Huntsville is the fourth most affordable metro area out of the 150 areas on the list, and ranked 25th for its relatively low risk of extreme weather or natural disasters. It’s not the first honor the publication has bestowed upon the Rocket City. In 2022, Huntsville was rated the nation’s best place to live by U.S. News & World Report, climbing to the top of the ratings after being listed No. 3 in 2021. Source: Huntsville is the best place for families to live, according to US News and World Report AL.com (August 16, 2023)
Panopoly Arts Festival
https://www.huntsville.org/events/spring-annual-events/panoply-arts-festival/?guid=eb6619cf-4ead-43e2-b5f3-749ddfa01848&preview=true&fbclid=IwAR06LGtHWhk4XNY5s4UzVWSgMu9BGF3fpq4kDePcNPrkT2gkWl9k8MaDD-Q Panoply Arts Festival 41st Anniversary April 28 – 30, 2023 Panoply Arts Festival is the premier arts weekend in the southeast and is annually held on the last weekend in April and is coordinated by Arts Huntsville. Downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring International Park is transformed for an entire weekend into the home of our city’s biggest festival of the year. Visitors come from across the country to participate in this culmination of music, art, culture, music, and more! Here's what you need to know! Music - Two Music Stages: Showcase Stage and Indie Stage - The Wanda Band will be on the Showcase stage on Friday, April 28, to kick off the event - The Indie Stage will feature singers/songwriters, duos, and instrumentals - Other musical acts include Trick Zipper Trio, Rob Aldridge, the Proponents, and many more Art - The 2023 Panoply Poster Artist is Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment artist and arts educator, Denise Onwere. She is the daughter of Jeff Clayton from The Clayton Brothers. - Onwere's original paintings will be for purchase as well as signed festival posters - Over 100 juried visual artists from various mediums will fill the Arts Marketplace. Here's a preview of their work. - Festival favorites will return as well as 40 first-time Panoply exhibitors. We welcome them to Panoply 2023! 2023 Panoply Poster Artist: Denise Onwere FOOD - Attendees can select from over 13 local food trucks - Craft Beer selections will be available from Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer - Wine selections will also be available Kids' Activities, Volunteering, and More - Kid Friendly interactive and STEM activities: Learn about how light travels with kaleidoscope making. - Huntsville City Schools Magnet Programs Create a take-home Soaring Sauté Dancer and learn the physics of a Sauté through demonstrations. - Huntsville Ballet Learn how electricity is conducted with a DIY Dance Pad. - Creative Launchpad Many more! - Face Painting and popular Student Art Tent: Located in Big Spring Park East, the Student Art Tent is a festival favorite that features art from public and private school students of all ages. we couldn't forget to mention the equally popular face-painting tent. - Interactive community art project: “UNITY” presented by Aerojet Rocketdyne and created by Nancy Belmont- the hands-on large-scale community art activity returns after six years since its premiere at Panoply. “UNITY” is a larger-than-life structure that celebrates the uniqueness and strength of our community. Creativity and community, it doesn't get any better than that! - Military Salute Night: Friday, April 28, all active-duty military and Armed Forces reserves and their dependents are welcomed to the park for a free evening of entertainment. Current Military IDs will be shown at the gates. - Arts in action: Attendees will get a first-hand look at local artists creating their works. - Fireworks: Friday, April 28 & Saturday, April 29. Lawn chairs are encouraged as the entire event is open air and within the greens of the park.
Tremendous Growth Expected in Huntsville in 2023
https://acre.culverhouse.ua.edu/2023/02/13/tremendous-growth-expected-in-huntsville-in-2023-heres-why/ Tremendous Growth Expected in Huntsville in 2023 – Here’s Why Hutt Cooke February 13, 2023 Innovative developments and groundbreaking projects were crucial drivers in Huntsville’s overwhelminggrowth this past year, and the city is nowhere near slowing down. The real estate market in Huntsville isprojected to grow even more in 2023 due to the city’s robust job and population growth, low cost ofliving, and development opportunities. Nicknamed ‘The Rocket City’ because of early rocketdevelopment for the U.S. Army in 1950, which was used to put the first satellite in orbit, the firstAmerican in space, and transported the first astronauts to the Moon. The city continues to have abooming economy, and rising employment as businesses are currently investing billions in the area. In 2021, Huntsville led the U.S. in economic growth, which contributed to notable growth patterns forthe following 2022 fiscal year. First, household income in the Huntsville region is now $20,000 higherthan 20 years ago and is expected to increase even further due to inflation and job marketcompetition. Next, Huntsville experienced a 2.04 percent increase in population in 2022 versus2021. Third, employment climbed by an additional 260,000 jobs, an increase of five percent. Lastly,according to Real Estate U.S. News, Huntsville was ranked the #1 place to live in the U.S. in 2022-2023, factoring in housing affordability, the job market, crime rate, quality of life, net migration,college readiness among high school students, residents’ well-being, commute time, access toquality health care, and air quality.High Growth Areas Meridianvilleo New businesses are opening throughout the market, allowing for several additional jobopportunities for the county. Residents are worried that the market’s infrastructure isnot equipped to handle the growth at the current rate. Residents are questioningofficials about whether annexation into Huntsville is the correct answer.o Job market increase – 3.6% Madisono With a population of approximately 61,000, it is the 9 th largest city in the state. Madisonis growing at a rate of 2.34 percent annually, and its population has increased by 7.38percent since the last consensus.o Job market increase – 3.6% Athenso The Athens city council approved a wave of new retail and restaurant developments toenable further city growth. The developments are expected to generate more than 300new jobs and more than $28 million in annual sales.o Job market increase – 3.5% Unemployment and the Job MarketHuntsville has an unemployment rate of 3.1 percent, way below the U.S. average of six percent. The cityalso ranks seventh-highest for income growth between professionals aged 25 to 44 and those aged 45 to64 (25.85 percent). Huntsville has seen the job market increase by 3.6 percent over the last year, andthe city ranked in the top 10 for best places for career opportunities in 2022. Huntsville’s most significant job sectors in Huntsville are Aerospace and defense, with NASA’s MarshallSpace Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal being two of the area’s largest employers. There are also many private sector opportunities for residents working in science, technology,engineering, and math, at companies including Boeing, SAIC, and Northrop Grumman. A Toyotamanufacturing plant also provides many area jobs. Huntsville is considered the technology hub for thegreater Southeast, a title that has contributed significantly to the city’s overwhelming growth rate. So What Does This Growth Mean for Commercial Real Estate?Huntsville’s population growth is driving unprecedented commercial, residential, and industrialconstruction totaling $1.5 billion. CityCentre at Big Spring plans to enlarge its downtown footprint andintroduce two more phases. A food court, a Moxy Hotel, and a parking deck are all part of Phase 2.Mixed-use commercial, office, and residential space will be included in Phase 3. In 2023, Phases 2 and 3will both be under construction. The retail sector in Huntsville has shown to be resilient. The metro’s vacancy rate, 2.8 percent, has beenstable and is significantly lower than the 4.6 percent 10-year average. Rent growth has also improvedsteadily over the previous few quarters. Additionally, investors have consistently expressed interest inHuntsville retail over the last few quarters. Transaction activity significantly increased in the second halfof 2022, and $293M in real estate traded hands in 2022. Pricing continues to rise, but assets still comeat a significant discount to Nashville and Atlanta. Retail Key Fundamentals: Low vacancy rate of 2.8 percent. Rent growth steadily increased by 5.7 percent over the past 12 months. 560,000 square feet under construction. Average Cap Rate of 5.2%. Sales volume of $301M in the past 12 months. Economic Development Projects2022 was a notable year for Huntsville’s growth. Not only did the city continue to grow by more than450 new residents per month, commercial and residential development worked to close the gapbetween supply and demand as well. Huntsville’s Inspections Department granted more Certificates ofOccupancy in 2022 than any other year since the department kept data in 1983, emphasizing thetremendous growth that occurred in the city in 2022 alone.2022-2023 Economic Developments The opening of the Orion Amphitheater in May was a transformative project. The venueattracted more than 150,000 people in its first season and was praised by artists who performedthere, including Stevie Nicks, Jason Isbell, Dave Matthews Bands, and My Morning Jacket. The $110 million Anthem House project, which includes 330 residential units, 20,000 square feetof office space, and 30,000 square feet of retail space, broke ground in September. In developments like Jaguar Hills, which provided brand-new single-family homes at previouslyunheard-of price points, residential expansion flourished in 2022. More housing complexes arebeing built along the Bob Wade Lane, Pulaski Pike, and Blue Springs corridors. The historic downtown of Huntsville is undergoing a growth boom, unlike any other city area.The Von Braun Center had improvements this past year, and the Autograph by Marriott, a newhotel, is being built close to Big Spring Park. It is anticipated that work will start on the 11-acre mixed-use Front Row Huntsville developmentin the spring of 2023 at the former Big Springs Bottling facility. The project will be the most extensive downtown makeover, consisting of numerous eateries, shops, offices, residences in the loft style, and a hotel. Toyota Manufacturing announced a $222 million investment in a Huntsville facility to develop a new line of four-cylinder engines. Sports DevelopmentsWith more than 52,000 hotel rooms booked, sports are expected to have an economic impact onHuntsville of more than $32 million. That economic impact is generating an additional $2.4 million intaxes and raising the prominence of a community with over 220,000 residents keen to continue growing. Toyota Field – The project was a construction of a baseball stadium and multi-use venue. Thefield will hold various other entertainment events, including sports and concerts, in addition tobaseball. The first football game at Toyota Field was deemed a success with a $1 millioneconomic effect, a mention on ESPN’s GameDay, and an attendance of about 10,000 people. Joe Davis Stadium – Huntsville’s Joe Davis Stadium is in the middle of a $28 million extrememakeover. Once the 14-month renovation is complete, a new sports complex will be built tohost city sports clinics, special events, and high school football, lacrosse, and soccer games. Thecity also plans to host a minor league soccer team at this new venue.
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