Gov. Robert Bentley speaks at the groundbreaking of Town Madison in August 2014. (File Photo/Charles Molineaux)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer 

MADISON – Months after unfavorable weather conditions were blamed on the slow progress of the Town Madison retail development south of Interstate-565, the 700-acre development still sits with no stores announced for the property as of July 20.

District 2 County Commissioner Steve Haraway was able to give updates on the infrastructure progress, which he said are to blame for the lack of stores being announced for the property.

“A lot of it hinges on the interchange,” Haraway said at a July 16 interview, citing the planned exit and entrance ramps to and from I-565 to Zierdt Road, which would allow easier access to the development for interstate commuters.

“We’re going back and forth between ALDOT, the city and everyone else right now,” Haraway said.

Citing a rough timeline, Haraway estimated the plans to be completed and work to begin on the interchange in the next 60 days, which he said would give the developing company, Sembler, more freedom to announce retail spots at Town Madison.

“They wanted to make sure to provide access to [Redstone] Arsenal,” Haraway added.

At a recent Madison City Council meeting, the Council voted to hold a public hearing on rezoning property near the Intergraph campus adjacent to Wall-Triana Highway and I-565, which constitutes one phase of the mixed-use development. Haraway said developer Louis Breland’s property, which consists of everything between the driving range at the Madison Golf Center and Zierdt Road.

“[Intergraph] just wanted to get it re-zoned, get ahead of the game,” Haraway said. “The others are holding off on asking for re-zoning until they have a better idea of who’s going to be there.”

Town Madison, the 700-acre property, officially broke ground last August with intent to give the city of Madison a needed tax base. Estimates at the groundbreaking were that the center could provide around 1,600 jobs when all is built.