Chamber of Commerce hosts Connect 2015, Mayor gives ‘State of the City’ address
Madison Mayor Troy Trulock gives his annual “State of the City” address to attendees of Connect 2015 at the Davidson Center. Jan. 30. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
HUNTSVILLE – The annual update on the City of Madison was given in the sixth Connect event hosted by the Madison Chamber of Commerce Jan. 30 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Davidson Center. The sold-out event featured a cocktail hour that preceded Mayor Troy Trulock’s “State of the City” address.
The presentation kicked off with the presentation of colors by the Junior ROTC units from Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools followed by the national anthem from special guest Abby Wright.
A prepared video showcasing accomplishments by Madison City Schools and outlining economic developments made in the past year was shown before Trulock took to the podium to expand on 2014 updates.
Many areas in the west side of Madison, including zones in Limestone County, are being prepared for residential development, including on the west sides of Burgreen Road and Segers Road. More than 1,000 housing units are slated for the school zone of James Clemens High School alone.
Trulock also mentioned the new businesses that cut ribbons and opened doors in the City in 2014; 245 business licenses were issued in the past year in Madison.
“We’re growing, homes and business are growing in Madison,” Trulock said.
Among the economic developments Trulock touted were the groundbreaking of Town Madison in August, a 700-acre shopping center that will provide a tax base for the City, and smaller entities like Rocket City Launch, a manufacturing startup that “captures the entrepreneurial spirit.” Oakland Springs, a Providence-like development, is set to start construction in the summer off of Huntsville – Browns Ferry Road.
To keep up with the increased traffic in Madison, Trulock went over the road projects set to start in the coming year, including the five-laning of County Line Road, set to start sometime in February, and the opening of the I-565 interchange at County Line Road set to open in the coming months.
Other public services are set to expand for Madison residents in 2015.
“Hopefully we’ll be breaking ground on a new library this year,” Trulock said, adding the new facility will measure around 35,000-square feet compared to the existing 15,000-square foot library in existence.
A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales of Connect 2015 will be given to Madison City Schools.
