Madison Quarry Article

[ScubaLuke]

Here's a link to an article about the future of Madison Quarry:
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/113153138024610.xml&coll=1

No real news except that it is likely that it will eventually become a scuba diving center again.
Luke

 

[ScubaLuke]

It wouldn't hurt to email the Mayor and the City Council of Madison and nicely ask them to reopen the place as a scuba park. Here are the email addresses:

mayorsoffice@ci.madison.al.us
citycouncil@ci.madison.al.us

Luke

 

[mike_s]

It wouldn't hurt to email the Mayor and the City Council of Madison and nicely ask them to reopen the place as a scuba park. Here are the email addresses:

mayorsoffice@ci.madison.al.us
citycouncil@ci.madison.al.us

Luke

When you write them, don't forget to mention the economic impact of
other things you spend money on in Madison. Food, Gas, lodging,
buying stuff, etc.

Thanks for posting this Luke.

BTW... I wrote the person who authored this article for the paper
and asked if he would do a follow up article on the quarry talking
about the economic impact that divers have buy spending on
items when they go diving (food, gas, etc). I also asked if he'd
interview divers about their thoughts on now nice it is to have
a facility like this open for them. I told him I'd provide him a
list of divers and contact info for that. If you'd like to be put
on the list I give him (if he asks for it), please let me know.

-Mike

 

[ScubaLuke]

I also asked if he'd interview divers about their
thoughts on now nice it is to have a facility like this open for them.
I told him I'd provide him a list of divers and contact info for that.
If you'd like to be put on the list I give him (if he asks for it),
please let me know.

-Mike

Good thinking Mike. Put me on the list.
Luke

 

[mike_s]

Good thinking Mike. Put me on the list.
Luke

Oh... you're already on my list there buddy!

 

[skybird]

since I never got an opportunity to dive there before it closed, I was very dissapointed. is there Not another dive shop in Madison County? Maybve the city could open it and "hire" them to run it?

 

[mike_s]

since I never got an opportunity to dive there before it closed, I was very dissapointed. is there Not another dive shop in Madison County? Maybve the city could open it and "hire" them to run it?

Nancy, there are two other dive shops in the Huntsville area, SDI and Dolphin Aquatics and Dive Sports in Decatur.

I don't think the city of Madison wants to "hire" a dive shop to run it. They will most likely want put out a Request for Proposal from people interested in running it on contract as a consession to the city (or in other words, a lease). Basically they would rather be paid a fee by another company and not have to hire one which would be subsidized by tax revenue.

I'm also not sure the other shops want to have to deal with the capital investment required for rental equipment purchase, compressor, insurance, and payroll.



In other news... I got an email back from the reporter on the Huntsville Times who wrote the article and he is planning on doing a follow up story basied on some information given to him by Councilman Jerry Jennings and also information about how divers in the surrounding area have an economic impact by traveling here to dive. (of course all of this is subject to "chopping" by their editors. ) He said that follow on articles which might include diver interviews would depend on how much the editors wanted him to follow this story....

 

[darylm74]

Crap and I was hoping it would be back open before Thanksgiving so that I had a place to dive when I go back home.

 

[ScubaLuke]

Crap and I was hoping it would be back open before Thanksgiving so that I had a place to dive when I go back home.

I'll be happy if it's opened by next spring. The city of Madison is still looking at their options. I'm pretty sure they'll come to the conclusion that a scuba facility is the best use of the site but I'll be surprised if they issue an request for proposal for somebody to run the place before January.

At that point they have to give the bidders a month or two to write the proposal and then the city will need another month or two to select one of the bidders. So realistically I think the best we can even hope for is seeing the place back open in June. And it could be much longer than that.

Keep your fingers crossed.
Luke