Bridge Street shutting down (Madison, Athens: houses, movie theater, shop)

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by robisc

Bridge Street in my opinion was a bad and still is a bad idea for this area, maybe so in a tourist town like Destin, FL but Huntsville's weather is just not ideal for a place like this and I think more and more tenants will continue to close due to the lack of business and high rental costs. The parking is terrible too, think of Christmas shopping in 30 degree rainy weather running from store to store with bags of items, that just doesn't sound like a merry shopping experience to me. As for the amusement park thing, I think that would be a failure as well, Huntsville won't support that if Birmingham and Nashville couldn't (Visionland and Opryland).

I don't know if I agree with this. I do think the Bridge Street Mall has done a lot in changing people's image about Huntsville. I know when I was considering moving here, it was one of key features that was reassuring that Huntsviile has evolved from "bubbaville" and making progress toward "civilization". Many friends & family who saw the BSM pics on my Facebook page were impressed and has changed their image of "the South".

I think most transplants like myself like the BSM and, if Huntsville is going to continue to attract professionals from out-of-states and grow this city it needs places like the BSM to thrive & be successful.

[FAL50]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

I think most transplants like myself like the BSM and......

Being a transplant myself, my answer to Bridge Street was from day one and still is " good idea, but who is the complete idiot who designed that mess".

[ReggaeBusRider]

Well said, FAL50, you had it nailed from the start! It will be fun to watch how they re-purpose the property over the next few years. I am still puzzled why they built a Westin in that location and I am curious how the "condo" part is doing. I heard a couple of years back that Saudis bought them up??

[RatSnake]

They need to make it more weather friendly ... perhaps - a covered walkway ...
In MN of all places - you will find one of the best malls in America ... because they have re-imagined malls as not just shopping places ... but as family entertainment place ... all year round.

Not sure they can pull this off here in Bridgestreet ... this type of thinking should have been part of the design process since Day 1. It was a good concept though ... but half-baked.

[huffbuffer]

Originally Posted by RatSnake

They need to make it more weather friendly ... perhaps - a covered walkway ...
In MN of all places - you will find one of the best malls in America ... because they have re-imagined malls as not just shopping places ... but as family entertainment place ... all year round.

Not sure they can pull this off here in Bridgestreet ... this type of thinking should have been part of the design process since Day 1. It was a good concept though ... but half-baked.

I agree with this. And what turned me off was the high end type tenants they were going for. I had no reason to shop there and still rarely do. Sometimes I may stop in and eat during lunch.

Regards
Huffbuffer

[ingsoc75]

I like the layout of Bridge Street. But I personally don't like indoor shopping malls.

[RatSnake]

Originally Posted by ingsoc75

I like the layout of Bridge Street. But I personally don't like indoor shopping malls.

Coming from CA, I like outdoor shopping malls too - but the weather here in Alabama is a serious limiting factor. Perhaps - a mixed indoor/outdoor with covered walkways ... I see those in Singapore.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by ingsoc75

I like the layout of Bridge Street...

You obviously haven't tried to go shopping at Bridge Street on a rainy, cold December night.

[dijkstra]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

You obviously haven't tried to go shopping at Bridge Street on a rainy, cold December night.

Seriously.....that is no fun at all. I have only been to Bridgestreet maybe 5 or 6 times all of which my reason was to eat at Connors. The food and restaurant was great each time but the Bridgestreet experience has been terrible every time. I can't decide which is worse, cold light rain with the wind howling between the buildings in December or the inferno and humidity in July. Even when the weather is great which is rare, the poor layout of the place makes it an unpleasant experience.

If it weren't for Connor's I would never step foot in the place again and I wish Connor's would open another location. I would eat there much more often if it was in a better location. I personally do my shopping at Parkway place mall and every time I go it is busy. I ate Chick Fil A at the food court a few weeks ago and it was so busy it took me about 15 minutes to get a table.

I looked into Bridgestreet and discovered that both the owner/developer and the architect are located in Los Angeles and have similar properties in Southern California. Obviously, they tried to take what works well in the mild climate of Southern California and plop it here in the Southeast without giving consideration to our weather.

[pyro4ik]

Originally Posted by dijkstra

Seriously.....that is no fun at all. I have only been to Bridgestreet maybe 5 or 6 times all of which my reason was to eat at Connors. The food and restaurant was great each time but the Bridgestreet experience has been terrible every time. I can't decide which is worse, cold light rain with the wind howling between the buildings in December or the inferno and humidity in July. Even when the weather is great which is rare, the poor layout of the place makes it an unpleasant experience.

If it weren't for Connor's I would never step foot in the place again and I wish Connor's would open another location. I would eat there much more often if it was in a better location. I personally do my shopping at Parkway place mall and every time I go it is busy. I ate Chick Fil A at the food court a few weeks ago and it was so busy it took me about 15 minutes to get a table.

I looked into Bridgestreet and discovered that both the owner/developer and the architect are located in Los Angeles and have similar properties in Southern California. Obviously, they tried to take what works well in the mild climate of Southern California and plop it here in the Southeast without giving consideration to our weather.

Connors is awesome and when the weather was good, you could sit outside by the nice looking water.......now it will be a brick wall w/ a Belk sign I guess. Filling in half the pond was the stupidest idea ever.