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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Public/Private Investment to Revitalize Lowe Mill Village

First, it was Five Points. Then, in the past couple of years, Merrimack and Lincoln Village. Now, Lowe Mill is hopping on the "gentrification bandwagon." With the Downtown Rescue Mission homeless shelter moving out this year and the mill itself being an epicenter of quirky, underground Huntsville culture AND the headquarters for a biotech company, Lowe Mill has been seen as next in line of the mill villages to be revitalized. Now, apartment owner/investor Gary Reynolds will spend $4-5 million on restoring homes in the neighborhood. The city also plans to use a $1 million federal grant on doing the same.

Huntsville Times article

My two cents: Want to revitalize these inner-city historic neighborhoods? Bring back the early-20th Century streetcar line that linked downtown with the then-outlying mill villages, with some modifications of course. Development will follow, and it would allow residents to drive less- an attractive amenity in this world of climbing gas prices.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I didn't know Huntsville used to have streetcars! That is so cool! I want them back!