Huntsville, Ala. — A joint venture between Essex Capital and Ascend Property Group has broken ground on Front Row, an 11-acre, mixed-use project in downtown Huntsville.
The $220 million first phase of Front Row is now underway, following news last week that Banco Inbursa and a group led by Keel Point and Opportunity Alabama provided $115 million in construction financing. The first retail space is slated for delivery in late 2025, followed by apartments and office space in early 2026.
Upon full build-out, the first phase of Front Row will comprise two six-story buildings featuring 545 apartments, 36,000 square feet of office space and 47,000 square feet of retail space. Further plans for the project — including a hotel, a class A office tower and luxury condos — will be disclosed at a later date, according to the developers.
The development will be situated across from the Von Braun Center, a 170,000-square-foot entertainment center that opened its doors in 1975. The developers state that Front Row is intended to interlink the Von Braun Center with other key areas of the city, such as Big Spring Park, Fountain Circle, University of Alabama Huntsville and Downtown Greenway.
The project’s team also includes affiliates of Silverstein Properties, Cantor Fitzgerald and Arctaris Impact Investors. Crunkleton Associates is the exclusive leasing broker for the retail space. Torti Gallas + Partners and Matheny Goldmon are the architects. ARCO/Murray is the general contractor. The VOREA Group will provide construction oversight.
— Channing Hamilton