Mayor Battle Awards AM Booth Lumberyard “This Place Matters” Designation
Published on May 10, 2017
Mayor Tommy Battle presented Doug Smith, owner of AM Booth Lumberyard, with a “This Place Matters” award for breathing new life into a complex of old buildings by the rail line in downtown Huntsville.
Smith, who says he is most comfortable when he is around older things, converted the old structures into an entertainment space, restaurants, retail and a music studio. The eclectic urban spaces have drawn businesses and patrons. It’s now considered one of the “must go to” spots in the downtown area.
“Most people know this property as the Lumberyard, and it’s one of the most popular sites for parties and intimate concerts,” said Mayor Battle. “It’s also a great place for fundraisers – my wife hosted one for Free2Teach and it was a big success. You can listen to music, dance, and break away to some terrific shops and restaurants. Better still, when the train rolls by, everyone gets excited – taking us back to a time when the incoming train was a big event downtown.”
The Mayor recognized it takes a special visionary to take on a project like the Lumberyard, and he credits Smith for his ideas and perseverance.
“When I was in music production, I traveled to other cities for music venues and wondered why we couldn’t have something like it in Huntsville,” said Smith. “Then, I heard Mayor Battle talking about ways we could attract millennials, and a light bulb went off. I thought this was the perfect place to create something different, and we did. It’s so cool to see the smiling faces here, and in the end, that’s really what it is all about.”
The award is the third of four awards Mayor Battle is presenting in May as part of Huntsville Preservation Month. See Preservation Proclamation
Preservation Month Activities
- To celebrate Huntsville’s historic places and older buildings during Preservation Month, the City is leading a number of activities to recognize places that matter. City Council members will recognize re-urbanism projects in their districts by presenting the owners with “This Place Matters” decals to place on their buildings.
- The public is encouraged to participate by snapping a photo of their favorite historic building and posting it to their social media platform with the hashtag #ThisPlaceMattersHsv.
- On May 16, the City will host a panel discussion at Campus No. 805 entitled “Preservation & Placemaking: How celebrating our history enhances our future.” Cheryl Morgan, Emerita Professor of Architecture in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture of Auburn University, will give a talk, titled, “Place Matters.” Morgan’s presentation will be followed up by a panel, moderated by Historic Huntsville Foundation Executive Director Donna Castellano with a panel to include Ms. Morgan, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. President and CEO Chad Emerson, City of Huntsville Urban and Long Range Planner Dennis Madsen and Vice President of Tourism Jennifer Moore from the Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the A/V Room in the Stone Event Center. Sign up to attend the event here.
Pictured above: Mayor Tommy Battle, Doug Smith – owner A&M Booth Lumberyard
READ MORE: Mayor Battle Launches This Place Matters Campaign, Campus No. 805 earns “This Place Matters” award
