The Market at Hays Farm starting to gain momentum

By Claire Aiello, Vice President, Marketing & Communications

One of the most prominent vacant retail developments in the Huntsville metro area is getting a $23.5 million investment. In August, we learned Publix will be the anchor grocery store at The Market at Hays Farm.

In fact, we’re already seeing movement on the property. Demolition started in September at The Market at Hays Farm property, formerly known as Haysland Square, that has sat mostly vacant for several years.

“This is an exciting development for South Huntsville and a welcome announcement for all those residents who have eagerly hoped for a revival of the Haysland Square property,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

Master plan. Click to view a larger image.

“This is also what happens when the City invests wisely in infrastructure that promotes planned growth and development such as the $60 million spent on the South Parkway Restore Our Roads project, the new Grissom High School, and the new Haysland Road Extension and greenway. We applaud the Hays family for seeing the promise of South Huntsville and for their investment in its success.”

In addition to Publix, The Market at Hays Farm will also include more than 150,000 square feet of small shops and junior anchor space available in addition to multiple outparcels to serve the needs of the growing South Huntsville community. Staples will stay in its current location, with a new façade to match the rest of the development.

The center is scheduled to open next fall.

Road Construction & Greenway

The Haysland Road extension is nearly completed, with drivers currently using it to access Grissom High School. Soon, the road will continue south to Redstone Road and open up more access to the Arsenal.

“The main purpose behind Haysland Road is to alleviate traffic on the Parkway, and create another Bailey Cove Road that runs parallel to the Parkway,” said Bekah Schmidt, executive director of South Huntsville Main Business Association. “The City of Huntsville has talked with the Arsenal leadership, and as more people use Haysland Road, they plan to add more hours to Gate 3. They anticipate this being another major entry route as Huntsville grows south. It will also help ease school traffic – since we’re not building any more overpasses on South Parkway, this will provide an alternative route for students to get to Grissom.”

The new greenway at Hays Green is already in use, but will officially open to the public when Haysland Road opens in the fall. The greenway runs from Grissom High School to Bell Mountain Park, and will eventually extend all the way to Ditto Landing.

New Homes

Plans for new homes are also coming online. The Forge, The Fields, and The Forest subdivisions will be built first, with 174 phase 1 lots that will go up for sale soon. The builder will be announced this fall, and construction is planned to start right away. Altogether, there are more than 440 single-family homes planned to be built over the next four years. A multi-family development will also be announced in October to include luxury apartments in close proximity to Grissom High School.

Visit haysfarm.com to view the master plan and sign up for further updates.

This article appears in the October 2020 issue of Initiatives magazine, a publication of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.