Huntsville awarded $50 million through HUD grant

The City of Huntsville and Huntsville Housing Authority have received a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to rebuild the 27-acre area known as Mill Creek. The Mill Creek area is home to Butler Terrace and Johnson Towers. 

The grant comes from the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation, designed to revitalize aging public housing based on three pillars of improvement to the area: Neighborhood, Housing and People. 

The grant complements funding from the City of Huntsville, Huntsville Hospital and various private and nonprofit partners for a total value of over $350 million.

The City of Huntsville and Huntsville Housing Authority aims to create a mixed-income community with 705 units of housing. 125 units will be denoted as workforce housing based on a $27 million investment by Huntsville Hospital.

The first of five phases will begin in 10-12 months, building an 84-unit Universal Design building for Johnson Towers residents by 2027. UD buildings are designed to accommodate residents of all ages and abilities.

Subsequent phases include 396 units for family housing and 100 units for senior housing, where Huntsville Hospital will operate an on-site health clinic.

Key infrastructure improvements will accompany the redevelopment. The Pedestrian Access and Redevelopment Corridor project in Huntsville will begin later this year to add walking and bike paths between Mill Creek and Downtown and the Medical District, connecting residents to jobs in the area via a 1,400-foot cable suspension bridge.

Next year, small business grants and commercial façade renovation grants businesses will become available for Mill Creek businesses to enhance their operations and fund general improvements. Later in the project, The Catalyst Center for Business Entrepreneurship will provide small business workshops with small business credit courses offered by local banks.

An additional 7,350 square feet of commercial space will be constructed. It will also include infrastructure enhancements like public art installations and develop the new Mill Creek Park and additional green spaces and pocket parks.