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May 28, 2005
This is not good
From The Anniston Star:
Environmental concerns delay new Oxford mall construction
By Rob Jordan
Star Staff Writer
05-25-2005
Concerns about adverse impact on a wetland area will delay construction of a large open-air mall in Oxford.
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently met with engineers, city officials and environmental regulators to discuss the planned filling of a one-acre wetland area that stretches along 3,000 feet of an unnamed tributary of Choccolocco Creek at the construction site.
The retail center, to be built on 70 acres at Interstate 20 and the Morgan Road extension, was set to open partially in July 2006. Representatives of the developer, Abernathy & Timberlake Investment Group, LLC of Duluth, Ga., could not be reached for comment on whether the delay would push back the opening date.
The development would fill two wetland areas totaling slightly more than four acres, according to a wetland impact permit application filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In response to EPA concerns about storm-water runoff and erosion along the stream, the corps of engineers has extended a recently closed public comment period about the project until June 3.
In coming days, environmental regulators will study the situation and examine public feedback, according to EPA spokeswoman Dawn Harris-Young.
Both city officials and the developer have declined to comment on potential tenants, other than to say all will be new to the area. The planned shopping center will be comparable in size to the 726,000-square-foot Quintard Mall. It will feature two big-box stores and 20-30 smaller stores and restaurants, all directly accessible from the outside.
City officials and Abernathy & Timberlake representatives have declined to identify the two retailers set to open anchor stores at the site. A recent public notice about the city's permit application with the Army Corps of Engineers stated that retail giants Target and Home Depot were listed in the city's plans. While a Home Depot spokesman has said the company is 'reinvestigating' building a store in Oxford, Target representatives have not returned calls seeking comment.
Oxford officials have said they will spend about $6 million on site preparation and road improvement for the project, which, officials say, will bring more than $7 million in annual tax revenue and 900 or more jobs.
Posted by Chris at 08:39 PM
May 19, 2005
More on the Mall
After reading the article again from the Anniston Star, I did some digging on the Internet of my own. I found the document that was submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers and included in that document is the layout of the new Mall and it shows some of the new Tenants including Target, Home Dept, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Old Navy. Look at an image of that layout below. The read the whole document go to their website http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/rd/reg/AL0501350L.pdf
Posted by Chris at 09:40 AM
This will be nice
Take a look at this article in today's Anniston Star:
'Outdoor' mall to be built in Oxford
By Rob Jordan
Star Staff Writer
05-19-2005
OXFORD — A developer will break ground along Interstate 20 next week for a shopping center that will rival the nearby Quintard Mall in size.
Oxford officials discussed the plan Wednesday, a day after transferring a 272-acre tract of land at I-20 and the Morgan Road extension to the city’s commercial development board. Abernathy & Timberlake Investment Group, LLC, of Duluth, Ga., has agreed to buy 70 acres of that tract for $10.5 million, and build a large-scale “outdoor” mall filled with about 25 stores and restaurants, according to city officials.
Two major retailers have agreed to open large “anchor” stores at the site by next July, according to city officials, who withheld identification of the retailers.
In an April 20 public notice about the water department’s application to fill wetland at the site, the Army Corps of Engineers stated that the department’s plans specified retail giants Target and Home Depot as the mall’s anchor tenants. Officials with Abernathy & Timberlake could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The new mall will bring more than $7 million in annual tax revenue and 900 or more jobs, according to city officials, who said the city will spend about $6 million on site preparation and road improvement.
“It’s going to be an economic bombshell for the city of Oxford and southern Calhoun County,” said city councilman Johnny Bentley.
At 725,000 square feet, the mall will be almost exactly the same size as the 726,000-square-foot Quintard Mall. With the city’s permission, contractors will work up to 20 hours a day to complete the project, according to City Council President Mike Henderson.
In addition to the two anchor stores, Mayor Leon Smith said a number of other stores have expressed their intention to open in the mall. All of the retailers involved are new to the area, Smith said, a fact that he said would attract customers from far and wide.
“I think it’s going to be a great investment for our city,” Smith said.
Smith said he had yet to see an impact study of the project, but he expects the city will build an additional lane on the adjacent I-20 off-ramp and may widen the Morgan Road extension to accommodate a traffic influx.
In 2003, Smith and the water department jointly spent $10 million of city money to acquire the 272 acres. Smith made the deal public four months later and requested a council vote of approval for the purchase. Tuesday, the council voted to buy out the water department’s share for $16 million, on the understanding that the department would build a “state of the art” drinking water plant on the site and conduct extensive upgrades to the city’s sewer system.
The $8 million water plant will draw from a 34-acre aquifer-fed lake, increasing the city’s drinking-water output capacity from 9 million gallons a day to 14-15 million gallons a day, according to Wayne Livingston, the department’s general manager. The water plant is slated for construction within the next year.
Councilman Steven Waits described the water plant as a way to plan for future population growth without raising water rates. Land sales at the 272-acre site and future tax revenue there will pay for the plant’s construction, Waits said.
“The real story to me is not only are we getting a major retail development, but having our water needs met for the next 20 to 50 years,” Waits said.
With 70 acres set to hold an outdoor mall, about 40 acres reserved for future development and another 40 acres for the water plant and lake, the city will have about 120 acres left at the site. While some of the remaining land could be used, Smith said much of it is unsuitable for development. Still, he said, parts of the property such as a large granite hillside might usable.
“I’m saving that hill for my statue,” Smith said jokingly.
About Rob Jordan
Rob Jordan covers Oxford for The Star.
Posted by Chris at 09:27 AM
The Final Two
Does lightning strike twice? I sure hope it does in this case. Alabama's Bo Bice is in the final two in this year's American Idol. I think he has a very good chance of winning this year's competition. But Carrie is very good also. Good luck to both of them and.... GO BO GO!!!!
Posted by Chris at 09:10 AM
May 16, 2005
I wonder if they are right
Take a look at this I found on a website, actually from the local TV station's weather page.
Are you superstitious? Do you avoid black cats? How about walking under a ladder? Does a Friday the 13th give you pause? Well, the one coming up on Friday, April 13, 2029 will be a lucky one. Lucky because an asteroid will be passing very close to the Earth. So close that you will be able to see it with the naked eye. But luckily, it will miss the our planet. Asteroid 2004MN4 is 320 meters in length and it will pass just 18,600 miles above the Earth. It will be brighter than a star and larger than a satellite. On Christmas Eve last year, astronomers calculated a 1 in 60 chance that it would hit Earth. If it did, it would be disastrous. An areas the size of Texas would be devastated. If it landed in the Atlantic ocean, it would cause a massive tsunami that could wipe out the entire East Coast. This will be a once in 1,000 year event, but luckily, it will miss us!
Posted by Chris at 08:56 PM
May 15, 2005
Welcome Home Bo!!!
If you follow American Idol you know about Bo Bice, one of the final three contestants on American Idol. This past Friday, he came home to tape segments for American Idol. He made several appearances while in Birmingham including The Rick and Bubba Show, Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6, the Wal-Mart in Pelham, and his hometown of Helena. Here are some video highlights from some of the appearances. All these files are in Windows Media format and optimized for broadband Internet users:
Bo Bice on The Rick and Bubba Show (51.6 MB)
Bo Bice on Good Day Alabama
--Bo speaks with Alabama Governor Bob Riley (5.6 MB)
--Bo performs with his band on the Fox 6 Patio atop Red Mountain
Part 1 (12.1 MB)
Part 2 (25.1 MB)
Posted by Chris at 08:59 PM
May 11, 2005
Been a couple of days
It has been a couple of days since I last posted...over a week really.... I have been busy with work and my personal life...
Oh well... I am starting to work on a new design for the site tongiht. I have been saying that I would do that a long while back but just have not been able to find the time to do it. Anyways that's all for now.
Posted by Chris at 07:49 PM
May 03, 2005
Highlights of Talladega
Here are a few video highlights of the race. There is a video of the "Big One" that took out over half the drivers, the final wreck and caution with two laps to go, and the final restart and the shootout for the checkered flag. All of these files are optimiized for high-speed connections.
The Big Wreck (37.5 MB)
Final Caution with 2 laps to go (20.4 MB)
The Final Restart and Shootout for the Checked Flag (14.7 MB)
Posted by Chris at 09:32 PM