Demolition crews are tearing down the Huntsville Summit Apartments in Old Towne, and the neighbors living closest to the rubble are getting a front-row seat to the noise. The aging apartment building at Walker Avenue and Meridian Street is making way for Meridian Commons, a new affordable housing development aimed at seniors and residents with disabilities, after the complex's final tenants were relocated earlier this year.
Neighbors Split on the Noise
According to WAFF, some neighbors say the demolition work hasn't bothered them much, while others have reported loud banging throughout the day. Neighbors also told the station that demolition crews have been hosing down the site to keep dust under control as the old building comes apart.
Mary Ellen Judah, executive director of Neighborhood Concepts, the nonprofit overseeing the project, said the team tries to be considerate of the surrounding Old Towne neighborhood. “We don't start too early. We don't work too late,” Judah said, adding that crews notify community members ahead of time about expected disruptions.
Decades of Problems Led to Demolition
A separate report from WHNT put the building's construction year at 1979. Over the decades, the complex was hit by fires along with recurring issues involving electricity, air conditioning and other building systems, Judah said. After weighing options to renovate or save the structure, the project team ultimately decided to demolish it and start fresh, according to Judah.
Neighborhood Concepts owns the building through a partnership with the city, and the nonprofit's demolition crews are expected to clean up the site once the teardown is finished. Judah said crews also plan to raise the land slightly to move it out of the flood zone before new construction begins.
What Comes Next for Meridian Commons
The scale of the replacement project has been described differently across reports. A $4.73 million city funding approval covered by al.com described Meridian Commons as a more than $22 million project creating 100 affordable rental units at 111 Walker Avenue, with Redstone Federal Credit Union supplying $14.4 million in financing. A more recent account from the Huntsville Business Journal described the plan as replacing the existing eight-story building with a four-story, 101-unit structure. Whatever the final unit count, the project is intended to serve residents ages 62 and older or those with disabilities.
Judah said the new building likely won't break ground until early 2027, while an earlier al.com report projected completion by mid-2027. Judah described the finished building as having a more contemporary design that will better match the historic character of Old Towne, with green spaces and professional third-party management once it opens.
Relocated Residents Await the Return
Around 50 residents were relocated ahead of the demolition, and they'll be able to move back into the new building once construction wraps up, per Judah. She said relocated residents will pay roughly 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities, with a federal subsidy covering the rest of those costs. Neighborhood Concepts temporarily relocated residents ahead of the demolition.
Meridian Commons is expected to open in 2027.
