Huntsville now the 27th largest city in the nation, bigger than Chicago

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Huntsville now the 27th largest city in the nation, ******* than Chicago

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Huntsville City Council approved a new land annexation Thursday, making the city the 27th largest in the nation by land mass, beating Chicago.

The city added nearly 400 acres of land South of Highway 20 and East of I-65, off of Arrowhead Landing Road.

Huntsville votes to rename DEI Office

Huntsville’s Manager of Planning, Thomas Nunez, said the plot of land will be used for residential, commercial and recreational purposes. He says the plan estimates that 2,500 to 4,000 residential spaces will be built over the next 10 to 20 years.

That was something that concerned District 1 Councilmember Michelle Watkins.

Watkins expressed concerns that Huntsville City Schools cannot handle such a heavy influx of students.

“My concern is, this is a lot of weight to carry for a school district,” Watkins said. “It’s a lot. And, you love growth, don’t get me wrong. Growth is great. But you’re breaking the schools at the seams. We have to think about that.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

outlines the completion of a pre-k to 8th grade school in Limestone County for the 2028-29 school year. Watkins worried about the lack of a new high school.

“The capitol improvement plan for Huntsville City Schools does not include a high school,” Watkins said. “So, that means they’re gonna travel from that, almost at the Decatur exit, all the way to Columbia off of Zierdt Road, I mean off of Research Park. That’s a long distance.”

Columbia High School, as referenced by Watkins, is over 15 miles, or nearly a 30-minute drive, from this plot of land.

Watkins told News 19 that she did not feel as concerned on Friday after speaking with City Council President John Meredith. He told her that the city is working closely with Huntsville City Schools.

Nunez said the development plans should be released in the next several months.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Huntsville #27th #largest #city #nation #******* #Chicago

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up