City of Huntsville, AL

07/17/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2025 11:09

Takeaways from Historic Huntsville Depot public input sessions: ‘The Depot is not going anywhere’

It's a remarkable moment in time for the City of Huntsville, the rare opportunity to reimagine a downtown area with seemingly endless possibilities. And that includes inviting residents into the process, gleaning their ideas and perspectives to help guide the project to the most prosperous result.

We're talking, of course, about the historic Huntsville Depot and the seven-acre site on which it sits. The grounds also include the popular Roundhouse event center.

It's generating a swell of interest, which is excellent news for the City. It demonstrates community passion for the Depot and provides a wealth of insight into future uses. Almost 1,500 people responded to an online survey and the City saw a strong turnout for public input sessions at the Roundhouse on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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City Historic Preservationist Katie Stamps, center, speaks with residents inside the historic Huntsville Depot during public input session.

Two things to keep in mind:

First, the historic Depot building will continue to stand at 320 Church Street. In addition to legal historic protections, the City has no desire to remove it from the site. The Depot, rest assured, is safe.

"The Depot is not going anywhere," Mayor Tommy Battle said in opening his remarks at Tuesday's public input meeting. "We are not tearing it down. It will be here."

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Mayor Tommy Battle speaks at a public input session for the historic Huntsville Depot.

Manager of Urban and Long-Range Planning Dennis Madsen and City Historic Preservationist Katie Stamps echoed the Mayor's sentiments in their presentations.

Second, this process is merely at the starting point. If you couldn't attend the public input sessions or didn't get a chance to take the online survey, no worries. There will be more public meetings and online surveys as the project continues to evolve.

And do not underestimate public input. A lot of ideas are needed and the City naturally wants the end result to be embraced by residents as well as financially sustainable.

"There is a lot of space here," Madsen said. "We're not going to pick one use and run with it. There is a lot of different opportunities to program this space."

That's absolutely true. The depot building is three stories with more than 10,000 square feet. During her presentation, Stamps provided examples of former depots around the country and how they are now functioning in their new roles. That includes restaurants, retail, museums and office space. The only limit, it seems, is imagination. The Roundhouse is another 10,000 square-foot facility, commonly used as event space, with open-ended possibilities.

But like any venture, there must be a sound financial bottom line. The project demands "vision" and "creativity," Stamps said, as well as "adequate funding."

What does that look like? The City wants you to tell us and that is the objective of continuously seeking public input.

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The City has received invaluable insight from residents through both the online survey and at the public input sessions.

There are some details to keep in mind. The grassy park between the Depot and Roundhouse is in a flood plain, which would create issues for new construction. The park also serves as a link in the City's greenway plan, connecting Gateway Greenway Park off Meridian Street and the Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial along Monroe Street with Big Spring Park via the bike lane along Spragins Street.

An apartment complex is not a consideration for the site.

Ultimately, the Depot grounds will enhance and expand Huntsville's vibrant downtown.

"We want to use this as an amenity, contribute to quality of life and something sustainable," Madsen said.

"Creativity," Stamps said, "is the key."

Click here for more information about the Historic Huntsville Depot and the grounds.

City of Huntsville, AL published this content on July 17, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 17, 2025 at 17:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io