The Councill Courts Revitalization Strategy is focused on the analysis and preparation of several development scenarios for consideration by the Huntsville Housing Authority and its Board of Commissioners for Councill Courts, a 196 unit community located on +/- 18 acres of land in downtown Huntsville. Following a selected proposal which contemplates the complete demolition of all housing units on site and the sale of the property, Wallace + Perdomo was asked to research and prepare a conceptual layout for the development of a mid-rise elderly facility on the Councill Courts site. The placement of the building considered the following factors: commercial land values so as to make the most of the site's potential while maximizing the opportunity to achieve full market value of the remaining land proposed for sale, access to the existing hospital facilities, market and marketability of the site as a whole, access to existing transportation and existing floodway levels along Fagan Creek.

The proposed senior building responds to the Huntsville Housing Authority's desire to create a unique urban setting within a walkable distance to downtown Huntsville. Reflective of the historic context of Huntsville's downtown neighborhoods, the proposed building forms, amssing, height and architectural details incorporate regional and local influences. The predominant use of traditional materials, façade articulation and roof forms contribute to the overall balance and composition of the surrounding downtown streetscapes. The proposed four-story elderly facility will include 92 dwelling units of approximately 750 square feet per unit. The ground floor is designed to accommodate a management office and maintenance / security room with shared common spaces consisting of a multi-purpose room, a small business center and a doctor's office.

Each residential floor includes a small fitness room or reading room and common laundry facility. Exterior areas are designed to allow for outdoor gardens and seating areas and for walking trails along Fagan Creek with enhanced views towards downtown Huntsville. Parking is proposed to be surface lots consisting of 86 spaces on 0.89 acres adjacent to the building.

Based on the results of the site visit and market study, additional programmatic considerations included five (5) scenarios with varied physical approaches to site development by W+P. HHA selected a development approach which combined the construction of an elderly community of 98 units onsite at Councill Courts and the acquisition of 200 affordable apartments that would be rehabilitated by HHA and its development partner using LIHTC resources. In addition, a homeownership program would support 28 additional affordable housing units offsite. Unique to this strategy was the replacement of 100% of Councill Courts units without additional HHA funding. (Project Duration: April 2005 thru May 2006).