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Huntsville, Ala., College Selects Manager for $140M Project; Turn Lanes Closed at Local Road Work Site

Alabama A&M University in Huntsville selects Freedom Real Estate and Capital LLC for $140M Science and Amenities Building project. Left turn lanes closed on Mastin Lake Road during $34M overpass construction, impacting local businesses. ALDOT expects closures to last until April.

Thu December 26, 2024 - Southeast Edition
Alabama A&M University & WHNT-TV


The 125,000-sq.-ft. Science Building will house classrooms and laboratories for the Physics, Biology and Chemistry departments, providing students and faculty with modern spaces for teaching, learning and research.
Rendering courtesy of Alabama A&M University
The 125,000-sq.-ft. Science Building will house classrooms and laboratories for the Physics, Biology and Chemistry departments, providing students and faculty with modern spaces for teaching, learning and research.

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) in Huntsville announced Dec. 18 that it had selected Freedom Real Estate and Capital LLC, also based in Huntsville, to provide construction advisory services for the school's new Science Building and Student Amenities Building, a project with a combined value in excess of $140 million.

Freedom's role will be to oversee the general contractor, design team and construction process, as well as make recommendations in the owner's best interest.

"I am proud to reaffirm our partnership with Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC for these critical initiatives," said Daniel K. Wims, AAMU's president. "Freedom's expertise in construction management has been invaluable as we embark on these important projects. Together, we are committed to creating state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance our campus and support our students' success for generations to come."

The 125,000-sq.-ft. ultramodern Science Building will house classrooms and laboratories for the physics, biology and chemistry departments, as well as give students and faculty premier spaces for teaching, learning and research.

The structure is designed to support AAMU's growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, and will enhance both academic instruction and scientific discovery.

Nearby, with 93,000 sq. ft. of space, the new Student Amenities Building at AAMU is designed to serve as a hub for student engagement and support services. As such, it will feature dining facilities, meeting spaces, study areas, faculty offices, a gaming lounge and social gathering spaces — all created to enhance the campus experience.

In addition, the facility will address the university's growing enrollment and provide a modern environment for academic and social development.

Tyce Hudson, Freedom project director, noted, "We are thrilled to partner with Alabama A&M University again through our advisory services in construction management. Having collaborated on several successful projects, this ongoing partnership underscores our shared commitment to innovation and excellence. Together, we are creating a lasting impact as we continue to transform the campus."

Mastin Lake Road Construction Left Turn Lanes Until April

Huntsville's Mastin Lake Road, which, along with North Memorial Parkway/U.S. Highway 231/U.S. 431 forms one of the busiest intersections in the Rocket City, has lost its left turning lanes due to a major construction effort at the site to build an overpass, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).

Since the closure began Dec. 16, some drivers have struggled to seek an alternative route.

"A lot of crashes result from traffic stopping, starting and congestion," said Seth Burkett, an ALDOT spokesperson, in speaking with WHNT-TV in Huntsville.

The owners of Sparks Healthcare, located on Memorial Parkway at the intersection with Mastin Lake Road, told the TV station that the construction is already having a significant impact on the number of patients they get to see in the office during the day."

"Now we are seeing people coming in a little later in the day because they know that they have to travel a little further," said Kaleb Sparks, who operates the clinic with his mother, Mary Sparks.

ALDOT's Burkett told WHNT that the lanes will remain closed for the next several months for safety reasons during the $34 million overpass construction.

"We had some concerns leading up to this just due to people attempting to make those left turns at the wrong times, running red lights, and things," he explained.

Burkett added that drivers traveling southbound on Memorial Parkway and wanting to turn left onto Mastin Lake will need to continue south and either do a U-turn at the Sparkman Drive overpass or take U.S. 72 to Mastin Lake.

Mary Sparks, the owner of the walk-in clinic, said that in the end she believes that the transition will have a positive effect on her business and the community.

ALDOT expects the left turn lanes to be closed until next April.




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