Compiled by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS staff
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A major milestone for south Huntsville’s waterfront is officially underway as construction begins on a $13.2 million event center at Ditto Landing, one of the city’s most scenic riverfront properties.
The Madison County Commission awarded the project to Lee Builders, the firm behind the high-profile renovation of Joe Davis Stadium. A building permit was issued on May 29 to Madison County Engineer Chuck Faulkner, with work expected to start this June, according to Commissioner Phil Riddick, who shared the update during a recent town hall meeting.
“This will be a premier destination,” Riddick said, noting that the new center will offer more seated dinner space than the Jackson Center and more indoor concert capacity than Mars Music Hall at the Von Braun Center.
The facility will renovate a 20,000-square-foot warehouse on the State Docks site, spanning 2.5 acres and overlooking the Tennessee River and the adjacent bridge. Once complete, the center will host weddings, corporate events, concerts, and formal dinners, with indoor space for 600 seated guests or 1,100 for concerts. An attached courtyard will provide open-air space for outdoor concerts, food trucks, and community events.
Riddick said the center will also include a restaurant, and plans are underway for boat lifts, allowing waterway travelers to dock and attend events.
The City of Huntsville is partnering with the county, having already built a new access road and committing to an additional parking lot to support the site.
Regional Development Highlights
The Ditto Landing event center was the highest-valued construction permit issued in Madison, Limestone, and Morgan counties between May 19 and June 4, according to Southern Exposure Information. Across the region, 192 permits totaling $63.8 million were issued during that period.
Other notable permits include:
Decatur: A $4.8 million alteration for McCulloch Appliance Sales & Service
Madison: A $4 million commercial building for SEA Wire and Cable, Inc.
Madison County: A $3.5 million expansion at Flint River Baptist Church
Huntsville: A $2.9 million project at 885 Haysland Road by Freedom Real Estate
Downtown Huntsville: A $2.6 million boutique hotel renovation at 310 Clinton Ave. NW
Among residential builders, Davidson Homes led with 23 permits, totaling $5.8 million, followed by Lennar Homes (16 permits, $3.4 million) and DR Horton (21 permits, $1.3 million).
