A New Urban Center for Huntsville | Huntsville, AL

Huntsville has been a high-tech hub for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing innovation since the 1950s. In recent decades, it has evolved into one of the fastest-growing domestic employment hubs for highly skilled workers. Most of these jobs are in suburban office parks that circle the city. Workers new to Huntsville have long wanted more excitement and a place to socialize — a vibrant urban life. Local leadership acknowledged that this missing element negatively impacted recruiting.

The City of Huntsville and RCP Companies (RCP) saw this weakness as an opportunity and formed a public-private partnership to create the destination residents coveted. They identified a defunct shopping mall site as the preferred location, and RCP purchased the property. UDA was selected to reimagine the 68 acres as MidCity, a new mixed-use walkable urban center. UDA developed the master plan, designed concept architecture, and prioritized placemaking to ensure a timeless place. The resulting buildout reflects influences from the area’s early industrial and agricultural production economy. 

As a corollary to the successful physical environment, RCP is integrating robust education/training facilities and programs centered on music production, music and film technology, culinary science, and hospitality.

Huntsville residents have responded to MidCity with enthusiasm. Construction continues to advance at a breathtaking pace. The current most popular attraction is the 8,000-capacity Orion Theater, which opened in 2022 with national fanfare as the top outdoor venue in the country.